Actress. A leading star of the Hungarian stage. Her 41-year association with the famed National Theatre of Budapest was one of the longest in that company’s history. She was particularly noted for her performances in the modern repertory. Tokes was born in Marosvasarhely, Hungary,  and made her acting debut in 1923.  She was signed by the National Theatre in 1925 as a possible threat to Gizi Bajor,  the troupe’s top diva,  and relations between the two were often strained.  In 1928 Tokes went to the United States to try for a career in Hollywood films,  but her visit coincided with the arrival of talkies and she returned to her country.  By the early 1930s she had emerged as a star in her own right,  and she remained with the National until her death.  She also appeared in several Hungarian films, some of which were released abroad:  “Cafe Moscow” (1936),  “Hotel Sunrise” (1937),  “Danse Macabre” (1957),  and “Pillar of Salt” (1958).  Tokes received the prestigious Kossuth Award in 1952. (bio by: Bobb Edwards)