Life Is Beautiful
Country
CzechoslovakiaCopyright
1940Production year
1940Premiere
20 December 1940Runtime
102 minDirector
Ladislav BromCategory
filmGenre
comedy, romanticTypology
featuretheatrical distributionlongOriginal title
Život je krásnýCzech title
Život je krásnýEnglish title
Life Is BeautifulProtectorate parallel title
Das Leben ist schönSynopsis
While seated one evening in a wine-bar that bohemian artists frequent successful writer Jan Herold makes the acquaintance of a young, beginning painter, Jarmila Bendová. Jarmila has a financial and artistic crisis because she has lost the model for her last painting, without which she is unable to bring off her exhibition, and without selling her paintings at the exhibition she will not be able to pay her debt to her landlord. Herold comes to know of her problems and because he has fallen in love with the girl he tries to give her all possible help. As an old man he models for her so she will be able to finish her painting, as a fortune-teller he frightens the landlord so he will not clamour for the rent from her, and he arranges an exhibition for her at his new publisher's in a prestigious gallery. Jarmila eventually sees through his disguises, and when Herold now imagines that he was unsuccessful in his endeavours, she visits him alone and makes clear that she reciprocates his love.
Note
The première outside Prague was held already on the 1st of December 1940 in Choceň, the birthplace of director Ladislav Brom.
Photos
Cast
Oldřich Nový
spisovatel Jan Herold
Lída Baarová
malířka Jarmila Bendová
Bedřich Veverka
Bedřich, Heroldův sekretář
Zita Kabátová
malířka Helena
Ladislav Pešek
sochař Vojta Polívka
Jiří Steimar
nakladatel Arnošt Hartl
Lola Skrbková
úřednice u Hartla
Václav Trégl
pan domácí
František Paul
policejní komisař
Vladimír Majer
krejčí Láska
Růžena Šlemrová
Hermína, Heroldova teta
František Filipovský
sekretář nakladatele Hartla
Antonín Zacpal
sluha u věštce
Jiří Vondrovič
fotoreportér
Betty Tolarová
panská v hotelu
Vladimír Řepa
hostinský
Ladislav Brom
listonoš
Miloslav Svoboda
číšník v kavárně
Zdeněk Martínek
host v ateliéru
Jiří Eliáš
klavírista
Jan Bureš
klavírista
Jindřich Láznička
číšník
Zdena Vincíková
zpívající host v ateliéru
Miloš Vincík
zpívající host v ateliéru
Ota Nečas
zpívající host v ateliéru
Crew and creators
Director
Assistant Director
Screenstory
Pavel Škampa
Screenplay
Director of Photography
Production Designer
Art Director
Dagmar Čížková, Jan Kodet
Set Designer
Costumes
Make-Up Artist
Film Editor
Sound Designer
Production Manager
Consultant
Miroslav Haller (jazykový poradce)
Cooperation
Antonín Frič (fotograf)
Music
Music Composed by
Music Performed by
Orchestr F.O.K. (Music Conducted by Sláva Eman Nováček), Jiří Eliáš /klavír písně Bílé ruce/, Jan Bureš /klavír písně Bílé ruce/
Songs
Jednou, jen jedenkrát (foxtrot)
Song Composer Sláva Eman Nováček
Writer of Lyrics Ladislav BromJosef Gruss
Singer Vincíkovo trioZdena VincíkováMiloš VincíkOta Nečas
Bílé ruce /Znám dvě bílé ruce/ (slowfox)
Song Composer Sláva Eman Nováček
Writer of Lyrics Ladislav Brom
Singer Oldřich Nový
Jen pro ten dnešní den
Song Composer Sláva Eman Nováček
Production info
Original Title
Život je krásný
Czech Title
Život je krásný
English Title
Life Is Beautiful
Protectorate Parallel Title
Das Leben ist schön
Category
film
Typology
featuretheatrical distribution
Genre
comedy, romantic
Origin country
Czechoslovakia
Copyright
1940
Production Year
1940
Production specifications
start of filming 11 September 1940
end of filming 10/1940
date of censorship 25 November 1940 (kulturně-výchovný)
date of censorship 1943 (predikát „uznáníhodný film“)
withdrawal from distribution 18 May 1945
Premiere
preview 1 December 1940 (Choceň)
premiere 20 December 1940 /suitable for youths/ (kina Blaník /2 týdny/ a Lucerna /3 týdny/, Praha)
Production
With support
Copyright Holders
Studio
Laboratories
Distribution
Technical info
Duration typology
feature film
Duration in minutes
102 min
Original length in metres
2 900 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
