Biography

Charles Korvin

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He was born in Piestany, Hungary, going to the United States in 1940 having studied at the Sorbonne and working in still and motion picture photography. After studying acting at the Barter Theatre in Abingdon Virginia, he made his 1943 debut on Broadway in "Dark Eyes" under the name Geza Korvin. It was then than movie producer Charles K. Feldman signed him to a contract with Universal Studios. There, with the new stage name Charles Korvin, he played the title role, a French thief, in "Enter Arsene Lupin" (1944). His next three movies paired him romantically with Merle Oberon. After a contract dispute with Universal, and though blacklisted by the House Un-American Activities Committee in 1951, he played a number of villain, thief and philanderer roles for different studios, including the part of the evil Russian agent Rokov in Lex Barker's "Tarzan's Savage Fury" (1952). He also appeared in many TV episodes, notably as The Eagle in the "Zorro" series (1957) and as the Latin dance instructor Carlos in "The Honeymooners". He returned to Hollywood in Stanley Kramer's "Ship of Fools" (1965). He had homes in Manhattan, USA and Klosters, Switzerland, and died, aged 90, at the Lenox Hill Hospital in Manhattan, survived by his wife, Natasha; a daughter, Katherine Pers of Budapest; a son, Edward Danziger Dorvin of Santa Monica, California; and three grandchildren.
- IMDb mini biography by: Ed Stephan <stephan@cc.wwu.edu>

Blacklisted in Hollywood ca. 1951 when he heroically refused to testify before the US Representatives Un-American House Activities Committee. He remained blacklisted for about ten years.
Famous American chef Julia Child, a longtime friend, was interviewed in 1978 by Dick Cavett on his PBS television show. When he asked her to name her favorite "amateur" chef, Child replied, "Charles Korvin".
For more than 25 years he and his wife Anne, were part-of-the-year residents in Klosters, Switzerland, where they enjoyed skiing, cooking and entertaining.
He claimed to have been Greta Garbo's last dance partner. She was also a part time resident in Klosters.
He was the voice of the Red Baron for eight years on television and radio ads for Lufthansa Airlines.

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