Victor Varconi

He also appeared in British and Italian films.

Victor Varconi
Varconi in 1934
Born	Mihály Várkonyi (1891-03-31)March 31, 1891 Kisvárda, Austria-Hungary
Died	June 6, 1976(1976-06-06) (aged 85) Santa Barbara, California, U.S.
Other names	Michael Varkonyi
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1913–1959
Spouses	Anna Aranyosy ​ ​ (m. 1919; died 1949)​ Lilliane Varconi

Born in Kisvárda, Austria-Hungary, Varconi was the first known Hungarian actor to make a film in the United States. He was educated at a commercial school in Hungary, after which he worked for an insurance company as a solicitor. After he developed an interest in acting, he attended the Actor Art High School in Budapest, from which he progressed to acting with the National Theatre in Budapest. While there, he performed in works that included Shakespearean plays and Molnar's Liliom and The Wolf. He went on to act with a Hungarian film company and in U.F.A. films in Berlin.

He worked under contract to Cecil B. DeMille, and played Pontius Pilate in DeMille's 1927 production of The King of Kings. That same year, he played Amos Hart, husband of murderess Roxie Hart, in the first film version of Chicago.

 

Owing in part to his Hungarian accent, Varconi's popularity reportedly waned with the advent of sound films and he was cast in smaller parts, often playing Hispanic characters. He worked on the New York City stage and wrote for radio.^{[citation needed]}

He died from a heart attack in Santa Barbara, California on June 6, 1976, at the age of 85, survived by his second wife, Lilliane. He was interred at the Calvary Cemetery, East Los Angeles, California.