The Swan is a 1920 play by Ferenc Molnár, adapted from the Hungarian language A hattyú by Melville Baker. It is a three-act comedy with three settings and fifteen characters. The action of the play takes place within 24 hours. The story concerns a dethroned family of minor Germanic royalty, whose head hopes to marry her daughter (the Swan) to a crown prince, but runs into trouble by ill-using her sons' tutor. Though a comedy, the story contains tragic undercurrents, in the emotional suffering of the tutor and the futile dynastic scheming in the face of the coming Great War.
The play was produced by Gilbert Miller of The Charles Frohman Company. It was staged by David Burton, and starred Eva Le Gallienne with Basil Rathbone, Philip Merivale, Hilda Spong, and Halliwell Hobbes. It had tryouts in Detroit and Montreal before it premiered on Broadway during October 1923. Critics at the time likened the storyline to The Prisoner of Zenda without the melodrama. It ran to the end of May 1924 for 243 performances, but was then shut down by a labor dispute that affected other Broadway shows as well. It resumed in August 1924, running for another month.
The Swan was adapted for a silent film of the same name in 1925.
Characters Characters are listed in order of appearance within their scope.
Lead Dr. Nicholas Agi is 29, a doctor of philosophy, tutor to the princes, and fencing instructor to all, an amateur astronomer.The published play has his first name as Hans. Princess Alexandra is single, aloof, proud, but dutiful, whose mother describes her age as "and twenty".The joke is more obvious in German, where numbers higher than 20 are expressed with the conjunction "and", e.g. one-and-twenty. Molnár's original audience would have understood the reference even though Hungarian doesn't form numbers this way. Supporting Princess Beatrice is the widowed mother of Alexandra, George, and Arsene. She is ambitious for her family. Father Hyacinth is Princess Beatrice's older brother Karl, who took holy orders in middle-age. Prince Albert is the crown prince of an unspecified country, a bachelor, not at all the fool he seems to be.Though the country is not named, the costume instructions for Prince Albert and Colonel Wunderlich specify Austrian uniforms. Featured Prince George is 17, outspoken but obedient elder son of Princess Beatrice. Prince Arsene is 16, quieter but more questioning younger son of Princess Beatrice. Symphorosa is Princess Beatrice's younger sister, who dances attendance on her. Colonel Wunderlich is an Uhlan officer and Prince Albert's military attendant. Count Luzen is Prince Albert's diplomatic attendant. Alfred is Caesar's assistant, and like him, a polyglot.During Act II of the published play, Caesar gives a long set of instructions to Alfred in French, to which Alfred replies in German, while Caesar then responds in Italian. Caesar is the majordomo to Princess Beatrice, much put-upon by his mistress. Maid is a domestic in Princess Beatrice's service. Princess Maria Dominica is Prince Albert's domineering mother. Countess Erdely is Princess Maria's principal attendant. Bit players
Ladies in Waiting (2) Hussars (2) Lackeys (2)
Synopsis The source for this synopsis is a translation of The Swan made by Benjamin Glazer and published in 1922, while the translation used for the Broadway production was by Melville Baker. One scholar has pointed out while both men adapted multiple Hungarian plays into English, that Baker had been known to work from a French translation, and that such French adaptations were often made from Molnár's own translations of the original Hungarian into German.Gergely, pp.34, 164.
Act I (Pavilion by the rose garden of Princess Beatrice's Castle. Afternoon.) Dr. Agi has finished a lesson on Napoleon for Princes George and Arsene, who remind their tutor of their mother's antipathy for the Usurper.Princess Beatrice blames Napoleon for her family's dethronement in 1806, when the Kingdom of Württemberg was created. She refuses to utter his name, as if it were a recent personal injury rather than a century old event. Princess Beatrice and the boy's uncle, Father Hyacinth, speak with the tutor. Hyacinth is impressed with the tutor's knowledge and athleticism, as he also instructs the boys in rowing and fencing. Princess Alexandra comes in from her daily ride, and Father Hyancinth perceives Agi's suppressed feelings for her. Symphorosa continually updates Princess Beatrice about the castle's guest, Prince Albert, who is still sleeping. Beatrice tells Father Hyancinth about her plans for Alexandra and Albert, and how the Prince so far has seemed indifferent to her. Albert now appears, trailed by his attendants. He too is impressed with Dr. Agi, especially his knowledge of astronomy. While Agi leads the boys away to don their fencing gear, Beatrice suggests Albert may wish to inspect Alexandra's rose garden. But Albert is distracted by Col Wunderlich's talk of a modern dairy farm, and sets off with him and Count Luzen to inspect it. Beatrice is now anguished, for the Prince is scheduled to leave tomorrow. She determines to precipitate his jealousy by having Alexandra invite the tutor to attend that night's ball. Father Hyacinth is alarmed, thinking the scheme unwise and unfair to the tutor. Beatrice is adamant; nothing is more important than the family regaining influence. Alexandra is frozen-faced as she grasps what her mother is asking her to do. But she obeys, and the startled Agi is suffused with unexpected emotion as he realizes the Princess Alexandra is asking him personally to attend the ball. (Curtain)
Act II (Reception room of the castle, that evening.) Caesar instructs Alfred on how to serve the private dinner following the public ball. Beatrice hears from Caesar that all courses will be cold, as Prince Albert prefers. Beatrice asks she be served hot tea instead of the cold consommé the others will get. Her nerves are stretched taut, both over the uncertainty of the scheme and the local notables seeing Alexandra associate with the tutor in the ballroom. Princess Alexandra enters, followed closely by Dr. Agi, talking to her of astronomy. She gently chides him for his constant attention, confusing him. Prince Albert and the others come in for the dinner party. Albert tells Beatrice that he has telegraphed his mother, Princess Maria Dominica, to come at once to the castle. Beatrice is overjoyed, for it means the Prince will propose to Alexandra through his formidable mother. It is clear Albert is now aware of Alexandra as a woman, for he begins to patronize the tutor in conversation. Agi, who has never tasted wine nor dined with aristocracy, empties his glass of Tokay in one gulp. To cover up the faux pas, Alexandra does the same. The effects of the heady vintage hit Agi hard, and he soon rises to the bait of Albert's patronizing tone, responding with words that verge on insult. Albert admires Agi's frankness, but his temper is clearly slipping. Beatrice, seeing victory vanishing, becomes overwrought and falls ill. Albert takes her to her room, followed by many others. Agi and Alexandra are left behind with Father Hyancinth, who tries to advise them. Agi knows his position has been lost, but felt intolerably put upon. Albert returns with his attendants; no longer in a mood for tolerance, he berates Agi. Alexandra, in sympathy with Agi's hopeless position, suddenly kisses him. At once, everyone's mood changes; Albert apologises to Agi and withdraws. (Curtain)
Act III (Drawing room of the castle, the next morning.) Beatrice encounters Father Hyacinth. She is agitated, both by Alexandra's late night confession to her, and the imminent arrival of Albert's mother by motorcar. Hyacinth reminds her of his warning about trifling with the tutor's emotions. She sends for the tutor but learns he is already packing to go. She goes to greet Princess Maria, as Alexandra enters. When Agi arrives she confesses the scheme to him, but he has already guessed. He will still leave despite her plea to stay, for what was intolerable to him was her kiss, which was plainly from sympathy not affection. Her brothers now come to say good-bye to their tutor. He departs the room with them, as Maria and Beatrice enter. Maria has not yet spoken with her son, so Father Hyacinth informs her of the previous night's doing, in such a way as to secure her sympathy for Alexandra. But it proves unnecessary, for Albert too has interpreted the kiss as did Agi, and still wants to marry Alexandra. He assures Alexandra that their marriage will be one in which love will come in time. (Curtain)
Original production Background Molnár's play Launzi had been launched on Broadway under Arthur Hopkins two weeks before The Swan, with an adaptation by Edna St. Vincent Millay, scenic design by Robert Edmond Jones, and starring Pauline Lord. Critics were severe with Hopkins' staging, but Molnár's subject matter, madness due to unrequited love, was also thought morbid and unpopular. Tagged as a "Hungarian Ophelia", Launzi closed after thirteen days.Gergely, p.26.
His earlier play Liliom had enjoyed a long run on Broadway under the auspices of the Theatre Guild, in which Eva Le Gallienne had played a poor servant girl. A proponent of contrasts, Ferenc Molnár asked for her to play the aloof Princess in The Swan. Gilbert Miller, recently put in charge of the Charles Frohman Company, obliged. Just as important, Miller engaged a rising young director, David Burton to stage it. Rehearsals began in mid-September 1923.
Cast + Principal cast during the Detroit and Montreal tryouts and the original Broadway run. Role Actor Dates Notes and sourcesNicholas AgiBasil RathboneOct 08, 1923 - May 31, 1924Princess AlexandraEva Le GallienneOct 08, 1923 - May 31, 1924Princess BeatriceHilda SpongOct 08, 1923 - May 31, 1924Father HyacinthHalliwell HobbesOct 08, 1923 - May 31, 1924Prince AlbertPhilip MerivaleOct 08, 1923 - May 31, 1924Prince GeorgeGeorge WalcottOct 08, 1923 - May 31, 1924Prince ArseneAlan WilleyOct 08, 1923 - May 31, 1924SymphorosaAlice JohnOct 08, 1923 - May 31, 1924Colonel WunderlichHenry WarwickOct 08, 1923 - May 31, 1924Count LuzenCarl HartbergOct 08, 1923 - May 31, 1924AlfredStanley KalkhurstOct 08, 1923 - May 31, 1924Kalkhurst and George Walcott were the only American-born actors in the cast.CaesarRichie LingOct 08, 1923 - May 31, 1924MaidNancie B. MarslandOct 08, 1923 - May 31, 1924Marsland was an English-born actress married to Halliwell Hobbes at the time of this production.Princess Maria DominicaAlison SkipworthOct 08, 1923 - May 31, 1924Countess ErdelyGeraldine BeckwithOct 08, 1923 - May 31, 1924
Tryouts
The first American performance of The Swan came with a one-week tryout at the New Detroit Theatre on October 8, 1923. The principal cast was the same as later on Broadway.
The production then went to Canada for a week, where it opened at His Majesty's Theatre, Montreal, beginning October 15, 1924. The local reviewer assumed that the setting was the Dual monarchy, and highlighted Molnar's contrasting "the rigid etiquette of such a household" as that of Princess Beatrice with the "human foibles, motives, affectations and antipathies by which his characters are swayed". The reviewer saluted the cast assembled by Gilbert Miller, with each of the principals coming in by name for individual praise.
Broadway premiere and reception