The Mermaid

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1939

Production year

1939

Premiere

1 December 1939

Runtime

91 min

Category

film

Genre

comedy

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Mořská panna

Czech title

Mořská panna

English title

The Mermaid

Protectorate parallel title

Die Meerjungfrau

Synopsis

Three well-to-do friends, Hrdý, Sojka and Machač, go off on holiday together to a seaside spa. Gábinka, Hrdý's anxious wife, comes to the station to see him off. The men are hoping to live a little in the casino, on the beach and perhaps indulge in a little flirting. In a different hotel the young and beautiful Klára has just discovered that her lover has abandoned her and also stolen all her things, including her clothes. He had recommended to her that she find herself a rich man while she is still young. Klára, however, cannot think like this; it was not for money that she had loved the adventurous Robert. She now welcomes the simple and sincere company of Emanuel Hrdý who becomes a good friend. Klára has no financial difficulties because in the hotel where the three friends are staying, she is erroneously considered as a countess travelling incognito. Robert is mistaken about the relationship between Klára and Emanuel and, with a pistol in his hand, he robs him of his money and diamond buttons. Emanuel, feeling cheated, believes Klára to be a bait. The girl responds by sending a telegram to Gábinka asking her to come to the spa. She then uses her cunning to get back the stolen possessions and finally goes off in search of a new life.

Note

This theme had already been treated in a Czech film under the same title (1926; directed by Josef Medeotti-Boháč).

Cast

Bedřich Veverka

statkář Emanuel Hrdý

Vladimír Řepa

Karel Machač

Jára Kohout

obchodník Josef Sojka

František Salzer

dobrodruh Robert

Anna Letenská

Emanuelova žena Gábinka

Růžena Šlemrová

kněžna Witkónská

Eliška Pleyová

Machačova přítelkyně v baru

Eva Prchlíková

Sojkova přítelkyně v baru

Gabriel Hart

společník kněžny Witkónské

R. A. Strejka

společník kněžny Witkónské

Adolf Horálek

společník kněžny Witkónské

Josef Příhoda

cestující ve vlaku/ospalý muž v restauraci

František Paul

muž na pláži

Míla Pačová

obstarožní světačka

Bedřich Bozděch

hotelový host s dětmi

Josef Waltner

hotelový vrátný

Karel Černý

ředitel hotelu

Emanuel Kovařík

vrchní v hotelu

Jiří Hron

hotelový host

Jiřina Hladíková

hotelový host

Josef Bělský

kožišník

Marie Vildová

host v lázních

Slávka Rosenbergová

Richardova žena

Wanda Vodičková

přítelkyně Gábinky

Přemysl Pražský

detektiv v herně

Václav Mlčkovský

zástupce sirotčince

Josef Krejčí

zástupce sirotčince

Adolf Marek

host v herně

Jiří Schreinzer

host v herně

Sláva Grossmann

host v herně

F. X. Mlejnek

host v herně

Michel Elaguine

host v herně

Crew and creators

Assistant Director

Josef Mach, Václav Štrup

Based on

Josef Štolba (Mořská panna – divadelní hra)

Director of Photography

Ferdinand Pečenka

Production Designer

Bohumil Heš

Set Designer

Rudolf Žák

Sound Designer

František Pilát

Cooperation

Antonín Frič (fotograf)

Music

Music Composed by

Josef Stelibský

Music Performed by

Orchestr F.O.K. (Music Conducted by Josef Stelibský)

Songs

Sám nevím, proč svému stínu závidím (waltz)

Song Composer Josef Stelibský
Writer of Lyrics Karel Melíšek
Singer Oldřich Kovář

Production info

Original Title

Mořská panna

Czech Title

Mořská panna

English Title

The Mermaid

Protectorate Parallel Title

Die Meerjungfrau

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

comedy

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1939

Production Year

1939

Production specifications

start of filming 21 August 1939
end of filming 5 September 1939
date of censorship 11/1939
date of censorship 6 October 1944 (bez predikátu)
withdrawal from distribution 18 May 1945

Premiere

premiere 1 December 1939 /unsuitable for youths/ (kina Metro /1 týden/, Blaník /1 týden/ a Ráj /3 týdny/, Praha)

Production

Zdar

Copyright Holders

Národní filmový archiv

Distribution

Zdar

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

91 min

Original length in metres

2 610 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: Státní záruky Československé vlády na výrobu filmů

1939
Praha / Czechoslovakia
Zdar