János Székely
János Székely (7 July 1901, Budapest – 16 December 1958, East Berlin) was a Jewish Hungarian writer and screenwriter. His best-known work is the 1949 autobiographical novel Kísértés (Temptation). He published some of his books under the pen name John Pen.
Also recorded as John Pen · Hans Székely · John S. Toldy · Janos Szekely
János Székely
- Name
- János Székely
- Born
- July 7, 1901
- Birthplace
- Budapest, Hungary
- Died
- December 16, 1958
- Place of death
- East Berlin, East Germany
- Occupation
- * Writer,
- Awards
- Academy Award for Best Story (1941) János Székely (7 July 1901, Budapest – 16 December 1958, East Berlin) was a Jewish Hungarian writer and screenwriter.
- Full name
- Freund János.
- Nationality
- Hungary.
- Honours
- Academy Award for Best Story.
- Languages
- German, English and Hungarian.
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János Székely (7 July 1901, Budapest – 16 December 1958, East Berlin) was a Jewish Hungarian writer and screenwriter. His best-known work is the 1949 autobiographical novel Kísértés (Temptation). He published some of his books under the pen name John Pen.
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In this article
Biography
Biography
Further alternative names of his were Hans Székely and John S. Toldy. At the age of 18, he fled World War I, from Hungary to Germany. In Berlin, he wrote numerous screenplays for silent movie stars like Brigitte Helm, Willy Fritsch, Marlene Dietrich and Emil Jannings. Ernst Lubitsch in 1934 invited him to work in Hollywood. In 1938 he emigrated to the United States and became a sought-after screenwriter for silent and sound films. In 1940 he was awarded the Academy Award for Best Story for Arise, My Love. In the McCarthy era, he left the United States, moved to Mexico, and in 1957 to East Berlin to work with the DEFA film studio.
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — János Székely • Born — July 7, 1901 • Birthplace — Budapest, Hungary • Died — December 16, 1958 • Place of death — East Berlin, East Germany • Other Names — John Pen, Hans Székely, John S. Toldy • Occupation — * Writer, • screenwriter • Awards — Academy Award for Best Story (1941) János Székely (7 July 1901, Budapest – 16 December 1958, East Berlin) was a Jewish Hungarian writer and screenwriter. His best-known work is the 1949 autobiographical novel Kísértés (Temptation). He published some of his books under the pen name John Pen. Further alternative names of his were Hans Székely and John S. Toldy. At the age of 18, he fled World War I, from Hungary to Germany. In Berlin, he wrote numerous screenplays for silent movie stars like Brigitte Helm, Willy Fritsch, Marlene Dietrich and Emil Jannings. Ernst Lubitsch in 1934 invited him to work in Hollywood. In 1938 he emigrated to the United States and became a sought-after screenwriter for silent and sound films. In 1940 he was awarded the Academy Award for Best Story for Arise, My Love. In the McCarthy era, he left the United States, moved to Mexico, and in 1957 to East Berlin to work with the DEFA film studio.
Novels
Novels
• (1940) You can't do that to Swoboda • (1949) Kísértés
Screenplays
Screenplays
• Die namenlosen Helden (1923) • The Master of Death (1926) • Hungarian Rhapsody (Berlin, 1928) • Magyar Rapszódia (Budapest, 1928) • Vasárnap délután (Budapest, 1929) • Asphalt (Berlin, 1929) • The Wonderful Lies of Nina Petrovna (Berlin, 1929) • Manolescu (Berlin, 1929) • Melody of the Heart (Berlin, 1929) • The Singing City (Berlin, 1930) • Gloria (Berlin, 1931) • I by Day, You by Night (Berlin, 1932) • Early to Bed (London, 1933) • Happy Days in Aranjuez (Berlin, 1933) • Desire (Hollywood. 1936) • The Lie of Nina Petrovna (Paris, 1937) • Dramatic School (Hollywood, 1939) • Arise, My Love (Hollywood, 1940) • Paris Calling (Hollywood, 1942) • Give Us This Day (London, 1949) • Geschwader Fledermaus (East Berlin, 1958)
Places
Named by the record
Places
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Budapest.
Birth place
East Berlin.
Death place
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Biographische Nachbemerkung. In: János Székely: Verlockung. Diogenes, Zürich 2016, S. 981–985
- 2.Diogenes Verlag: Autor János Székely. Abgerufen am 28. Februar 2026.
- 3.Erich Hackl. Not, Hass und Aufruhr. Geniestreich aus dem Nachlass: Janos Szekelys Roman »Eine Nacht, die vor 700 Jahren begann«. Junge Welt. 2023-05-27.
- 4.Editionshinweis beim Diogenes Verlag. Abgerufen am 28. Februar 2026.
- 5.Deutsche Erstausgabe eines jahrzehntelang verschollenen Romans, dessen ungarisches Original unauffindbar ist. Die englische Übersetzung stammt von Frank Gaynor.
- 6.Christian Stappenbeck: Ausgegraben: Székelys letzter Roman. In: Zeitschrift Ossietzky, 15/2023. Abgerufen am 28. Februar 2026.
References
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General reference
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