Love Song

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1940

Production year

1940

Premiere

8 March 1940

Runtime

96 min

Category

film

Genre

melodrama

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Píseň lásky

Czech title

Píseň lásky

English title

Love Song

Protectorate parallel title

Das Lied der Liebe

Synopsis

Kamila, the wife of a construction engineer in the motor industry, is lying in the maternity ward awaiting the birth of her baby; with her is an unknown woman who will not reveal the name of the father of her child. The nurse Marta tells her that the unknown woman and her child have died and that Kamila has given birth to a little girl. Kamila's husband is killed in a car accident during a test run; Kamila then takes her daughter Jana to Italy in order that she can study singing. They return four years later. They are accompanied by Lípa, a famous composer, and his pupil Skála. Both fall in love with the beautiful Jana, which affects their friendship. The situation is complicated by the arrival of the consultant from the maternity ward, Dr Slezák, who has long been Kamila's admirer. He has discovered that, years ago, when Kamila gave birth to a stillborn baby, the nurse Marta gave her the little girl born to the unknown woman, who herself died in childbirth; Jana's father is Lípa the composer. Slezák tells this only to Lípa who now understands why Jana was so close to him. Jana becomes engaged to Skála and Kamila allows Slezák to become part of her life. Lípa plays the organ for both couples at their joint wedding.

Cast

Pavel Ludikar

skladatel a dirigent Jan Lípa

Vladimír Borský

konstruktér Ing. Vondrák

Marie Rosůlková

Kamila, Vondrákova žena

Hana Vítová

Jana, dcera Kamily

Ladislav Boháč

klavírista Zdeněk Skála

Jaroslav Marvan

asistent MUDr. Slezák, později primář

Jan Sviták

primář porodnice

Zdeňka Baldová

služka u Vondráků Karlička

Marie Ptáková

vrchní sestra Marta Vaňková

Karel Veverka

učitel zpěvu maestro Luigi Sebastian

Jindra Hermanová

vyslancova žena

Jan Černý

komorník

Antonín Holzinger

impresário skladatele Lípy

Jiří Schreinzer

host na večírku

Jaroslav Hladík

host na večírku

Marie Oliaková

host na večírku

Růžena Kurelová

host na večírku

Marie Vildová

host na večírku

Bolek Prchal

vrátný v porodnici Houdek

Milka Balek-Brodská

hospodyně u Lípy

Crew and creators

Assistant Director

Josef Zezulka

Director of Photography

Jaroslav Tuzar

Production Designer

Jan Zázvorka, Bohumil Heš

Set Designer

Prokop Pěkný

Film Editor

Marie Bourová

Sound Designer

Emanuel Formánek

Production Manager

Otakar Sedláček, Ladislav Brom (ředitel výroby)

Cooperation

Antonín Frič (fotograf)

Music

Music Composed by

Dalibor C. Vačkář

Selected Music

J. L. Dusík (Concerto in pianoforte), Ludwig van Beethoven (Klavírní koncert Es dur), Josef Suk (Píseň lásky)

Music Performed by

Orchestr F.O.K. (Music Conducted by Dalibor C. Vačkář), Česká filharmonie (Music Conducted by Karel Šejna), Josef Páleníček /klavír/

Songs

Píseň lásky

Song Composer Josef Suk
Writer of Lyrics Ladislav Brom
Singer Pavel Ludikar

Neapolitana

Song Composer Dalibor C. Vačkář
Writer of Lyrics Ladislav Brom
Singer Hana Vítová

Já vás měl rád

Song Composer Alexandr Dmitrijevič Šeremetěv
Writer of Lyrics Ladislav Brom
Singer Pavel Ludikar

Production info

Original Title

Píseň lásky

Czech Title

Píseň lásky

English Title

Love Song

Protectorate Parallel Title

Das Lied der Liebe

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

melodrama

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1940

Production Year

1940

Production specifications

start of filming 22 January 1940
end of filming 12 February 1940
date of censorship 5 March 1940 (kulturně-výchovný)
date of censorship 1943 (predikáty „uznáníhodný film“ a „film pro Den hrdinů“)
withdrawal from distribution 03/1945

Premiere

premiere 8 March 1940 /unsuitable for youths/ (kina Blaník /2 týdny/ a Máj /2 týdny/, Praha)

Production

Brom

Copyright Holders

Národní filmový archiv

Laboratories

Grafo

Distribution

Brom

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

96 min

Original length in metres

2 746 meters

Distribution carrier

35mm

Aspect ratio

1:1,37

Colour

black & white

Sound

sound

Sound system/format

Visatone

Versions

Czech

Dialogue languages

Czech

Subtitles languages

without subtitles

Opening/End credits languages

Czech, German