Journey into the Depth of the Student's Soul

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1939

Production year

1939

Premiere

31 October 1939

Runtime

94 min

Director

Martin Frič

Category

film

Genre

comedy

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Cesta do hlubin študákovy duše

Czech title

Cesta do hlubin študákovy duše

English title

Journey into the Depth of the Student's Soul

Protectorate parallel title

Weg in die Tiefe der Studentenseele

Summary

Following on from his student comedy Škola základ života (School is the Foundation of Life, 1938), Martin Frič's next picture drew on the "Joe College" texts by author Jaroslav Žák. Cesta do hlubin študákovy duše (1939) went beyond its inherently patriotic theme, and beyond the limits of mere undemanding entertainment. The story framework consists of the narrative of a grammar school physics teacher named Rabiška, who has long, and with an exacting passion, taught his pupils. The central characters are the sensitive seventh-grader Vaněk (Rudolf Hrušínský), who is a talented pianist, and the kindly old natural sciences teacher Matulka (Jindřich Plachta), who, due to cold feet, has himself yet to pass the final state exam. With the help of their young Latin teacher Voříšek (František Vnouček), the students employ a small ruse to help their favourite teacher. Among the stand-outs of the cast are in particular František Filipovský, then 32, who plays the class wally František Mazánek, and Ladislav Pešek, then 33, who appears as an energetic student called Kulík.

Synopsis

Grammar school professor Rabiška has for many years been keeping a record of events at the school and collecting curiosities confiscated from the students during lessons. In year seven there are different types: Kulík, a talented footballer but a bad student, diligent Mazánek, Chalupová, who is top of the class, and many others. Vaněk is a gifted musician and he is having little luck with his studies. After poor mid-year results Vaněk's father sells his piano because it is keeping his son from his studies. The perceptive young professor Voříšek is convinced of the lad's talent and has a word with his father. On one occasion the nice geography teacher Matulka gets so annoyed by some student prank that he collapses. The students are shocked. When they then find out that Matulka failed his finals because of nerves and is therefore very poorly paid, they think up a plan to help the professor. Under the pretext of buying collections of insects for the school Matulka demonstrates his phenomenal knowledge to university professor Vondrák, and his performance is accepted as an examination. Beaming with joy, Matulka is warmly welcomed by his seventh-year students. Professor Rabiška is able to record that students have not only minds, but also hearts.

Cast

Jindřich Plachta

profesor přírodopisu Matulka

Jaroslav Průcha

profesor fyziky Rabiška

Jaroslav Marvan

profesor matematiky Vobořil

Miloš Nedbal

profesor francouzštiny Šeda

František Kreuzmann

profesor tělocviku Tuřík

Jarmila Holmová

profesorka zeměpisu Rázová

Ludvík Veverka

profesor chemie Kahuda

František Vnouček

profesor latiny Petr Voříšek

Karel Roden

profesor

Karel Veverka

ředitel gymnázia

Ferenc Futurista

školník Peťule

Vojta Novák

univerzitní profesor dr. Vondrák

Ladislav Pešek

septimán Vojtěch Kulík

Rudolf Hrušínský

septimán Jan Vaněk

R. A. Strejka

septimán Antonín Peterka

Zbyšek Olšovský

septimán Šíma

František Filipovský

septimán Ladislav Mazánek

Jana Ebertová

septimánka Zdeňka Chalupová

Vilém Pruner

septimán Pošusta

Karel Hošek

septimán Midloch

Blažena Slavíčková

prodavačka v trafice

Bolek Prchal

Kulíkův otec, strážník

Ella Nollová

Kulíkova matka

Gustav Hilmar

Vaňkův otec

Marie Blažková

Vaňkova matka

Zvonimir Rogoz

Pošustův otec

Josef Kemr

septimán

Antonín Jirsa

stěhovák

Vladimír Salač

tercián Josef Ždimera

Stanislav Procházka

student na studentském věnečku

Marie Vildová

host na studentském věnečku

Václav Smetáček

dirigent na studentském věnečku

Orchestr F.O.K.

orchestr na studentském věnečku

Crew and creators

Director

Martin Frič

Assistant Director

Eduard Šimáček, Rudolf Stahl

Based on

Jaroslav Žák (Cesta do hlubin študákovy duše – román)

Director of Photography

Ferdinand Pečenka

Production Designer

Karel Petr Adam

Set Designer

František Nestler

Film Editor

Jan Kohout

Sound Designer

Stanislav Vondraš

Production Manager

Alois Fiala, Jan Sinnreich

Cooperation

Willy Ströminger (fotograf)

Music

Music Composed by

Roman Blahník

Music Performed by

Orchestr F.O.K. (Music Conducted by Roman Blahník)

Songs

Pásla ovečky v zeleném háječku

Singer Ferenc Futurista

Production info

Original Title

Cesta do hlubin študákovy duše

Czech Title

Cesta do hlubin študákovy duše

English Title

Journey into the Depth of the Student's Soul

Protectorate Parallel Title

Weg in die Tiefe der Studentenseele

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

comedy

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1939

Production Year

1939

Production specifications

start of filming 22 September 1939
end of filming 12 October 1939
date of censorship 25 October 1939
date of censorship 05/1940 (kulturně-výchovný)
date of censorship 1943 (predikát „uznáníhodný film“)
date of censorship 19 September 1944 (predikát „uznáníhodný film“ /16mm verze/)
withdrawal from distribution 18 May 1945
date of censorship 21 June 1945 (konec povolení k promítání 21. 6. 1946)
withdrawal from distribution 7 January 1948
withdrawal from distribution 31 May 1993

Premiere

premiere 31 October 1939 /suitable for youths/ (kina Adrie /3½ týdne/, Hvězda /3½ týdne/ a Juliš /3 týdny/, Praha)
renewed premiere 09/1944 /suitable for youths/ (16mm verze)
renewed premiere 1 December 1945 /suitable for youths/
renewed premiere 1 August 1963 /suitable for youths/

Production

Elekta

Copyright Holders

Národní filmový archiv

Laboratories

AB

Distribution

Elekta (původní 1939), ČMÚ (obnovená 1944 /16mm verze/), Státní půjčovna filmů (obnovená 1945), Ústřední půjčovna filmů (obnovená 1963)

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

94 min

Original length in metres

2 600 meters

Distribution carrier

16mm, 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
Jaroslav Marvan

Vítěz

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

1940
Praha / Czechoslovakia
Jindřich Plachta

Vítěz

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

1940
Praha / Czechoslovakia

Vítěz

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

1940
Praha / Czechoslovakia