God's Mills [German version]

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1937

Production year

1937

Premiere

15 November 1938

Runtime

87 min

Category

film

Genre

drama

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Film state

lost film

Original title

Boží mlýny [německá verze]

Czech title

Boží mlýny [německá verze]

English title

God's Mills [German version]

Parallel title

Die Gottes Mühlen

Protectorate parallel title

Gottes Mühlen

Synopsis

An old farmer from Chodsko, Záhoř, persuades young Podestát that he returned a loan of 300 gold pieces to his father before the latter's death. Out of miserliness Záhoř is even prepared to perjure himself before the court. The angered creditor warns him of God's wrath. Záhoř's sons, Matěj and Vondra, are wooing the same girl, the smith's daughter Nana. She chooses to marry the younger and more sensitive Matěj who, being the married son, then becomes the manager of the estate. But Matěj being slightly slothful, Vondra ends up playing a greater part in the running of the estate and in Nana's life. Nana reveals she is expecting Vondra's child, and Matěj decides to go to America. Vondra notices Matěj has some money and assumes that he stole it from Nana. The brothers quarrel and in an unfortunate accident Vondra kills Matěj. A neighbour sees Vondra burying the body. Old Záhoř wants to return the money but Podestát refuses it as it is cursed. The farmer in despair burns the banknotes in his barn and causes a fire. The whole farm burns down; only a shaken Nana and her baby boy escape the blaze.

Note

This theme had already been treated in a Czech film under the same title (1929; directed by Josef Medeotti-Boháč). The film materials are believed lost.

Cast

Willy Bauer

sedlák Thomas Zahor

Viktor Afritsch

Andres, Zahorův syn

Karl Trabauer

Matthias, Zahorův syn

Willi Volker

kovář Drastil

Jiřina Štěpničková

Nana, Drastilova dcera

Elfriede Bringolf /ž/

Drastilova žena

Leo Siedler

sedlák Podestát

Lola von Hübner /ž/

Walter Stumvoll

L. Frank

Lisa Macheiner /ž/

Fred Hennig

Hans Multerer

Weil

Crew and creators

Assistant Director

Václav Dražil

Based on

Jan Vrba (Boží mlýny – román)

Director of Photography

Ferdinand Pečenka

Camera Operator

Jaromír Holpuch

Production Designer

Štěpán Kopecký

Set Designer

Arnold Reimann

Film Editor

Jan Kohout

Production Manager

František Jerhot

Cooperation

Willy Ströminger (fotograf)

Music

Music Composed by

Jiří Fiala

Music Performed by

Orchestr F.O.K. (Music Conducted by Jiří Fiala)

Writer of Lyrics

Hans Regina von Nack

Production info

Original Title

Boží mlýny [německá verze]

Czech Title

Boží mlýny [německá verze]

English Title

God's Mills [German version]

Parallel Title

Die Gottes Mühlen

Protectorate Parallel Title

Gottes Mühlen

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Film state

lost film

Genre

drama

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1937

Production Year

1937

Production specifications

start of filming 3 September 1937
end of filming 29 November 1937
date of censorship 01/1938
date of censorship 12/1940
withdrawal from distribution 18 May 1945

Premiere

premiere 15 November 1938 /unsuitable for youths/ (kino Urania /½ týdne/, Praha)

Production

Meissner, Gloria (zadavatel)

Copyright Holders

Národní filmový archiv

Distribution

Gloria

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

87 min

Original length in metres

2 460 meters

Distribution carrier

35mm

Aspect ratio

1:1,37

Colour

black & white

Sound

sound

Sound system/format

Tobis – Klang

Versions

German

Dialogue languages

German

Subtitles languages

without subtitles

Opening/End credits languages

German