Biography
Géza von Cziffra (19 December 1900 – 28 April 1989) was a Hungarian and Austrian film director and screenwriter. Cziffra was a Banat German in origin, born in 1900 in Arad in the Banat region, at that date in the Kingdom of Hungary, now in Romania. Cziffra made films from the 1930s onwards, at first in Hungary, and from 1936 in Germany as well, where he was initially more active as a screenwriter. In 1945, in Prague, then occupied by the Germans, he made the film Leuchtende Schatten ("Glowing Shadows"). As adviser for the criminal police, he was assigned SS-Sturmbannführer Eweler, a member of the SD and brother of the actress Ruth Eweler. After some time, Cziffra banned Eweler from the studios for excessive and obstructive criticism. Shortly afterwards, he was arrested and taken to the Prague Gestapo Headquarters in the Pecec Palace, where he was accused of having eaten several times in the Czech restaurant "Neumann" without using ration stamps. He was eventually dispatched to Pankrác Prison, the remand and interrogation prison of Prague, and sentenced to six months' imprisonment, beginning on 12 February. He was released from detention on 19 April, shortly before the end of the war. In 1945, in Vienna, Cziffra founded the first post-war Austrian film production company: Cziffra-Film. Principally, and for preference, he made light entertainment and musical films, with well-known German and Austrian actors such as Peter Alexander, Rudolf Platte, Senta Berger and Hubert von Meyerinck. Through the input of musicians like Bill Ramsey or Bully Buhlan, the films mostly progressed to being musical revues with a local Austrian slant and flavour (Heimatfilme). Cziffra also worked as an actor himself, and later in his life published a number of books. He was married to the actress Ursula Justin, who starred in six of his films in the 1950s. He died on 28 April 1989 in Diessen am Ammersee in Bavaria. His remains are interred in the crematorium in the Ostfriedhof, Munich.
Directed 55
1960s
- 1969
Should a Schoolgirl Tell?
Director
- 1968
Paradies der flotten Sünder
Director
- 1965
An der Donau, wenn der Wein blüht
Director
- 1964
Lana: Queen of the Amazons
Director
- 1963
- 1962
The Sweet Life of Count Bobby
Director
Die Fledermaus
Director
- 1961
Ein Stern fällt vom Himmel
Director
Junge Leute brauchen Liebe
Director
Die Abenteuer des Grafen Bobby
Director
Kauf Dir einen bunten Luftballon
Director
- 1960
Hauptmann - deine Sterne
Director
Kriminaltango
Director
Als geheilt entlassen
Director
1950s
- 1959
Salem Aleikum
Director
Ich bin kein Casanova
Director
Bobby Dodd intervenes
Director
Peter schießt den Vogel ab
Director
Schlag auf Schlag
Director
- 1958
So ein Millionär hat's schwer
Director
Wehe, wenn sie losgelassen
Director
Nachtschwester Ingeborg
Director
- 1957
Der müde Theodor
Director
Tante Wanda aus Uganda
Director
Das haut hin
Director
Crazy Otto
Director
Die Beine von Dolores
Director
- 1956
Mädchen mit schwachem Gedächtnis
Director
Die gestohlene Hose
Director
Musikparade
Director
- 1955
Bandits of the Highway
Director
Der falsche Adam
Director
- 1954
Tanz in der Sonne
Director
Geld aus der Luft
Director
- 1953
Das singende Hotel
Director
- 1952
Tanzende Sterne
Director
Der bunte Traum
Director
- 1951
Die verschleierte Maja
Director
- 1950
Die Dritte von rechts
Director
Liebe nach Noten
Director
1940s
- 1949
Gefährliche Gäste
Director
Das unsterbliche Antlitz
Director
- 1948
Der himmlische Walzer
Director
Königin der Landstraße
Director
- 1947
Glaube an mich
Director
- 1944
Dog Days
Director
- 1943
Der weiße Traum
Director
1930s
- 1935
St. Peter's Umbrella
Director
Villa for Sale
Director
- 1934
A Night in Venice
Director
- 1930
The Copper
Assistant Director
Wrote 36
1970s
- 1975
The Three Superguys
Screenplay
- 1974
Wetterleuchten über dem Zillertal
Screenplay
1960s
- 1969
Should a Schoolgirl Tell?
Writer
Das Go-Go-Girl vom Blow-Up
Screenplay
- 1968
Paradies der flotten Sünder
Writer
- 1965
Ein Ferienbett mit 100 PS
Story
- 1964
Lana: Queen of the Amazons
Story, Writer
- 1962
Die Fledermaus
Screenplay
- 1961
Ein Stern fällt vom Himmel
Writer
Junge Leute brauchen Liebe
Screenplay
- 1960
Kriminaltango
Screenplay
Als geheilt entlassen
Screenplay
1950s
- 1959
Salem Aleikum
Writer
Ich bin kein Casanova
Screenplay
Peter schießt den Vogel ab
Screenplay
- 1958
Wehe, wenn sie losgelassen
Screenplay
- 1957
Das haut hin
Writer
- 1956
Die gestohlene Hose
Screenplay
Musikparade
Writer
- 1955
Bandits of the Highway
Writer
- 1954
Geld aus der Luft
Screenplay
1940s
- 1949
- 1948
Der himmlische Walzer
Screenplay
- 1944
- 1943
Der weiße Traum
Writer
Melody of a Great City
Writer
Women Are No Angels
Writer
- 1941
Tanz mit dem Kaiser
Writer
Villa da vendere
Story
- 1940
Der Weg zu Isabel
Writer
1930s
- 1939
It Was a Gay Ballnight
Writer
- 1936
Where the Lark Sings
Writer
- 1935
Villa for Sale
Writer
Ball at the Savoy
Writer
- 1930
Three Days in the Guardhouse
Writer
The Copper
Screenplay
Produced 2
1950s
- 1955
Bandits of the Highway
Producer
1940s
- 1949
Appearances4
1980s
- 1984
Bruised Celluloid
Himself
- 1981
- 1980
1970s
- 1979
