Behind the Curtain of Death
Country
CzechoslovakiaCopyright
1923Production year
1923Premiere
11 August 1923Runtime
65 minDirector
Ferenc FuturistaCategory
filmGenre
drama, fantasticTypology
featuretheatrical distributionlongOriginal title
Za oponou smrtiCzech title
Za oponou smrtiEnglish title
Behind the Curtain of DeathParallel title
Zázračný lékař / Byl to jen sen...English parallel title
The Miracle Doctor / It Was Only a DreamSynopsis
Doctor Mortal has discovered the elixir of life and he revives the dead body of a drowned girl which he had stolen from the mortuary. In order that he find out whether the girl feels like a real woman, he introduces her to his son who falls in love with her. Mortal unfortunately forgets the recipe for the elixir and the girl dies again. "Mortal's son bids farewell to the girl in the mortuary and places a lily by her head with the words: I will follow you". (According to an article appearing in the press at the time the film was made.)
Note
Only a fragment of the film has survived, without intertitles. This was an attempt at an avant-garde film with only outlined sets on a black background.
Photos
Cast
Ferenc Futurista
dr. Mortal
Karel Fiala
hrobník
Ferdinand Fiala
sluha-idiot
Karel Vávra
Mortalův syn
Dolly Dvořanová-Pospíšilová
utonulá
Crew and creators
Director
Screenstory
Screenplay
Director of Photography
Production Designer
Production info
Original Title
Za oponou smrti
Czech Title
Za oponou smrti
English Title
Behind the Curtain of Death
Parallel Title
Zázračný lékař / Byl to jen sen...
English Parallel Title
The Miracle Doctor / It Was Only a Dream
Category
film
Typology
featuretheatrical distribution
Genre
drama, fantastic
Origin country
Czechoslovakia
Copyright
1923
Production Year
1923
Premiere
premiere 11 August 1923 /unsuitable for youths/ (kino Louvre, Praha)
renewed premiere 1926 /unsuitable for youths/
Production
Copyright Holders
Studio
Technical info
Duration typology
feature film
Duration in minutes
65 min
Original length in metres
1 850 meters
Distribution carrier
35mm
Aspect ratio
1:1,33
Colour
black & white
Sound
silent
Versions
Czech
Dialogue languages
without dialogue
Subtitles languages
without subtitles
Intertitles languages
Czech
Opening/End credits languages
Czech
