
A kölcsönkért csecsemök
Summary
A quintessential artifact of early Hungarian cinema, 'A kölcsönkért csecsemők' (1914) unfolds as a frantic, high-stakes comedy of domestic errors. Directed by the visionary Jenő Janovics and adapted from Margaret Mayo’s play, the narrative centers on a young wife whose penchant for fabrication creates a precarious marital rift. To bridge the widening chasm of her husband’s disappointment—and his desperate yearning for an heir—she orchestrates a grand deception involving a borrowed infant. The arrival of the child, intended as a panacea for their relational strife, instead triggers a logarithmic escalation of complications. As multiple babies are surreptitiously introduced into the household to sustain the ruse, the film evolves into a sophisticated critique of bourgeois expectations and the performative nature of motherhood. Set against the backdrop of the burgeoning Kolozsvár film industry, this work captures a pivotal moment where theatrical farce met the kinetic possibilities of the silent screen, driven by the luminous presence of Lili Berky and a cast that navigated the transition from stage to celluloid with remarkable agility.
Synopsis
Director

Lili Berky, Ilonka Nagy, Bertalan Pálfy, Gyula Nagy, Kató Berky, Elza Báthory, Alajos Mészáros, József Berky, Aladár Ihász, Hugó Kozma, Marcsa Simon, Mátyás Némedy
Margaret Mayo, Jenö Janovics










