Lili (Hungarian: Egy Nagymama naplójából) is a 1917 Hungarian comedy film directed by Cornelius Hintner. The film was first shown on 21 October 1917 at the Urania Theater in Budapest.[3] Some sources list Bela Lugosi in the cast, but that is unverified.
The film is a comedy in four acts based on Hervé's operetta of the same name.[1]
As late as September 1917, promotional material for the film claimed that Arisztid Olt (later known as Bela Lugosi) played Plinchard at both the younger and elder stage of his life.[4] Advertisements and reviews of Lili's preview at the Uránia in Budapest in October 1917 have Gusztáv Vándory in the role of Plinchard/Tábornok.[5] a 1918 issue of the Mozihét Kino-Woche published a series of pictures showing Vándory as Plinchard.[5][6] Lugosi is not seen in any of the images.[6] Gary Rhodes, a Lugosi biographer stated in 2020 that "there is no compelling evidence that Lugosi appeared in Lili."[7]
Release and reception
Lili was screened for two weeks at Budapest's Coros Theater, an unprecedented amount of time.[8]
^Bela Lugosi: Dreams and Nightmares by Gary D. Rhodes, with Richard Sheffield, (2007) Collectables/Alpha Video Publishers, ISBN 0-9773798-1-7 (hardcover)