Wonder-working Hat,The

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1952

Production year

1951—1952

Premiere

3 July 1953

Runtime

74 min

Category

film

Genre

music, comedy

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Divotvorný klobouk

Czech title

Divotvorný klobouk

English title

Wonder-working Hat,The

Synopsis

Two students, painter Antonín Strnad and musician Tomáš Křepelka, are banned from Prague because they made fun of the burgomaster. They were looking forward to an inheritance, but Tomáš only received an old tricorn hat from the notary, which, according to the deceased relative, brings success when one wears it while working. The two young men take a journey to a far away little town where a distant relative of Tomáš's, shopkeeper Koliáš, lives. They don't suspect that it was indeed him, a well-known miser and penny pincher, who became the main inheritor. Koliáš was also appointed a custodian of the trust money for his niece Bětuška, but he denies her inheritance and even tries to send the girl into a nunnery against her will. Tomáš is convinced about the "magic power" of the inherited head cover. He had it on his head when he was helping at harvesting and when he was cutting wood for Barnabáš, the pub owner, and each time he got food and lodging for free for the night. Tomáš fell in love with the beautiful Bětuška. Strnad got an idea how they could punish the dull Koliáš. He persuades him that there is a certain Spanish man who is dying and selling his magic hat which, when you put it on your head, means you don't have to pay any bills. Koliáš swallows the bait and becomes the source of laughter for all of his fellow citizens. The two students, together with Bětuška, leave for Prague.

Note

The film was branded as formalist and cosmopolitan during the licensing procedure. It was cut substantially before releasing.

Cast

Saša Rašilov

kupec Koliáš

Josef Kemr

malíř Antonín Strnad

Zdeněk Dítě

student Tomáš Křepelka

Alena Kreuzmannová

Bětuška, Koliášova neteř

Theodor Pištěk

hostinský Barnabáš

Rudolf Pellar

písničkář Pohořalský

Jiří Novotný

učedník František

František Kovářík

vysloužilec Václav, krámský pomocník

Jaromír Pleskot

sklepník Zvonek

František Šlégr

špicl Knopp

Otto Rubík

handlíř, zvaný Černokudrnáč

Václav Trégl

hospodský

Eman Fiala

muzikant

Soňa Červená

zpěvačka

Svatopluk Bezděka

flašinetář

Miroslav Svoboda

kočébr Cikánek

Jiří Suk

holič

Josef Najman

trumpetista

Josef Hlinomaz

muzikant Příhoda

Jiřina Bílá

vesnické děvče

Anna Kadeřábková

vesnické děvče

Věra Koktová

mladá žena

Milan Mach

student

Otto Budín

dráteník

Anna Vaňková

manželka Pohořalského, zpěvačka

Eva Trunečková

teta Filoména, dědička

Josefa Pechlátová

babka s nůší

Jiřina Součková

manželka krejčího

Marie Rýdlová

manželka kováře

Milan Linhart

dítě na voze

Jaruška Linhartová

dítě na voze

Dubbing

Crew and creators

Assistant Director

Miroslav Svoboda, Vladimír Zelenka (asistent scény)

Continuity

Eva Mičulková

Based on

Václav Kliment Klicpera (Divotvorný klobouk – divadelní hra)

Screenplay

Alfréd Radok

Director of Photography

Josef Střecha

Second Unit Photography

Jiří Šafář

Camera Operator

Jaromír Holpuch

Production Designer

Josef Svoboda, Jaroslav Krška

Art Director

Květoslav Bubeník (kresby)

Set Designer

František Straka

Costume Designer

J. M. Gottlieb, Erna Veselá

Sound Designer

František Fabián, Josef Zavadil (záznam hudby)

Production Manager

Jiří Bečka

Unit Production Manager

Josef Pitrák

Cooperation

Karel Skoumal (fotograf), Antonín Stránský (fotograf)

Music

Music Composed by

Jiří Sternwald

Music Performed by

FISYO (Music Conducted by Milivoj Uzelac), Orchestr Karla Vlacha (Music Conducted by Karel Vlach)

Choreographer

Bedřich Füsseger

Songs

Slyšte, slyšte tuhle píseň

Song Composer Jiří Sternwald
Writer of Lyrics Jiří Sternwald
Singer Zdeněk DítěSvatopluk Bezděka

Flašinetář

Song Composer Jiří Sternwald
Writer of Lyrics Jiří Sternwald
Singer Svatopluk BezděkaRudolf Cortéssbor

Kolo, kolo mlýnský

Singer dětský sbor

Vandrovnická

Song Composer Jiří Sternwald
Writer of Lyrics Jiří Sternwald
Singer Josef KemrZdeněk Dítě

Kramářská píseň /Přenáramnou novinu všichni uslyšíte/

Song Composer Jiří Sternwald
Writer of Lyrics Jiří Sternwald
Singer Soňa ČervenáRudolf PellarAnna Vaňková [dab]

Tys bratr náš /parafráze/

Writer of Lyrics Karel Havlíček Borovský
Singer Josef KemrZdeněk Dítě

Šepity šept

Song Composer Jiří Sternwald
Writer of Lyrics Jiří Sternwald
Singer Zdeněk Dítě

Pišťalička

Song Composer Jiří Sternwald
Writer of Lyrics Jiří Sternwald
Singer sborJosef KemrZdeněk Dítě

Až my spolu, má panenko

Song Composer Jiří Sternwald
Writer of Lyrics Jiří Sternwald
Singer Zdeněk DítěAlena Kreuzmannová

Kdo jinému jámu kopá

Song Composer Jiří Sternwald
Writer of Lyrics Jiří Sternwald
Singer Rudolf Pellarsbor

Production info

Original Title

Divotvorný klobouk

Czech Title

Divotvorný klobouk

English Title

Wonder-working Hat,The

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

music, comedy

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1952

Production Year

1951—1952

Production specifications

start of filming 3 May 1951
end of filming 19 January 1952
the first film copy approved 3 May 1952
date of censorship 22 April 1953 (konec povolení k promítání 22. 4. 1958)
withdrawal from distribution 30 March 1978
withdrawal from distribution 31 December 1992

Premiere

premiere 3 July 1953 /suitable for youths/ (kina Alfa /3 týdny/, Lucerna /2 týdny/, Kyjev /1 týden/, Oko /1 týden od 17. 7./, Moskva /1 týden od 24. 7./, Arbes /1 týden od 31. 7./, Bystrica /1 týden od 31. 7./, Dukla /1 týden od 7. 3./ a Odboj /1 týden od 7. 3./, Praha)
renewed premiere 1 September 1990 /suitable for youths/

Copyright Holders

Národní filmový archiv

Studio

Hostivař

Creative Group

Dramaturgická skupina Oldřicha Nového (vývoj scénáře), Oldřich Nový (vedoucí dramaturgické skupiny)

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

74 min

Original length in metres

2 104 meters

Distribution carrier

16mm, 35mm

Aspect ratio

1:1,37

Colour

black & white

Sound

sound

Sound system/format

mono

Versions

Czech

Dialogue languages

Czech

Subtitles languages

without subtitles

Opening/End credits languages

Czech

Awards

Vítěz

Event: Umělecké prémie za rok 1951

1952
Praha / Czechoslovakia
Josef Střecha

Vítěz

Event: Umělecké prémie za rok 1951

1952
Praha / Czechoslovakia
Josef Svoboda

Vítěz

Event: Umělecké prémie za rok 1951

1952
Praha / Czechoslovakia
Erna Veselá

Vítěz

Event: Umělecké prémie za rok 1951

1952
Praha / Czechoslovakia
Jaroslav Krška