The Poacher's Foster Daughter

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1948

Production year

1948

Premiere

1 April 1949

Runtime

109 min

Director

Martin Frič

Category

film

Genre

melodrama, parody

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Pytlákova schovanka aneb Šlechetný milionář

Czech title

Pytlákova schovanka aneb Šlechetný milionář

English title

The Poacher's Foster Daughter

Working title

Srdce v rozpacích / Srdce na rozpacích

Summary

A complex story full of unbelievable coincidences and fateful meetings, this 1949 film sees impoverished beauty Elén (Hana Vítová) arrive in the decadent big city from a simple rural cottage in search of musical fame. But Elén manages to avoid the pitfalls of such seediness thanks to the selfless love of poor violinist Sedloň (Zdeněk Dítě), and the especially warm and empathic art-loving millionaire René Skalský (Oldřich Nový). This legendary film from director Martin Frič parodies the kitsch bourgeoisie entertainment of the 1930s and the Nazi Protectorate era escapist films of the 1940s (and also trashy literature and schematic genre spectacles of all kinds). But the members of the cast and crew mostly had years of experience in such “serious” entertainment. And so the film exudes affectionate empathy for such “criticised” phenomena. With its precise jokes, this sophisticated and intelligent film continues to enthral viewers with its timeless magic. However, the film was also one of the last to emerge in the pre-communist putsch environment – although its premiere came after the events of February 1948. Consequently, it encountered problems with the freshly installed organs of censorship.

Synopsis

On her twenty-first birthday the beautiful Elén discovers that she was born out of wedlock. That same day her step-father Jan Dubský is caught trespassing on private woodland property. Elén is to marry the owner of the estate to save her father punishment. Elén refuses, however, and since she has just received an invitation to a rehearsal at a theatre agency, she runs away from home with her mother's blessing. In the train she enchants the millionaire René Skalský but, when they part, she does not tell him her name. After a time she encounters him in a cosmetic salon where she works as a manicurist. Both are in love with each other. Elén interrupts the romance when she sees René behaving intimately with a well-known actress; she does not realize that this girl is his sister. In her anguish she accepts an offer of marriage from violinist Pavel Sedloň who once looked after her when she was wandering through the alien city. The rejected René falls ill, he loses his wealth and begins to earn a living as a writer of opera librettos. He is unused to working so hard and he is struck down by encephalitis. His loyal servant Bolton tells the sad news to Elén when she and Pavel are leaving the church as newly-weds. Elén rushes to the hospital and with her singing she brings the dying René back to life. The marriage turns out to be invalid and thus nothing can bar René's and Elén's happiness. Fate also rewards those closest to Elén.

Note

The closing of this black-and-white film is in colour.

Film online

Cast

Oldřich Nový

milionář René Skalský

Hana Vítová

Elén Hadrbolcová/Bětuška Hadrbolcová, Elénina matka zamlada

Ella Nollová

Bětuška Hadrbolcová, Elénina matka

Otomar Korbelář

pytlák Jan Dubský, Elénin otčím, hrabě

Theodor Pištěk

továrník Richard Skalský, otec Reného

Zdeněk Dítě

houslista Pavel Sedloň

Bohumil Machník

sluha Bolton

Vítězslav Vejražka

Malhorn, ředitel divadelní agentury

Arnold Flögl

herec Jan Balada, Elénin otec

František Paul

MUDr. Lexa Otok

Marie Blažková

Anita Nováková, Pavlova teta

Eman Fiala

učitel zpěvu Leonardo Bianchini

Jan W. Speerger

lupič Joe Pelíšek

Jarmila Smejkalová

Klára, schovanka Novákové

Irena Bernátová

Zuzana Hromasová, Reného sestra

Mirko Erben

statkář Zadina

Alena Pospíšilová

Yvettka, Sedloňova schovanka

Ilona Kubásková

Polánková, sousedka Hadrbolcových

Marie Kopalová

ošetřovatelka

Ferdinand Jarkovský

úředník z magistrátu

Růžena Lysenková

sekretářka u Malhorna

Felix le Breux

novinář Bob Kirken

Emanuel Kovařík

inspektor Trench

Fanda Mrázek

číšník

Vladimír Řepa

majitel baru

Mirko Čech

inspicient

Josef Bělský

šéf kosmetického salonu

Zdeněk Šavrda

průvodčí vlaku

Viktor Nejedlý

komorník Vilém

Saša Danešová

panská

Bohuslav Kupšovský

topič na parníku

Marie Hodrová

stará žena ve vlaku

František Voborský

přednosta stanice/Ind

Otto Tutter

myslivec

Miroslav Grác

myslivec

Josef Příhoda

ředitel kočovné divadelní společnosti

Ota Motyčka

biletář

Ludmila Plichtová

uvaděčka v divadle

Antonín Jirsa

námořník

Jan Čapek

zákazník na manikúře

Crew and creators

Director

Martin Frič

Assistant Director

Václav Berdych

Director of Photography

Karel Degl

Production Designer

Karel Škvor

Assistent Production Designer

Karel Černý

Costume Designer

Erna Veselá, Adolf Wenig

Film Editor

Jan Kohout

Assistant Film Editor

Jarmila Müllerová

Sound Designer

Josef Zora

Special Effects

Stanislav Šulc (makety), František Jakubec (makety), Karel Císařovský (stavby)

Production Manager

Eduard Šimáček

Unit Production Manager

František Urbánek

Background Painter

Ferdinand Martinásek (malíř pozadí), F. Jelínek (malíř pozadí)

Cooperation

R. Souček (vrchní osvětlovač), Václav Malý (fotograf), Ludvík Sojka (stavební mistr)

Music

Music Composed by

Julius Kalaš

Music Performed by

FISYO (Music Conducted by Milivoj Uzelac)

Choreographer

Boris Milec

Songs

Ztratilo se štěstí někde na rozcestí

Song Composer Julius Kalaš
Writer of Lyrics Josef NeubergFrantišek Vlček
Singer Oldřich NovýHana Vítová [dab]Vilma Meyerová

Já prostý kvítek Krušných hor

Song Composer Julius Kalaš
Writer of Lyrics Josef NeubergFrantišek Vlček
Singer Hana Vítová [dab]Vilma Meyerová

Já jsem malý mysliveček

Když bouře burácí

Song Composer Julius Kalaš
Writer of Lyrics Josef NeubergFrantišek Vlček
Singer Bohuslav Kupšovský

V patách se mi smutek plíží

Song Composer Julius Kalaš
Writer of Lyrics Josef NeubergFrantišek Vlček
Singer Hana Vítová [dab]Vilma Meyerová

Nebe je čisté bez mráčku

Song Composer Julius Kalaš
Writer of Lyrics Josef NeubergFrantišek Vlček
Singer Hana Vítová [dab]Vilma Meyerová

Když do srdce chlad zavěje

Song Composer Julius Kalaš
Writer of Lyrics Josef NeubergFrantišek Vlček
Singer Hana Vítová [dab]Vilma Meyerová

To láska přichází tak tiše

Song Composer Julius Kalaš
Writer of Lyrics Josef NeubergFrantišek Vlček
Singer sbor

Po temné noci vzešel jasný den

Song Composer Julius Kalaš
Writer of Lyrics Josef NeubergFrantišek Vlček
Singer Oldřich NovýHana Vítová [dab]Vilma Meyerová

Já o lásce jsem rozkošný sen snila

Song Composer Julius Kalaš
Writer of Lyrics Josef NeubergFrantišek Vlček
Singer Hana Vítová [dab]Vilma Meyerová

Jsem láska /opereta Srdce v deliriu/

Song Composer Julius Kalaš
Writer of Lyrics Josef NeubergFrantišek Vlček
Singer Hana Vítová [dab]Vilma Mayerovásbor

To bylo v háji zeleném

Singer sbor

Láska, Bože, láska

Singer mužský hlas

Production info

Original Title

Pytlákova schovanka aneb Šlechetný milionář

Czech Title

Pytlákova schovanka aneb Šlechetný milionář

English Title

The Poacher's Foster Daughter

Working Title

Srdce v rozpacích / Srdce na rozpacích

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

melodrama, parody

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1948

Production Year

1948

Production specifications

start of filming 2 August 1948
date of censorship 7 March 1949 (konec povolení k promítání 7. 3. 1954)
withdrawal from distribution 31 July 1993

Premiere

premiere 1 April 1949 /unsuitable for youths/ (kina Olympic /1 týden/, Oko /1 týden/ a Hvězda /8 týdnů od 22. 4./, Praha)
renewed premiere 1 February 1983 /suitable for youths/

Copyright Holders

Národní filmový archiv

Studio

Barrandov

Creative Group

III. výrobní skupina Frič – Reimann, Martin Frič (umělecký šéf III. výrobní skupiny), Zdeněk Reimann (produkční šéf III. výrobní skupiny)

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

109 min

Original length in metres

3 097 meters

Distribution carrier

16mm, 35mm

Aspect ratio

1:1,37

Colour

colour, black & white

Sound

sound

Sound system/format

mono

Versions

Czech

Dialogue languages

Czech

Subtitles languages

without subtitles

Intertitles languages

Czech

Opening/End credits languages

Czech