On November 12, 1984, everyone's eternal Uncle Matula, the unforgettable great actor László Bánhidi, passed away. Although he was an actor for more than fifty years, he did not receive a single award or professional recognition. Not even after his death. And that's the saddest thing. Rest in peace uncle Matula, sorry László Bánhidi!

He primarily played character roles, and his special voice is known throughout the country even today. He appears in films and series such as Sándor Rózsa, Életjel, Matyi Lúdas, Egri czillagók and many others, but his most memorable role is Uncle Matula in Tüskevár.

The Newspaper Museum has collected 16 interesting facts about his life, which will certainly be new to many:

  1. He was born in Szatmárnémeti, in today's Romania, in 1906, where he also acquired his tasteful speech.
  2. He was originally trained as a theologian, and was not particularly interested in acting. He accompanied an acquaintance to the admission to the Academy of Performing Arts, but they thought he was also an applicant. They called him in, told him a poem, and then told him that he was recorded. That's how it started.
  3. The former director of the National Theatre, Sándor Hevesi, was his mentor, and he also helped him get roles in rural theaters at the beginning of his career.
  4. The II. He came to Budapest before World War II, and even then he was considered a character actor. On one occasion, the celebrated favorite Gyula Csortos said no to a theater role where he was supposed to play a butler. Since Hyppolit also played a servant in The Footman, he was not attracted to the character. As a recognized actor, however, he had more say than the directors, so he nudged Bánhidir with the following comment: that guy with the pointy nose gets the role!
  5. In 1938, he appeared in a movie for the first time, playing in the movie Momentary Money Trouble.
  6. During World War I, he was an actor in the capital, but his apartment was hit by a bomb, so he lived on a farm with his family for a while. Film roles brought him real fame. He became a regular character in youth films. Tüskevár, presented in 1967, took it to the top.
  7. Few people know that the writer István Fekete modeled the role of Uncle Matula on a real person, but the real Matula exiled himself to nature due to personal tragedies.
  8. He lived from 1952 until his death in XIII. district at Szent István körút 22. Today, a plaque advertises it.
  9. László Bánhidi lived his life next to his wife, Erzsébet, and had a son and a daughter. His daughter said many years ago that Bánhidi was a great father, he cared about them a lot.
  10. It is no coincidence that Bánhidi also got a role in the now legendary Indul in Bakterház, where he played uncle Konc, perhaps the only soulmate of Bendegúz Regős.
  11. László Bánhidi was able to film even in his old age, István Bujtor (unfortunately he is no longer with us) gave him the opportunity in his fight films set at Lake Balaton, he was a great admirer of the old actor.
  12. Already retired, he was one of the last to receive fishing rights in the Csepel section of the Danube, where he bought the homestead of an old fisherman. At this time, he really lived by the Danube like uncle Matula in Tüskevár. A little bit happened about how humane a person he was. He once sadly told me that all the thrushes (including the chicks) at the end of his plot died because the caterpillars were exterminated with chemicals in the cabbage field next door. Poor thrushes were happy to bring the poisoned caterpillars to the little ones.
  13. Many times he dreamed that he would forget the role during the performance. He had a recurring nightmare. He was the protagonist of a five-act theatrical tragedy in the dream. He succeeds, after the third act there is a storm of applause, he bows, but suddenly he sees people get up and leave the theater. And he shouts after them that they are people, but since there are still two acts left, no one hears his shouts and the hall empties.
  14. In his old age, he surprised himself with a large white parrot and also bought a small guinea pig. The latter was his favorite, he even let him into his bed. As he said, it was unbelievable how much love he got from that little animal. He also notes: love can be bought for a hundred forints. That's how much the guinea pig cost.
  15. The excellent actor left us here in 1984, at the age of 78. His wife and son also rest with him in the Farkasrét cemetery.
  16. Although he was an actor for more than fifty years, he did not receive a single award or professional recognition. Not even after his death. And that's the saddest thing. Rest in peace uncle Matula, sorry László Bánhidi!

Cover image: Mafab.hu