God's Mills

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1937

Production year

1937

Premiere

25 February 1938

Runtime

90 min

Category

film

Genre

drama

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Boží mlýny

Czech title

Boží mlýny

English title

God's Mills

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).

Cast

Karel Černý

sedlák Tomáš Záhoř

Ladislav Boháč

Vondra, Záhořův syn

Karel Beníško

Matěj, Záhořův syn

J. O. Martin

kovář Drastil

Marie Pilská

kovářova žena

Jiřina Štěpničková

Nana, dcera Drastilových

Miroslav Kryštof-Kutina

sedlák Jan Podestát

Běla Tringlerová

Dodla, Podestátova žena

Karel Veverka

sedlák Hadlásek

Alois Dvorský

sedlák Foukalík

Otto Zahrádka

sedlák Bulovec

Ferenc Futurista

vystěhovalecký agent

Slávka Doležalová

děvečka Manka

Jan W. Speerger

sedlák Jírovec

Milka Balek-Brodská

porodní bába

Vladimír Řepa

hostinský

Walter Taub

advokátní koncipient

Jiří Fiala

soudní zapisovatel

Herbert Lom

chasník

Roza Schlesingerová

kmotra při svatbě

František Vlček

host na svatbě

Crew and creators

Assistant Director

Václav Dražil

Based on

Jan Vrba (Boží mlýny – román)

Screenplay

Josef Neuberg

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 Josef Dobeš)

Songs

Zelení hájové

Singer ženský sbor

Já mám v levý noze trn a trn a trnaveček

Singer mužský sbor

Spi, děťátko, spi (ukolébavka)

Singer Běla Tringlerová

Hajej. můj andílku

Song Composer Bedřich Smetana
Writer of Lyrics Eliška Krásnohorská
Singer Jiřina Štěpničková

Žádnej neví, co jsou Domažlice

Singer sbor

lidové písně

Production info

Original Title

Boží mlýny

Czech Title

Boží mlýny

English Title

God's Mills

Protectorate Parallel Title

Gottes Mühlen

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

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 06/1940
withdrawal from distribution 18 May 1945
date of censorship 11 October 1945 (konec povolení k promítání 11. 10. 1946)
withdrawal from distribution 31 May 1947

Premiere

premiere 25 February 1938 /unsuitable for youths/ (kina Letka /1 týden/ a Máj /1 týden/, Praha)
renewed premiere 19 October 1945 /unsuitable for youths/

Production

Meissner, Gloria (zadavatel)

Copyright Holders

Národní filmový archiv

Distribution

Gloria (původní 1938), Státní půjčovna filmů (obnovená 1945)

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

90 min

Original length in metres

2 543 meters

Distribution carrier

35mm

Aspect ratio

1:1,37

Colour

black & white

Sound

sound

Sound system/format

Tobis – Klang

Versions

Czech

Dialogue languages

Czech

Subtitles languages

without subtitles

Opening/End credits languages

Czech