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S.Z. Sakall

S.Z. Sakall

Actor · Died February 12, 1955, aged 72 · Budapest, Austria-Hungary [now Budapest, Hungary]

Szőke Szakáll, known as S.Z. Sakall, was a Hungarian film character actor. He was in many films including In the Good Old Summertime, Lullaby of Broadway, Christmas in Connecticut and Casablanca in which he played Carl, the head waiter. Chubby-jowled Sakall played numerous supporting roles in Hollywood musicals and comedies in the 1940s and 1950s. His rotund cuteness earned Sakall the nickname "Cuddles," and he was often billed as S.Z. "Cuddles" Sakall in his later films, though he was never happy with the name. He was famous for using the phrase "everything is hunky dunky." Description above from the Wikipedia article S. Z. Sakall, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
February 2, 1883
Died
February 12, 1955 (aged 72)
From
Budapest, Austria-Hungary [now Budapest, Hungary]
Works as
Actor
Titles
26 on MovieCove · 98 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 49% in 30 days

What are S.Z. Sakall's films like?

Across their 23 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Morality.

Genres

Comedy14 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 70th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies
Drama4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 56th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Musical3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 36th percentile
: browse their Musical movies
Biography2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 46th percentile
: browse their Biography movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
47%
Morality
22%
Self
19%
Power
7%
Society
5%
Romantic love19 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception5 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity4 titles, browse their movies with this themeAmbition4 titles, browse their movies with this themeClass3 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity3 titles, browse their movies with this themeDuty2 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 23 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 21 · Serious 1 · Dark 1

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 11 · Stylized 10 · Heightened 2

Gentle: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their gentle movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 19 · Charged 4 · Intense 0

Steady: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their steady movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 22 · Shifting 1 · Whiplash 0

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 1 · Some laughs 14 · Funny 8

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 11 · Even-paced 12 · Relentless 0

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 21 · Engaged 2 · Full focus 0

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 23 · Open-ended 0 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

11 analyzed roles

Usually the Ally: 4 of 11 analyzed roles.

Ally
4 of 11
Mentor
3 of 11
Threshold guardian
3 of 11
Herald
1 of 11
Show the 11 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Joyful
16
Romantic
19
Warm
9
Hopeful
5
Bittersweet
3
Other
9

How their films linger

Feel-good21 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun13 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy18
  • Bittersweet5

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch S.Z. Sakall's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 8 of their 26 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on HBO Max (5).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for S.Z. Sakall's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

98 credits, 26 with a MovieCove page; 3 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • The Student Prince(1954)

    as Joseph Ruder

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • Small Town Girl(1953)

    as Papa Schlemmer

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • It's a Big Country: An American Anthology(1951)

    as Stefan Szabo

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • Painting the Clouds with Sunshine(1951)

    as Uncle Felix

    Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films

  • Lullaby of Broadway(1951)

    as Adolph Hubbell

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • Sugarfoot(1951)

    as Don Miguel Wormser

    Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all films

  • Tea for Two(1950)

    as J. Maxwell Bloomhaus

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • The Daughter of Rosie O'Grady (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    as Miklos Teretzky

  • Montana(1950)

    as Papa Otto Schultz

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • Oh, You Beautiful Doll(1949)

    as Alfred Breitenbach

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • Look for the Silver Lining (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

    as Shendorff

  • In the Good Old Summertime(1949)

    as Otto Oberkugen

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • My Dream Is Yours(1949)

    as Felix Hofer

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • Whiplash (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    as Sam

  • Embraceable You (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    as Sammy

  • Romance on the High Seas(1948)

    as Uncle Lazlo Lazlo

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • April Showers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    as Mr. Curley

  • Cynthia (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1947)

    as Prof. Rosenkrantz

  • The Time, the Place and the Girl(1946)

    as Ladislaus Cassel

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • Never Say Goodbye(1946)

    as Willie Schmidt

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Two Guys from Milwaukee(1946)

    as Count Oswald

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Cinderella Jones (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

    as Gabriel Popik

  • San Antonio (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1945)

    as Sacha Bozic

  • The Dolly Sisters (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1945)

    as Latsie Dolly

  • Christmas in Connecticut(1945)

    as Felix Bassenak

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Wonder Man(1945)

    as Schmidt

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • Shine on Harvest Moon(1944)

    as Poppa Carl

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • Thank Your Lucky Stars(1943)

    as Dr. Schlenna

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Wintertime (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    as Hjalmar Ostgaard

  • Casablanca(1942)

    as Carl

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Seven Sweethearts (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    as Mr. Van Maaster, the Father

  • Yankee Doodle Dandy(1942)

    as Schwab

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • Broadway (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    as Nick

  • Ball of Fire(1941)

    as Prof. Magenbruch

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • That Night in Rio(1941)

    as Arthur Penna

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • The Devil and Miss Jones(1941)

    as George (Merrick's Butler)

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • The Man Who Lost Himself (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    as Paul

  • Spring Parade (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    as Latislav Teschek - the Baker

  • My Love Came Back(1940)

    as Geza Peyer

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • Florian (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    as Max

  • It's a Date (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    as Carl Ober

  • Bubi (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    as Moller

  • The Lilac Domino (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    as Sandor

  • Keep Smiling (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    Actor

  • Fräulein Lilli(1936)

    as Prokurist Seidl

    Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Affairs of Maupassant (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    as Dr. Walitzky

  • Four and a Half Musketeers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    as Sattler, Schlagzeuger

  • Bretter, die die Welt bedeuten (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    as Franz Novak

  • Ende schlecht, alles gut (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    as Anton Polgar, Papierhändler

  • Room for the Aged (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    Actor

  • When You're Young, the World Belongs to You (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    as Beppo

  • Stolen Wednesday (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    as Schmidz fotóriporter

  • Tokajerglut (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    as Schmidt, Pressephotograph

  • Frühlingsstimmen (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    as Krüger, Schuldiener

  • Scandal in Budapest (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    as Stangl

  • Adventure on the Lido (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    as Michael

  • Pardon, tévedtem (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    as Mr. Strangel

  • Grand Duchess Alexandra (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    as Dimitri

  • Muß man sich gleich scheiden lassen (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    as Professor Friedrich Hornung

  • Es war einmal ein Musikus (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    as Häberlein

  • A Woman Like You (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    as Theobald Roehn, Fabrikant

  • Her Majesty Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    as Bela Török

  • Kaiserwalzer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    as Leitner - Fabrikant aus Budapest

  • The Town Stands on Its Head (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    as Der Bürgermeister

  • Glück über Nacht (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    as Haase

  • Mein Name ist Lampe (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    Director · Actor

  • Countess Mariza (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    as Lampe

  • I Do Not Want to Know Who You Are (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    as Ottokar, sein früherer Diener

  • Ein harmloser Fall (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    as Herr Werner

  • Besserer Herr gesucht, zwecks... (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    Actor

  • Right to Happiness (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    as Bernhard

  • Girls to Marry (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    as Alois Novak

  • Es wird geheiratet (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    as Mr. Winter

  • The Unknown Guest (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    as Leopold Kuhlmann

  • The Soaring Maiden (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    as Onkel Lampe

  • My Cousin From Warsaw (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    as Burel, Luciennes Gatte

  • The Squeeker (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    as Bill "Billy" Anerley, Direktor des "Leopard-Clubs"

  • The mute of Portici (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    as Ehemann

  • I Marry My Husband (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    as Adolphe

  • Waltz Paradise (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    as Schwartz, Theateragent

  • The Carnival Fairy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    as Matthias, Diener

  • Headlong into happiness (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    as Baron Monteuil

  • The Jumping Jack (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    as Eickmeyer

  • Susie Cleans Up (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    as Dr. Fuchs

  • Komm' zu mir zum Rendezvous (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    as Crépin

  • Twice Wedding (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    as Grafenbergs Schwager

  • Two Hearts in Waltz Time (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    as Der Theaterdirektor

  • Wer wird denn weinen, wenn man auseinandergeht? (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    as Gottgetreu, Kassierer von Harder & Co.

  • Pavement Butterfly (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    as Paul Bennet

  • Whirl of Youth (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)

    as Sam

  • Mary Lou (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)

    as Der Jongleur

  • Family Gathering in the House of Prellstein (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    as Sami Bambus

  • The Merry Farmer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    Actor

  • Make Up (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    as Theaterdirektor

  • Heaven on Earth (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    as Geschäftsführer

  • Hello Caesar! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    Writer

  • The Master of Death (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1926)

    as Bordoni

  • Wenn das Herz der Jugend spricht (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1926)

    as Dr. Hecht

Career shape

Star power in the 92nd percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 98 titles from 1926 to 1954.

Biggest box office

In the Good Old Summertime (1949)

$7.7M worldwide

Highest rated

Casablanca (1942)

Midcredits 99th

Film career

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting97 of 98: 96 only acting, 1 with another role · typical Midcredits score65thDirecting1 of 98: 0 only directing, 1 with another roleWriting1 of 98: 1 only writing, 0 with another role

By decade

1920s11 · 10 acting · 1 crew1930s46 · 46 acting · 1 crew1940s32 · acting1950s9 · acting

Billing

usually 6th · top billed in 0% of 10 roles

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30.

How do S.Z. Sakall's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 65th percentile, the median of all 26; across their 23 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 61st percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

61stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 23

Approval · how many liked their films

62ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 23

Reach · how many have seen their films

48thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 23

Midcredits score across 26 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up7
  • 50th to 74th11
  • 25th to 49th8

Shape of the crowd

13 of their 26 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved5
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser13
  • Broadly Agreed3
  • Mixed4

Most divisive · actor

Fräulein Lilli (1936)

79th percentile spread · 33% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Casablanca (1942)

Midcredits 99th · 90% liked

Reviewers score the acting 70/100 in their films, across 22 reviewed titles; fans 77, detractors 46. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is S.Z. Sakall's work okay for kids?

Across a limited sample of up to 3 MovieCove titles with content scores.

Their medianMedian of all films
Violence & Gore3 titlesmedian 24 · mildMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity3 titlesmedian 17 · mildMedian of all films: 32
Profanity3 titlesmedian 4 · minimalMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs3 titlesmedian 31 · mildMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense3 titlesmedian 17 · mildMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted.

Who does S.Z. Sakall work with?

People who share at least 2 of S.Z. Sakall's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; David Butler shares the most, 6.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers