BAJOR, GIZI

born 1893, Budapest, Hung. died Feb. 12, 1951, Budapest Bajor also spelled Bayer Hungarian actress known not only for her magnetic charm and attractiveness but also for her craftsmanship and versatility. Bajor graduated into the National Theatre from the Academy of Theatrical Art in 1914 and was associated with that theatre throughout her career, becoming a life member in 1928. Bajor excelled in a wide range of roles in both classic and modern plays; she received, for example, excellent notices for her portrayals of the title role in both George Bernard Shaw's Saint Joan and Gotthold Ephraim Lessing's Minna von Barnhelm. Under the direction of Sandor Hevesi, the plays of William Shakespeare, Lope de Vega, and Victorien Sardou were part of her repertoire, as were the scripts of such contemporary Hungarian writers as Jen Heltai, Zsigmond Mricz, Ferenc Herczeg, and Lajos Zilahy. In 1950 she was honoured as an Artist of the People of the Hungarian Republic.