Michael Curtiz (December 24, 1886 â April 10, 1962), born ManĂł Kaminer, was a Hungarian-American film director. He had early credits as MihĂĄly KertĂ©sz and Michael KertĂ©sz. He directed more than fifty films in Europe and more than one hundred in the United States. The best-known were The Adventures of Robin Hood, Angels with Dirty Faces, Casablanca, Yankee Doodle Dandy, and White Christmas. He thrived in the heyday of the