A kölcsönkért csecsemök

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.