Munchhausen

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1940

Production year

1940

Premiere

13 September 1940

Runtime

93 min

Director

Martin Frič

Category

film

Genre

comedy

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Baron Prášil

Czech title

Baron Prášil

English title

Munchhausen

Protectorate parallel title

Baron Praschil

Rerelease title

Když Burian prášil [uvedení 1964]

English parallel title

When Burian Told Tall Tales

Summary

This 1940 comedy, one of the most prominent entries in popular comedian Vlasta Burian’s filmography, is based on the stage play Děti v notesu (Offspring in a Notebook) written by Rudolf Kautský. Directed by the experienced Martin Frič, it features Burian in the role of Baron Archibald Prášil. He is settled with his wife Olga in a family chateau following years of unruly youthful escapades that left him with a number of children born out of wedlock. One of his offspring, daughter Karla, is in no rush to tell her parents about her secret marriage accomplished during her studies away from the family home. Her husband Arnošt decides to start working as the unsuspecting father-in-law’s personal secretary in order to win his trust... Baron Prášil is the only film that stars both Vlasta Burian and Oldřich Nový. The role of Karla became a priceless testimony to what were the brilliant talents of Lída Baarová’s younger sister Zorka Janů, who sadly committed suicide at 24 years of age.

Synopsis

Baron Prášil lives with his wife Olga and daughter Karla in castle Prášily. He led a mirthful life in his youth and the task of his valet Ronald is to distribute on time the alimony for his master. Karla has fallen in love with Arnošt Benda in the town where she is studying, and they get married in secret. Arnošt takes a position as a secretary at the baron's and he has hopes that he will win the baron's trust and in addition even his consent to his marriage with Karla. Count Kocharowski, Olga's former lover, shows up in the town, and he suspects that he has a son by her. Arnošt invents a fantastic story that he is an illegitimate child and this arouses the suspicion in the baroness that he is her son that she had with Kocharowski. Because she fears a scandal, she decides to confess everything to the baron. He does not hear her well and imagines that Arnošt is his son. Karla admits her marriage to her father, but he tells her that she has actually married her own brother. Arnošt in vain tries to explain the mistake to the baron. In the meantime, Arnošt's real parents show up. In the confusion that sets in the truth is finally revealed and nothing no longer stands in the way of Arnošt and Karla's happiness.

Note

In the year 1964 the film was released under the non-original title Když Burian prášil (When Burian Told Tall Tales) to prevent confusion with the film from 1961 by director Karel Zeman.

Cast

Vlasta Burian

baron Jan Maria Archibald Prášil

Meda Valentová

Olga, choť barona Prášila

Zorka Janů

komtesa Karla, dcera barona Prášila

Anna Steimarová

Ema Lindová, přítelkyně Olgy

Oldřich Nový

tajemník Arnošt Benda, manžel Karly

Jaroslav Marvan

Bedřich Emanuel Benda, Arnoštův otec

Ella Nollová

Marie, Bendova žena, rozená Šulcová

Čeněk Šlégl

hrabě Bohdan Kocharowski

František Roland

komorník Ronald

Václav Trégl

lesník Patočka

Theodor Pištěk

hostinský Na zámecké

František Filipovský

číšník Na zámecké

Dalibor Pták

lesník a klavírista

Crew and creators

Director

Martin Frič

Assistant Director

Eduard Šimáček

Based on

Rudolf Kautský (Děti v notesu – divadelní hra)

Director of Photography

Václav Hanuš

Production Designer

Jan Zázvorka

Set Designer

Prokop Pěkný

Film Editor

Jan Kohout

Production Manager

Jan Sinnreich

Cooperation

Jaroslav Balzar (fotograf)

Music

Music Composed by

Julius Kalaš

Music Performed by

Orchestr F.O.K. (Music Conducted by Julius Kalaš)

Songs

Myslivci, myslivci, vy střílíte

Singer sbor

Production info

Original Title

Baron Prášil

Czech Title

Baron Prášil

English Title

Munchhausen

Protectorate Parallel Title

Baron Praschil

Rerelease Title

Když Burian prášil [uvedení 1964]

English Parallel Title

When Burian Told Tall Tales

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

comedy

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1940

Production Year

1940

Production specifications

start of filming 25 June 1940
end of filming 07/1940
date of censorship 11 September 1940 (kulturně-výchovný)
date of censorship 1943 (predikát „uznáníhodný film“ )
date of censorship 16 November 1943 (predikát „uznáníhodný film“ /16mm verze/)
withdrawal from distribution 18 May 1945
projection approval 1964
withdrawal from distribution 31 May 1993

Premiere

premiere 13 September 1940 /unsuitable for youths/ (kina Na Příkopě /2½ týdne/ a Světozor /3 týdny/, Praha)
renewed premiere 11/1943 /unsuitable for youths/ (16mm verze)
renewed premiere 6 November 1964 /unsuitable for youths/ (kino Letka, Praha)
renewed premiere 27 November 1964 (celostátní)

Production

Slavia-film, Ufa

Copyright Holders

Národní filmový archiv

Laboratories

AB

Distribution

Ufa (původní 1940), ČMÚ (obnovená 1943 /16mm verze/), Ústřední půjčovna filmů (obnovená 1964)

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

93 min

Original length in metres

2 660 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, German