Prelude

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1941

Production year

1941

Premiere

25 December 1941

Runtime

87 min

Category

film

Genre

melodrama

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Preludium

Czech title

Preludium

English title

Prelude

Protectorate parallel title

Präludium

Synopsis

Theatre props man Karel Vajgant is married to young Magda and they have two children, seven-year-old Pavlík and eleven-year-old Pepička. Magda is an anxious mother but senses that her husband puts his work and his comfort first. In a weak moment, Magda is unfaithful to her husband. Vajgant receives an anonymous letter which informs him of his wife's infidelity. His friend, the curtain-drawer Tonda, advises him to throw away the letter and instead spend more time with his wife. Karel invites his wife to a winebar. Magda is weighed down by her conscience and decides to admit her infidelity to Karel. Karel is greatly shocked by this and is determined to part with his wife and later divorce her. Magda has no choice but to propose that Pepička will keep house for him and she will look after Pavlík. During the few days left before Magda's departure, Vajgant realises that his wife deeply regrets her actions. Karel's pious old friend Zikmund reminds him that even a desecrated church can be consecrated once more. When his daughter begs him to let her leave with her mother, Karel chooses to forgive Magda.

Cast

Zdeněk Štěpánek

divadelní rekvizitář Karel Vajgant

Jiřina Štěpničková

Magda, Vajgantova žena

Nataša Tanská

Pepička, dcera Vajgantových

Miroslav Červený

Pavlík, syn Vajgantových

Terezie Brzková

šatnářka v divadle, Magdina matka

Jan Pivec

oponář v divadle Tonda

František Kovářík

pasíř v divadle Zikmund

Míla Pačová

herečka Holmová

František Roland

policejní komisař

Jan W. Speerger

policejní inspektor

Vladiimír Paclt

strážník

Václav Pecián

strážník

Marie Ježková

guvernantka

Jiří Krchňavý

Toník, Pavlíkův kamarád

František Paul

asistent scény

Anna Steimarová

Klepetářová

Antonín Jirsa

manžel paní Klepetářové

Jiří Fiala

varhaník

Miloš Šubrt

chodec v sadech

Stanislava Strobachová

animírka ve vinárně

Slávka Doležalová

animírka ve vinárně

Elsa Vetešníková

animírka ve vinárně

Jiří Eliáš

pianista ve vinárně Pepek

Viktor Socha

číšník ve vinárně

Jarmila Smejkalová

květinářka v restauraci

Antonín Šolc

statista v divadle

Dubbing

Eduard Kohout

hlas Magdina svůdce

Crew and creators

Screenstory

Josef Rovenský

Director of Photography

Karel Degl

Camera Operator

Jaromír Holpuch

Production Designer

Jan Zázvorka

Set Designer

Prokop Pěkný

Film Editor

Antonín Zelenka

Production Manager

Karel Šilhánek, Vilém Brož (ředitel výroby)

Consultant

Miroslav Rutte (jazykový poradce)

Cooperation

Jaroslav Balzar (fotograf), Karel Hájek (fotograf)

Music

Music Composed by

Otakar Jeremiáš, Jiří Fiala (dokomponování)

Music Performed by

Orchestr F.O.K. (Music Conducted by Jiří Fiala), Jiří Eliáš /klavírní sólo/

Songs

Ještě já se na tě podívám

Production info

Original Title

Preludium

Czech Title

Preludium

English Title

Prelude

Protectorate Parallel Title

Präludium

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

melodrama

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1941

Production Year

1941

Production specifications

start of filming 2 October 1941
end of filming 13 November 1941
date of censorship 19 December 1941 (kulturně-výchovný)
date of censorship 31 March 1943 (kulturně-výchovný /16mm verze/)
date of censorship 1943 (predikáty „umělecky hodnotný film“ a „film pro Den hrdinů“ /35mm a 16mm verze/)
withdrawal from distribution 18 May 1945
date of censorship 11 June 1945 (konec povolení k promítání 11. 6. 1947)
date of censorship 1949 (neschváleno do distribuce)
withdrawal from distribution 30 November 1949

Premiere

premiere 25 December 1941 /unsuitable for youths/ (kina Aleš /3 týdny/ a Lucerna /3 týdny/, Praha)
renewed premiere 04/1943 /unsuitable for youths/ (16mm verze)
renewed premiere 28 July 1945 /unsuitable for youths/

Production

Lucernafilm

Copyright Holders

Národní filmový archiv

Laboratories

AB

Distribution

Lucernafilm (původní 1941), ČMÚ (obnovená 1943 /16mm verze/), Státní půjčovna filmů (obnovená 1945)

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

87 min

Original length in metres

2 611 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