Director Otakar Vávra shot this costume comedy in 1938 on a generous budget. Despite its playful tone, the film bolstered the Czechoslovak nation’s self-confidence as it faced the fascist menace. The story’s protagonist is a well-educated, hedonistic nobleman named Mikuláš Dačický, who in the silver mining town of Kutná Hora, in the era of Emperor Rudolf, advocates for the rights of miners and the expulsion from the city of thieves and newcomers. The Kutná Hora aldermen want to unseat Mikuláš over fears their profits will decline and they will lose their positions, but above all because their wives and daughters find the gallant knight irresistible. The lead role was entrusted to experienced actor Zdeněk Štěpánek, who also worked on the script and who, as Mikuláš, portrayed one of Vávra’s liveliest characters. For the supporting roles, Vávra relied on first-rate dramatic actors.
In 1590 Kutná Hora is a wealthy and important town. Silver is mined, coins are minted, and the town is the seat of the chief master of the mint. But the lust for wealth has lured many foreigners and crooks to the town. Their swindling has lowered revenues from the mines and it is the miners who bear the burden of economising measures. When miner Jakub protests against this in public, he is arrested and condemned to death. Knight Mikuláš Dačický then arrives in the town, a cultivated man and poet but also a great profligate and lover of beautiful women. The alchemist Wolfram persuades the aldermen to give him money in return for a promise to produce a great quantity of silver. Mikuláš urges the honourable citizens to expell the swindling thieves and aliens. The aldermen, concerned for the virtue of their wives and daughters, take advantage of this and accuse Mikuláš of witchcraft. Emperor Rudolf II, who judges the case, takes kindly to Mikuláš and grants him safe-conduct out of Prague. Mikuláš returns to Kutná Hora just in time to save Jakub's life and to expose Wolfram as a trickster who was trying to sneak away with the aldermen's money.
The film was presented at the 6th Venice Film Festival, 1938.
Mikuláš Dačický z Heslova
Očko, sluha Dačického
nejvyšší mincmistr Vilém z Vřesovic a z Doubravské Hory na Vchynicích
Ludmila z Vřesovic a Na Dobřeni, rozená Voděradská z Hrušova, Vilémova manželka
nákladník a šepmistr Tobiáš Tříska
Žofka, Třískova žena
rychtář Mikuláš Vodňanský z Čažarova
Vodňanská, rychtářova žena
Eva, rychtářova dcera
krejčí Mládek
Alžběta, Mládkova dcera
povětrná holka Rozina
alchymista David Wolfram
hofmistr Felix z Hasenburka
panoš Zdeněk Lorecký z Elkuše, Dačického přítel
urburní písař
stará panna Apoléna
páter Bonifác
služka Máří
císař Rudolf II.
nákladník Jan Dačický, Mikulášův bratr
havíř Jakub
havíř
kat
služka u Třísků
nahluchlá měštka Babeta Sládková
biřic Janek
konšel Kaše, přísedící u soudu
písař Václav Alexy, zapisovatel u soudu
cikánská tanečnice
vdova Veronika
měšťka
bakalář
konšel Jindřich Labuška, přísedící u soudu
hlásný
mincíř
mincíř
člen hofmistrovy družiny
komorná
katův pomocník
hostinský Mědínek
číšnice
chasník v hostinci
chasník v hostinci
panna
dveřník císařův
žalářník
Mirek, pobočník hofmistra Felixe
měšťanka v hostinci
Rudolf Stahl, František Urbánek, Jindřich Fiala, Václav Berdych (adept režie)
Ladislav Stroupežnický (Paní mincmistrová – divadelní hra), Mikuláš Dačický z Heslova (Paměti), Ladislav Stroupežnický (Zvíkovský rarášek – divadelní hra)
Willy Ströminger (fotograf), F. X. Mlejnek
Orchestr F.O.K. (Music Conducted by Jaroslav KřičkaMiloš Smatek), Sdružení starých viol Pro arte antiqua
Singer Zdeněk ŠtěpánekLadislav BoháčJaroslav VojtaFrantišek RolandLadislav Pešek
Singer Zdeněk Štěpánek
Singer Božena Šustrová
Cech panen kutnohorských
Cech panen kutnohorských
The Guild of the Kutná Hora Virgins
Mikuláš Dačický z Heslova
film
featuretheatrical distribution
historical, comedy
Czechoslovakia
1938
1938
start of filming 25 June 1938 (ateliéry)
end of filming 26 July 1938 (ateliéry)
date of censorship 09/1938
withdrawal from distribution 1 June 1940
date of censorship 1952 (konec povolení k promítání 1957)
withdrawal from distribution 31 December 1991
premiere 16 September 1938 /unsuitable for youths/ (kina Blaník /4 týdny/ a Lucerna /4 týdny/, Praha)
renewed premiere 1 July 1952 /unsuitable for youths/
feature film
94 min
2 690 meters
35mm
1:1,37
black & white
sound
Tobis – Klang
Czech
Czech, Latin
without subtitles
Czech
Event: Odměny ministra průmyslu, obchodu a živností
1939
Praha / Czechoslovakia
Lucernafilm
Festival: 6. mezinárodní filmový festival Benátky
1938
Benátky / Italy
Otakar Vávra