| María Corda | |
|---|---|
| Born | Mária Antónia Farkas 4 May 1898 Déva, Hungary |
| Died | 15 February 1976 (aged 77) Thônex, Switzerland |
| Other names | Mária Antónia Farkas |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1919 - 1929 |
María Corda (born Mária Antónia Farkas on 4 May 1898 in Déva, Hungary, died 15 February 1976 in Thônex, Switzerland) was a Hungarian actress and a star of the silent film era in Germany and Austria.
She began her acting career in the theatres of Budapest in the early days of World War I and soon after the break-up of Austria-Hungary she also began to work in the film industry. Her first role was in Se ki, se be (Neither at Home or Abroad) in 1919, directed by Alexander Korda. She married Alexander Korda in 1919. He featured her in White Rose (1919), Ave Caesar! (1919) and A 111-es (Number 11, 1920) all of which he directed. She followed Alexander to Vienna and in 1921 gave birth to their son.
In Vienna, he made her a star of the Austrian silent screen in epic films like Samson und Delila (1922) and Michael Curtiz's Die Sklavenkönigin (1924). Gli ultimi giorni di Pompei (1926) saw her take a leading role in an Italian film of a similar style.
In 1926 she and her husband moved to Berlin and the following year moved on to Hollywood. She appeared in Korda's early productions there but enjoyed little success. Her Hollywood career came to an end with the coming of sound, not least because her English was limited, so she returned to Europe where she appeared in a few minor films.
She and Korda divorced in 1930 and she moved to New York, where she wrote a number of novels. The later years of her life were spent in the vicinity of Geneva in Switzerland.