The revue in twentieth-century Budapest : from cosmopolitan night-clubs to Stalinist dogma / Dániel Molnár.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Molnár, Dániel, 1985- author.

Series:

Cambridge elements. Elements in musical theatre, 2631-6528.

Cambridge elements. Elements in musical theatre, 2631-6528

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Revues--Hungary--Budapest--History--20th century.

Revues.

Theater--Hungary--Budapest--History--20th century.

Theater.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (83 pages) : digital, PDF file(s).

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 2025.

Summary:

Since the introduction of modern revues in 1925, the genre faced near-constant political scrutiny in Budapest. Yet by the 1930s, the city had become the capital of Central European cosmopolitan nightlife. The closure of Hungary's borders after World War II ended any hope of reclaiming this international status. Under communism and the Stalinist totalitarian regime, the revue-despite its popularity-remained politically stigmatized. For the first time, entertainment was treated as a cultural matter rather than merely a law enforcement issue, but it was forced to conform to ideological expectations. Three attempts to legitimize the genre in the 1950s ultimately failed, shaping the trajectory of live entertainment in the era. By the 1960s, revues were officially accepted, yet their cultural significance had faded amid the rise of new entertainment forms.

Contents:

Cover

Title page

Imprints page

The Revue in Twentieth-Century Budapest: From Cosmopolitan Nightclubs to Stalinist Dogma

Contents

1 Sources, Methods, Contexts

2 From Local Importance to International Fame: 'Budapest Broadway', 1920-1944

2.1 Budapest Nightlife: Dead and Revived

2.2 World-Famous Wonder Bars

2.3 The Restrained and 'Adjusted' Show Business

3 Revues in Crisis

3.1 A Dubious Legacy

3.2 A Close Circle of Friends

3.3 Show Business in the State-Socialist Theatre System

3.4 Nationalising Nightlife

4 The Socialist Revue Experiments

4.1 The Trade Union's Alternative to Private Entertainment

4.2 FŐNI Revues

4.3 The Municipal Gaiety Theatre Revues

5 Changes in Set and Costume Design: The Politics of Visual Representation

5.1 The Royal Building, Sets and Costumes

5.2 The Designer: Eric

5.3 Visual and Thematic Topoi in the FŐNI Revues

5.4 The Approach of the Municipal Gaiety Theatre

6 The Recuperation and Stabilisation of Revues in Socialist Hungary after 1953

6.1 International Tours

6.2 A New Revue Experiment

6.3 Socialist Striptease

7 Epilogue: The Legacy of the Stalinist-Era Revue in Hungary

7.1 Mentality

7.2 A Forgotten Breaking Point

References

Acknowledgements.

Notes:

Title from publisher's bibliographic system (viewed on 25 Apr 2025).

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

ISBN:

1-009-29816-X

1-009-29817-8

1-009-29815-1

OCLC:

1574118597