After completing her drama studies, Katalin Karády appeared at two theatres in Budapest (Pesti Színház and Vígszínház) between 1939 and 1941. She became the celebrated diva of the age after her first motion picture, Deadly Spring, was released. She played the title role in twenty films over nine years. After German troops occupied Hungary, her songs were banned and in 1944 she was arrested by the Gestapo on charges of spying. Even during the most difficult times she retained her humanity and dignity, and, risking her own life, saved Jewish children from certain death. The Yad Vashem Institute in Jerusalem honoured her extraordinary compassion by awarding her the title Righteous Among the Nations in 2004. Between 1945 and 1948 she played at the Operetta Theatre in Budapest, but the communist authorities made her work impossible. Her films were banned in 1949 and she could no longer appear on stage. In 1951 she left Hungary forever. She spent some time in Salzburg, Switzerland, Brussels and S?o Paolo before settling in New York in 1968. Although she did appear on a few occasions and released some records as well, she lived in seclusion until her death.