Author. He was a prolific Hungarian novelist, playwright, and journalist who was born in Budapest into a German-Jewish family. His father was a physician. Molnar started his career as a journalist while studying law in Budapest and Geneva. By 1896, he abandoned a legal career to pursue a full-time career as a journalist. He changed his German birth name of Ferenc Neumann to be known as a Hungarian writer. He attempted to start a newspaper twice as a teenager. At age 22, he published his first novel "The Hungry City." His famous novel "The Paul Street Boys" was published in 1907. During World War I, he served as a war correspondent, and his reports were published in 1916 under the title "The Diary of a War Correspondent." In 1936, Molnar moved to the United States, where he had a number of plays published and produced. His plays are characterized by graceful, romantic situations and amusing dialogue. He did not speak English well. In Hungary, his plays were not performed during the Communist period. Some of his plays are "The Swan," "Olympia," "The Good Fairy," "The Play's the Thing," and "Rough Crossing." Many of his plays have been adapted into films, and at least 25 plays have been translated into English as well as other languages. Several of his plays were presented on the New York City stage. Rodgers and Hammerstein used Molnar's 1909 play "Lilliom" as the basis for the Tony-award-winning 1945 musical "Carousel." He was married three times. To honor him, five bronze sculptures of boys on a sidewalk entitled "Paul Street Boys" are located in Budapest.
Author. He was a prolific Hungarian novelist, playwright, and journalist who was born in Budapest into a German-Jewish family. His father was a physician. Molnar started his career as a journalist while studying law in Budapest and Geneva. By 1896, he abandoned a legal career to pursue a full-time career as a journalist. He changed his German birth name of Ferenc Neumann to be known as a Hungarian writer. He attempted to start a newspaper twice as a teenager. At age 22, he published his first novel "The Hungry City." His famous novel "The Paul Street Boys" was published in 1907. During World War I, he served as a war correspondent, and his reports were published in 1916 under the title "The Diary of a War Correspondent." In 1936, Molnar moved to the United States, where he had a number of plays published and produced. His plays are characterized by graceful, romantic situations and amusing dialogue. He did not speak English well. In Hungary, his plays were not performed during the Communist period. Some of his plays are "The Swan," "Olympia," "The Good Fairy," "The Play's the Thing," and "Rough Crossing." Many of his plays have been adapted into films, and at least 25 plays have been translated into English as well as other languages. Several of his plays were presented on the New York City stage. Rodgers and Hammerstein used Molnar's 1909 play "Lilliom" as the basis for the Tony-award-winning 1945 musical "Carousel." He was married three times. To honor him, five bronze sculptures of boys on a sidewalk entitled "Paul Street Boys" are located in Budapest.
Bio by: Linda Davis
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