The Rapids

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1940

Production year

1940

Premiere

21 February 1941

Runtime

83 min

Category

film

Genre

melodrama

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Peřeje

Czech title

Peřeje

English title

The Rapids

Protectorate parallel title

Stromschnellen

Synopsis

The circus has arrived in a small town. The show is unsuccessful until the appearance of the beautiful dancer Anita, a gipsy. Sluka, the versatile artist of the group, recognises her talent and she becomes his pupil. Anita's exotic beauty captivates the wealthy Mr Regner who begins to court her and finds the circus an engagement in Prague. Anita is also worshipped by the young doctor Pavel Duras with whom Anita falls in love. The love story is tainted, however, by Regner's jealousy. Pavel believes that Anita has sold herself to the wealthy entrepreneur and he leaves her. The young woman is at her wits' end and seeks oblivion in drugs. During one of her performances she catches sight of Pavel in the audience with another girl and she faints. She wakes up in hospital. Anita recovers and is told that Pavel's companion at the show was his sister Zdena. He could not have stopped himself loving Anita.

Cast

Elena Tanasco

cikánská tanečnice Anita Confetti

Svatopluk Beneš

MUDr. Pavel Duras

Václav Trégl

ředitel cirkusu Dyonisius Hloubka

Anna Steimarová

vdova Valerie, majitelka cirkusu

František Paul

hudebník Sluka

R. A. Strejka

tanečník Burnus

F. X. Mlejnek

kouzelník Prospero

Jarmila Beránková

Prosperova schovanka Vilma

Jiří Steimar

podnikatel Regner

Jaroslav Orlický

Parma, Regnerův tajemník

Bonello

artista Martin

Ladislav Janeček

taneční mistr

Viktor Socha

četník

Ota Motyčka

starosta

Karel Máj

reportér

Karel Němec

inspicient

Emanuel Kovařík

vrátný v hotelu

Crew and creators

Assistant Director

Jiří Kratina

Based on

Ladislav Novák (Peřeje – divadelní hra)

Screenplay

Karel Steklý

Director of Photography

Josef Střecha

Camera Operator

Jaromír Holpuch

Production Designer

Bohumil Heš

Set Designer

František Suchý

Film Editor

Antonín Zelenka

Sound Designer

Stanislav Vondraš

Production Manager

Arthur Feist

Consultant

Miroslav Rutte (jazykový poradce)

Cooperation

Willy Ströminger (fotograf)

Music

Music Composed by

František Škvor

Music Performed by

Orchestr F.O.K. (Music Conducted by František Škvor)

Choreographer

Joe Jenčík

Danced by

Viktor Malcev, Jaroslav Tyc, Bohumil Augustin, Robert Braun, Zbyněk Vaněk, Emil Fassl, Miroslav Chmelenský, Karel Křeček, František Morawetz, Jiří Němeček, Miroslav Šťastný

Songs

Šlo děvčátko po ulici

Writer of Lyrics Ladislav Novák
Singer R. A. Strejka

Na zemi je smutný květen

Production info

Original Title

Peřeje

Czech Title

Peřeje

English Title

The Rapids

Protectorate Parallel Title

Stromschnellen

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

melodrama

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1940

Production Year

1940

Production specifications

start of filming 11 October 1940
end of filming 12/1940
date of censorship 19 February 1941 (kulturně-výchovný)
date of censorship 1943 (predikáty „uznáníhodný film“ a „film pro Den hrdinů“)
withdrawal from distribution 18 May 1945
date of censorship 01/1946 (neschváleno do distribuce)

Premiere

premiere 21 February 1941 /unsuitable for youths/ (kina Juliš /3 týdny/ a Kapitol /3 týdny/, Praha)

Production

Dafa

Copyright Holders

Národní filmový archiv

Laboratories

AB

Distribution

Dafa

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

83 min

Original length in metres

2 400 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, German