Lukas was born Pál Lukács in Budapest into a Hungarian-Jewish family,[1][2] the son of Adolf Munkácsi and Mária Schneckendorf. He was later adopted by Mária (née Zilahy) and János Lukács, an advertising executive.[3][4]
Lukas made his stage debut in Budapest in 1916, and his film debut in 1917. At first, he played elegant, smooth womanizers, but increasingly, he became typecast as a villain. He had a successful stage and film career in Hungary, Germany, and Austria, where he worked with Max Reinhardt. He arrived in Hollywood in 1927, and became a naturalized citizen of the United States in 1937. In 1935, he built a home near the new Racquet Club of Palm Springs, California.[5]
His major film success was Watch on the Rhine (1943), where he played a man working against the Nazis, a role he originated in the Broadway premiere of the play of the same name in 1941.[6] His portrayal of Kurt Mueller, a German émigré with an American wife, played by Bette Davis, was universally lauded by critics. Brooks Atkinson of the New York Times, wrote: "As the enemy of fascism, Mr. Lukas' haggard, loving, resourceful determination becomes heroic by virtue of his sincerity and his superior abilities as an actor."[7] He won the Academy Award for Best Actor for the role. He also received the New York Film Critics Award for his performance.[7]
The remainder of his career moved from Hollywood to the stage, and to television. His only singing role was as Cosmo Constantine in the original 1950 Broadway stage version of Irving Berlin's Call Me Madam, opposite Ethel Merman for over 600 performances (although he is heard singing a song in the 1933 film Little Women).[11]
Lukas died 15 August 1971, in Tangier, Morocco,[12] reportedly while searching for a place to spend his retirement years. He is buried in Spain.
Recognition
Lukas was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, at 6821 Hollywood Boulevard, on February 8, 1960.[13]
^Central Conference of American Rabbis (1988). "Journal of Reform Judaism". CCAR Journal. 35. Central Conference of American Rabbis. ISSN0149-712X. Retrieved 3 February 2017.
^H.W. Wilson Company (1942). "Current Biography Yearbook". Current Biography Yearbook: Annual Cumulation. H. W. Wilson Company. ISSN0084-9499. Retrieved 3 February 2017.
