The Herald of Dawn
Country
CzechoslovakiaCopyright
1950Production year
1950Premiere
28 September 1951Runtime
123 minDirector
Václav KrškaCategory
filmGenre
biographyTypology
featuretheatrical distributionlongOriginal title
Posel úsvituCzech title
Posel úsvituEnglish title
The Herald of DawnSynopsis
Master clockmaker Josef Božek installs a new clock in the main tower in Hradec Králové - the largest and most precise clock in the Austrian monarchy. As he does so, he looks back on his life with its moments of joy, but also disappointments and sorrow. After his arrival in Prague in 1805 the technically proficient young man, obsessed with new inventions, was successful with his cutting machine, even though he looked on with regret as the workers criticized him for taking work away from them. Božek also constructed an artificial hand for the invalid Svoboda. He married his beloved Josefinka. He was subsequently unable to complete his studies at the polytechnic, prevented from doing so by the arrogant director of that institution, Gerstner. He was also unsuccessful as a tutor in the services of Count Clam-Martinic. His hopes were revived after meeting Count Buquoy, through whose mediation he was able to become well acquainted with Watt's steam engine. Then Božek began to devise a vehicle driven by steam. After months of exhausting work and debts his machine set off. The burgrave was the first passenger to ride in it in public. Immediately afterwards he allowed his Josefinka to travel in it which enraged members of the nobility. When the machine accidently ran over a lapdog belonging to one of the ladies, panic erupted, which brought his fame and success to an end. After this incident, Božek could never work on his inventions again.
Photos
Cast
Vladimír Ráž
vynálezce a mechanik Josef Božek
Hana Kavalírová
Josefina Longová, později Božkova žena
Jiří Plachý
profesor František Gerstner, ředitel polytechniky
Jiřina Steimarová
Gerstnerová žena
Zdeněk Kampf
student Tony, syn Gerstnerových
Vladimír Hlavatý
profesor Josef Havle
Rudolf Deyl st.
purkrabí Wallis
Marta Májová
Wallisová, žena purkrabího
Saša Rašilov
policejní prezident Czech
Marie Glázrová
hraběnka Clam-Martinicová
Eduard Kohout
hrabě Clam-Martinic
František Kreuzmann
arcibiskup Salm ze Salmů
Jiří Dohnal
hrabě Buquoy
Bedřich Karen
Alois Alois Knopp, majitel továrny na sukno
Růžena Šlemrová
Knoppova žena
Jaroslav Vojta
kolářský mistr Václav Svoboda
Jarmila Kurandová
Svobodová, kolářova žena
Václav Švorc
Václav, syn Svobodových
Stanislav Fišer
Prokůpek, syn Svobodových jako mladík
Zdeněk Řehoř
Prokůpek, syn Svobodových jako dospělý
J. O. Martin
forman Zachariáš
František Kovářík
hodinář Heinrich
Otto Čermák
Kramerius
Karel Jelínek
purkrabí hrabě Kolowrat
Věra Matějová
hraběnka Kolowratová
Jiří Steimar
hodinář Dietrich
Eman Fiala
zřízenec na polytechnice Brdéčko
Růžena Gottliebová
jeptiška
František Filipovský
úředník v zastavárně
Felix le Breux
správce Wimmer
Antonín Holzinger
lékař
Miloš Kopecký
lékař Held
František Marek
měšťan na shromáždění
Josef Kotapiš
dělník u Knoppa
Alois Dvorský
dělník u Knoppa Anton Hýbl
Božena Helclová
dáma na produkci
Blažena Slavíčková
dáma na produkci
Antonín Kandert
hrabě Šternberk
Karel Dostal
primátor
Josef Příhoda
starý voják
František Miroslav Doubrava
student
Václav Švec
dozorce u Knoppa
Vojta Plachý-Tůma
majitel přádelny
Karel Linc
student
Vladimír Hrubý
sluha u Clam-Martiniců
Richard Záhorský
páter Bartolomeo
Jiří Kodet
malý hrabě Karel Jan Clam-Martinic
Antonín Jirsa
francouzský důstojník
Zdeněk Šavrda
dělník u Knoppa
Hynek Němec
revoltující dělník u Knoppa
Antonín Soukup
šlechtic na shromáždění
Vilém Besser
dělník u Knoppa
Jiří Lír
úředník u Knoppa
Rudolf Pellar
dělník u Knoppa
Slávka Rosenbergová
žena na trhu
Radslav Kinský
Crew and creators
Director
Assistant Director
Jaroslav Beránek, Hubert Novotný (asistent scény)
Continuity
Based on
Jaroslav R. Vávra (Pára v hrnci – román)
Screenplay
Shooting Script
Director of Photography
Camera Operator
Production Designer
Assistent Production Designer
Set Designer
Costume Designer
Costumes
Make-Up Artist
Film Editor
Assistant Film Editor
Sound Designer
Production Manager
Unit Production Manager
Jaroslav Frýda, Václav Kutil
Consultant
Ing. František Rott (historie techniky), J. M. Gottlieb
Cooperation
Václav Hojda (fotograf), Miloslav Mirvald (fotograf)
Music
Music Composed by
Music Performed by
FISYO (Music Conducted by Milivoj Uzelac)
Songs
To jsem rád, to jsem rád
Singer J. O. Martin
Production info
Original Title
Posel úsvitu
Czech Title
Posel úsvitu
English Title
The Herald of Dawn
Category
film
Typology
featuretheatrical distribution
Genre
biography
Origin country
Czechoslovakia
Copyright
1950
Production Year
1950
Production specifications
the first film copy approved 12/1950
date of censorship 24 January 1951 (konec povolení k promítání 24. 1. 1956)
withdrawal from distribution 12 July 1961
Premiere
premiere 28 September 1951 /suitable for youths/ (kina Blaník /3 týdny/, Moskva /4 týdny/, Dukla /1 týden od 19. 10./ a Odboj /1 týden od 19. 10./, Praha)
Production
Copyright Holders
Studio
Distribution
Creative Group
I. tvůrčí kolektiv Otakara Vávry, Otakar Vávra (vedoucí I. tvůrčího kolektivu)
Technical info
Duration typology
feature film
Duration in minutes
123 min
Original length in metres
3 493 meters
Distribution carrier
16mm, 35mm
Aspect ratio
1:1,37
Colour
black & white
Sound
sound
Sound system/format
mono
Versions
Czech
Dialogue languages
Czech, German, French
Subtitles languages
without subtitles
Opening/End credits languages
Czech
Awards
Vítěz
Festival: 6. mezinárodní filmový festival Karlovy Vary
1951
Karlovy Vary / Czechoslovakia
