 Ferenc Molnár 's Hungarian @-@ language drama , Liliom , premiered in Budapest in 1909 . The audience was puzzled by the work , and it lasted only thirty @-@ odd performances before being withdrawn , the first shadow on Molnár 's successful career as a playwright . Liliom was not presented again until after World War I. When it reappeared on the Budapest stage , it was a tremendous hit . 
