Magyar Melody

Summary: 1939 BBC live broadcast from the Her Majesty’s Theatre of the musical romance Magyar Melody which was ‘televised in its entirety’ and billed in Radio Times as ‘the longest West-End production ever shown to viewers’.
Theatre play: Magyar Melody by Eric Maschwitz and Guy Bolton and Fred Thompson [more information]
Play synopsis: 'A simple tale of an aristocratic Englishman and opera composer, whose Hungarian gypsy love becomes an operetta star and conquers Budapest, but fails to conquer the social world of London. She returns to her homeland, to be followed, at the last moment, by her lover.' (Source: http://www.guidetomusicaltheatre.com/shows_m/magyar_melody.htm.)
Production history: Premiered at the Opera House, Manchester on 29 November 1938, and then presented for 105 performances at His Majesty’s Theatre, London from 20 January 1939.
Date of transmission: Monday 27 March 1939
Time: 8.15-11.10pm
Channel: BBC Television
Production company: BBC

Producer

William Mollison

Playwright

Playwright

Playwright

Music

Music

Lyrics

Lyrics

Orchestra Directed by

Walford Hyden

Dances Arranged by

Joan Davis

Dances Arranged by

Cleo Nordi

Dancer

Betty Bucknell

Dancer

Pierre

Cast

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British Universities Film & Video Council