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Hungarian

My paternal grandfather Nicholas (b1878) was born at Fertoszentmiklos, Hungary and came to the U.S. about 1900. He settled in Throop, PA and worked in the anthracite coal mines.

My paternal grandmother Elizabeth (b1885) was born at either Fertoszentmiklos or Pecs, Hungary. She came to the U.S. with her parents and brothers Janos and Sandor about 1887-1888. The family settled in Throop, PA where the farther, Janos, worked in the anthracite coal mines.

On the occasion of my parents' 50th wedding anniversary in 1986 I began researching my roots and created a family tree. I was able to go back only a few generations from people's memory. I also began to look for references to Hungary/Hungarians in movies and TV. (Not an easy task - there are not a lot of dominant Hungarian stereotypes, heroes, villians, etc.)

Here is my list of references to Hungary/Hungarians in movies and TV.

Movies

"'68" ('88)
It covers exactly one year (January 1st through December 31st) in the lives of Zoltan Szabo and his family, Hungarian immigrants, working hard to make a life in San Francisco in 1968
"Black Cat, The" ('34) aka "Vanshing Body" (US)
About a couple honymooning in Hungary, who get involved with Dr. Vitus Verdegast (Bela Lugosi) and end up in the home of Hjalmar Poezig (Boris Karloff).
"Blade Runner" ('82)
?
"Caravan to Vaccares" ('74)
Two escort a Hungarian scientist to New York.
"Casino Royale" ('67)
James Bond (David Niven) says to Mata Hare Bond, "I was disguised as a Hungarian huzzar".
"Dark Prince: The True Story of Dracula" ('00TV)
Vlad seeks relief in Hungary with King Janos.
"Dolly Sisters, The" ('45)
Jenny Dolly (Betty Grable) and her sister from Hungary start life in the US by cafe dancing. After advancing to vaudeville they set their eyes on the great white way of Broadway and Hammerstein
"Dracula's Daughter" ('36)
Hungarian countess Marya Zaleska falls under the influence of Dracula.
"English Patient, The ('96)
Count Almasy is a Hungarian map maker employed by the Royal Geographical Society to chart the vast expanses of the Sahara Desert during WWII.
"Gambler, The ('97)
?
"Great Dictator, The" ('40)
The Jewish Barber (Charlie Chaplin) shaves a customer to Brahms' Hungarian Dance No 5.
"Housesitter" ('92)
Steve Martin's house-sitter, Goldie Hawn, lives above a Hungarian restaurant.
"Hurdy Gurdy Man, The" ('99)
A talented Hungarian director struggles in New York
"It Runs in the Family" ('94)
Jean Shephard's second story (after "A Christmas Story") in the life of Ralph Parker. One of the stories Ralph's father tells is of 'the Hungarian barber's cross-eyed daughter'.
"Journey, The" ('59)
Diverse travelers are trapped by the Hungarian revolution of 1956. Major Surov (Yul Brynner)
"Lay Down Your Arms" ('70TV)
About the Russian invasion of Hungary.
"Love Happy" ('49)
A Marx brothers film, Harpo gets the "Hungarian rope torture" from Raymond Burr.
"Music Box" ('90)
Hungarian immigrant Mike Laszlo finds himself accused of being a notorious war criminal.
"My Fair Lady" ('64)
Theodore Bikel plays a Hungarian (Zoltan Karpathy) at the embassy ball where Audry Hepburn (Eliza) is presented to the queen of Transylvania.
After the ball Higgins is congratulated by Pickering with the song "You Did It". The last part of the song describes Karpathy. Lyrics
"My Girl 2" ('94)
Uncle Phil tries to make up with his girlfriend by inviting her out to dinner, "I know this wonderful little Hungarian restaurant, it makes its own struedle" and later, "Hungarians are famous for their beautiful women".
"National Lampoon's European Vacation" ('85)
The Griswolds win the trip on the game show 'Pig in a Poke' by avoiding the exceptionally difficult category 'History of early Hungarian cabinet makers'.
"Perfect Specimen, The" ('99)
On his way to the prom, a boy encounters roadblocks including surly Hungarians.
"Secret Ways, The" ('61)
After Soviet tanks crush the Hungarian uprising, soldier-of-fortune is hired to help a threatened Hungarian scientist escape from Budapest.
"Son of Dracula" ('?)
The lead says "The Hungarian that is... ( a vampire)".
"Squall, The" ('29)
A Hungarian farm family take in a runaway Gypsy girl Nubi (Myrna Loy) whose seductive nature soon causes discord among the men in the family.
"Stranger Then Paradise" ('84)
Eva comes from Hungary to the US to visit her cousin Willie, a self-styled hipster, and go on a series of capers.
"Telling Lies in America" ('97)
A coming of age story of the son of a Hungarian immigrant.
"That Lady in Ermine" ('48)
Starring Betty Grable and Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. It takes place in Bergamo, Italy in 1861, where the Hungarians led by their dashing Colonel Ladislas Karolyi Teglas (Fairbanks) occupy the castle of a beautiful Countes Angelina (Grabel) on her wedding night to an Italian Count (Ceasar Romero). Since the marriage is not consumated, that leaves the door open to a romace between the Countess and the Colonel.
The humorous part of the movie is a song sung by the spirits of the castle's late ancestors (comming to life from their portraits) led by the countess' great- great- great- great- grandmother Francesca, who looks a lot like Betty Grable. They sing about what they'll do to the invader. Lyrics
"Usual Suspects, The" ('95)
?
"Werewolf of Washington" ('73)
A reporter is bitten by a werewolf in Hungary, returns to the US and bodies begin to appear.
"Zoo of Budapest" ('33)
Zani is an unusual young man who has spent his entire life in a zoo in Budapest

TV

"Golden Girls"
Episode where Lazlo the Hungarian sculptor uses the girls as models.
"Scarecrow and Mrs. King"
The episode where the English accountant, James Brand, was acting like James BOND, reported that he "...tailed him to a little Hungarian restaurant".
The episode where Amanda is taken by a spy and Scarecrow seeks the aid of a former spy friend (Magda) from Hungary.
"Simpsons" Episode:"Spring Break"
Bart's friends debate where to go on spring break. One of the choices is the world's fair in Knoxvill, TN because as Millhouse states "The Hungarians built a huge mechanical Rubic's cube!"
"Single Guy, The" TV
Trudy goes to Hungary on business and gets into trouble because her husband packs her VISA card instead of her visa. She said she, "spent three terrible days at the Budapest airport, but the food was good"
"What a Country" ('86)
Taylor Brown teaches a night school course to recent immigrants. One, Laslo, is a retired Hungarian doctor;

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