Page 193 - Weiss, Jernej, ur./ed. 2021. Opereta med obema svetovnima vojnama ▪︎ Operetta between the Two World Wars. Koper/Ljubljana: Založba Univerze na Primorskem in Festival Ljubljana. Studia musicologica Labacensia, 5
P. 193
288 metres of velvet, 16 pairs of shoes, 12 yellow top hats, 5 bathtubs ...
it for set design was split between Herbert Ward and the Hungarian archi-
tect Béla Málnai. The costume designer was Charles LeMaire (the designer
of the Ziegfeld Follies) and Géza Faragó, whose costume sketches became
part of the promotional campaign of the show.49 After the show’s run some
of his designs were exhibited by the Iparművészeti Társulat [Society of Ap-
plied Arts] as the example of modernism.50 However, before Haskell left Bu-
dapest he made a statement that the show’s Hungarian costumer and set
designers did not deserve their credit for working on the show.51 The man-
ager of the Operetta Theatre almost immediately demanded a retraction.
Perhaps it was not a coincidence, but the management’s international lob-
bying efforts meant that a couple of weeks later Faragó was again in the
news: the Piccadilly Association in London ordered sets for a Hungarian
marriage scene from him for a new production.52
The showgirls
Thanks to Halló, Amerika! the English word “girl” written as görl became
a Hungarian terminus technicus.53 The Hungarian use of this word, howev-
er, goes back beyond Halló, Amerika!, but this production popularised it in
Hungary.
49 See Ma Este, December 24, 1924; Magyarország, January 30, 1925; Színházi Élet XV,
no. 5 (1–7 February 1925): 26–7, https://epa.oszk.hu/02300/02343/00547/pdf/ etc.
50 Az Est, May 31, 1925.
51 “Please write that the newspapers were mistaken in their praises of Mr. Málnai and
Mr. Faragó. From the figurines Mr. Faragó has not made more than ten as the most,
while hundred and twenty have been made after American models. I must tell the
same of Mr. Málnai who has not a single original scenery in the review. All that there
is, is American. He executed the design technically only.” Mr. Haskell takes leave.
52 Lestyán Sándor, “Faragó Géza magyar menyecskéket exportált Londonba” [Géza
Faragó exported Hungarian maidens to London], Színházi Élet XV, no. 8 (22–28 Feb-
ruary 1925): 2–3, https://epa.oszk.hu/02300/02343/00550/pdf/.
53 Parallel to this, a diminutive form of the word, görlice (playing with the word gerlice,
meaning “little dove”) appeared in theatre circles and even in the official brochure of
the show.
191
it for set design was split between Herbert Ward and the Hungarian archi-
tect Béla Málnai. The costume designer was Charles LeMaire (the designer
of the Ziegfeld Follies) and Géza Faragó, whose costume sketches became
part of the promotional campaign of the show.49 After the show’s run some
of his designs were exhibited by the Iparművészeti Társulat [Society of Ap-
plied Arts] as the example of modernism.50 However, before Haskell left Bu-
dapest he made a statement that the show’s Hungarian costumer and set
designers did not deserve their credit for working on the show.51 The man-
ager of the Operetta Theatre almost immediately demanded a retraction.
Perhaps it was not a coincidence, but the management’s international lob-
bying efforts meant that a couple of weeks later Faragó was again in the
news: the Piccadilly Association in London ordered sets for a Hungarian
marriage scene from him for a new production.52
The showgirls
Thanks to Halló, Amerika! the English word “girl” written as görl became
a Hungarian terminus technicus.53 The Hungarian use of this word, howev-
er, goes back beyond Halló, Amerika!, but this production popularised it in
Hungary.
49 See Ma Este, December 24, 1924; Magyarország, January 30, 1925; Színházi Élet XV,
no. 5 (1–7 February 1925): 26–7, https://epa.oszk.hu/02300/02343/00547/pdf/ etc.
50 Az Est, May 31, 1925.
51 “Please write that the newspapers were mistaken in their praises of Mr. Málnai and
Mr. Faragó. From the figurines Mr. Faragó has not made more than ten as the most,
while hundred and twenty have been made after American models. I must tell the
same of Mr. Málnai who has not a single original scenery in the review. All that there
is, is American. He executed the design technically only.” Mr. Haskell takes leave.
52 Lestyán Sándor, “Faragó Géza magyar menyecskéket exportált Londonba” [Géza
Faragó exported Hungarian maidens to London], Színházi Élet XV, no. 8 (22–28 Feb-
ruary 1925): 2–3, https://epa.oszk.hu/02300/02343/00550/pdf/.
53 Parallel to this, a diminutive form of the word, görlice (playing with the word gerlice,
meaning “little dove”) appeared in theatre circles and even in the official brochure of
the show.
191
