Angéla Körössy

The story takes place in a small village manor-house off Vásárosladány. Sándor leads a quiet life with his wife, son and the now poor relatives of his wife, one which is characterized by the monotony of rural boredom. The arrival of another poor relative, Kitty, a young girl brought up in America, whose way of thinking reflects modern times, puts an end to this overwhelming monotony.

Az Uj Foldesur (The New Squire) was based on a novel by popular Hungarian author Maurice Jokal, whose many works had previously been largely ignored. After the wars of 1848, a retired Austrian army officer "returns to the soil" as a gentleman farmer in Hungary in the 1850s. The old campaigner is the father of two daughters: One of the girls comes to a sad end thanks to the malfeasances of a handsome spy, but the other has a happier fate when she falls in love with a Hungarian POW. The underlying theme is brotherhood, as the formerly warring Austrians and Hungarians at last find a common ground. Az Uj Foldesur was nearly twice as expensive as the average Hungarian film -- but at $40,000, its budget was a drop in the bucket compared to a typical Hollywood production.