Fiery Summer

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1939

Production year

1939

Premiere

20 October 1939

Runtime

91 min

Category

film

Genre

film-poem

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Ohnivé léto

Czech title

Ohnivé léto

English title

Fiery Summer

Protectorate parallel title

Lodernder Sommer

Working title

A valčík hrál...

Summary

Using his own novel Odcházeti s podzimem (Leaving with Autumn) as a foundation, Václav Krška wrote a screenplay that he set out to turn into a film in 1939 together with another debutant Frantíšek Čáp. This romantic story turns on a stirring infatuation that takes hold of three young people under the influence of Šimon, a Prague student. After the study year, 18 year-old Julio returns to his parental home, a little chateau on the Otava river. There he converges with his childhood friend Petr and the young boatman's daughter Klárka. Sharing her beguilement with Šimon, who has quickly turned a tranquil summer atmosphere into a relationship drama, is Julio’s cousin Rosa... Alongside Václav Sova – his part as Julio represented his only fling with the film scene – Lída Baarová shines as Rosa. Svatopluk Beneš plays Šimon while the part of Klárka is taken by the then 18 year-old Zorka Janů – Baarová’s younger sister who in 1946 committed suicide because she could not bear the persecution of her family.

Synopsis

After eight years of studying, Julio, the eighteen-year-old son of a lord of the manor, now lately deceased, returns home. He is warmly welcomed by his old nurse Paulina and his cousin Rosa. However, he receives only cold stares from Rosa's mother, Julio's aunt. The ageing woman keeps her distance from everyone and does not wish the young people to mix with the local youths. The temperamental Rosa has bewitched the timid Julio and he finally has to runs away from her. He meets Petr, his friend from childhood who works at the manor as a gardener. Petr takes him to meet his friends and they spend their leisure time in the romantic environment of the river. One night, the old ferryman tends the wounds of a young man named Šimon, a student from Prague who causes unease among the friends. The ferryman's granddaughter Klárka falls in love with him but he only treats her like a child. Šimon has eyes only for Rosa, who returns his feelings. Klárka's jealousy drives her to attempt suicide. She is saved, but at the cost of Petr's life. The summer ends, Šimon goes back to Prague and says farewell to Rosa. Rosa tells him she is expecting his child and so Šimon takes her with him.

Cast

Lída Baarová

Rosa, dcera tety

Svatopluk Beneš

student Šimon

Antonie Nedošinská

chůva Paulina

Zorka Janů

Červená Klárka

Josef Stadler

zahradník Petr

Jaroslav Liška

Střevlík, Petrův kamarád

František Roland

starý převozník, Klárčin dědeček

Jan W. Speerger

železničář

Karel Černý

mladík skákající do vody

Commentary

Crew and creators

Assistant Director

Rudolf Stahl

Based on

Václav Krška (Odcházeti s podzimem – román)

Director of Photography

Karel Degl

Camera Operator

Jaromír Holpuch

Production Designer

Jan Zázvorka

Set Designer

František Nestler

Film Editor

Antonín Zelenka

Production Manager

Jan Sinnreich

Cooperation

Willy Ströminger (fotograf)

Music

Music Composed by

Jiří Srnka

Music Performed by

Orchestr F.O.K. (Music Conducted by Jiří Srnka), Český pěvecký sbor (Music Conducted by Jiří Srnka)

Songs

Milujem' to, co ztrácíme

Song Composer Jiří Srnka
Writer of Lyrics K. M. Walló
Singer Lída Baarová

Když se ten Tálínskej rybník nahání

Singer Český pěvecký sbor

Okolo Sázavy teče vodička

Singer Český pěvecký sbor

Nebo ruka Páně dotkla se mě

Singer ženský hlas

Hej hora, hora převysoká

Singer mužský hlas

Plavala husička po Dunaji

Od břehu ku břehu

Song Composer Jiří Srnka

Žně

Song Composer Jiří Srnka

Okolo Zátaví

Production info

Original Title

Ohnivé léto

Czech Title

Ohnivé léto

English Title

Fiery Summer

Protectorate Parallel Title

Lodernder Sommer

Working Title

A valčík hrál...

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

film-poem

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1939

Production Year

1939

Production specifications

start of filming 07/1939
end of filming 09/1939
date of censorship 17 October 1939
date of censorship 11/1941 (kulturně-výchovný)
date of censorship 1943 (predikáty „uznáníhodný film“ a „film pro Den hrdinů“)
withdrawal from distribution 18 May 1945

Premiere

premiere 20 October 1939 /unsuitable for youths/ (kino Lucerna /3 týdny/, Praha)

Production

Lucernafilm

Copyright Holders

Národní filmový archiv

Laboratories

AB

Distribution

AB

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

91 min

Original length in metres

2 600 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

Awards

Vítěz

Event: Anketa deníku Večer – O nejlepší český film roku 1939 a o nejoblíbenější českou filmovou herečku a herce

1940
Praha / Czechoslovakia
Lída Baarová

Vítěz

Event: Národní ceny za umění filmové

1940
Praha / Czechoslovakia
František Čáp

Vítěz

Event: Anketa deníku Večer – O nejlepší český film roku 1939 a o nejoblíbenější českou filmovou herečku a herce

1940
Praha / Czechoslovakia

Vítěz

Event: Národní ceny za umění filmové

1940
Praha / Czechoslovakia
Jiří Srnka

Vítěz

Event: Anketa deníku Večer – O nejlepší český film roku 1939 a o nejoblíbenější českou filmovou herečku a herce

1940
Praha / Czechoslovakia

Vítěz

Event: Národní ceny za umění filmové

1940
Praha / Czechoslovakia
Karel Degl

Vítěz

Event: Národní ceny za umění filmové

1940
Praha / Czechoslovakia
Václav Krška

Vítěz

Event: Ceny ministra průmyslu, obchodu a živností

1940
Praha / Czechoslovakia
Lucernafilm s.r.o.