▁time , ▁he ▁was ▁story ▁editor ▁at ▁May - Fil m ▁in ▁Berlin . ▁In ▁ 1 9 2 9 / 3 0 , ▁he ▁was ▁co - direct or ▁of ▁a ▁Budapest ▁theatre . ▁In ▁ 1 9 3 1 , ▁he ▁was ▁sent ▁by ▁the ▁Hung arian ▁newspaper ▁P esti ▁Nap ló ▁( P est ▁Journal ) ▁to ▁London ▁as ▁its ▁rep orter . ▁The ▁story ▁of ▁his ▁U top ian ▁novel ▁A ▁bold og ▁város ▁( The ▁Happy ▁City ) ▁came ▁out ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 1 ; ▁it ▁was ▁set ▁in ▁an ▁American ▁city ▁that ▁lay ▁in ▁the ▁depth s ▁of ▁a ▁ch asm ▁created ▁by ▁the ▁great ▁Californ ian ▁earth qu ake . ▁ ▁He ▁moved ▁to ▁Hollywood , ▁California ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 7 ▁and ▁became ▁a ▁screen writer . ▁Several ▁of ▁his ▁stories ▁were ▁the ▁basis ▁of ▁screen plays ▁for ▁films ▁by ▁Ernst ▁Lub itsch ▁which ▁became ▁world wide ▁success es , ▁such ▁as ▁ ▁Nin ot ch ka ▁( 1 9 3 9 ), ▁for ▁which ▁he ▁was ▁nominated ▁for ▁the ▁Academy ▁Award ▁for ▁Best ▁Writing , ▁Original ▁Story ; ▁To ▁Be ▁or ▁Not ▁to ▁Be ▁( 1 9 4 2 ), ▁and ▁the ▁ 1 9 3 7 ▁film ▁Angel , ▁st arring ▁Mar l ene ▁Diet rich . ▁ ▁L eng y el ▁returned ▁to ▁Europe ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 0 ▁and ▁settled ▁down ▁in ▁Italy . ▁In ▁ 1 9 6 3 , ▁he ▁received ▁the ▁Great ▁Award ▁of