The Smiling Country
Country
CzechoslovakiaCopyright
1952Production year
1951—1952Premiere
6 June 1952Runtime
94 minDirector
Václav GajerCategory
filmGenre
dramaTypology
featuretheatrical distributionlongOriginal title
Usměvavá zemCzech title
Usměvavá zemEnglish title
The Smiling CountrySynopsis
The farming cooperative in Darmochleby needs a new accountant. Its sponsor, South Bohemian Car Factory, sends their volunteer worker Benda over. The young man accepts the function if only because his girl, Božka Kratochvílová, lives in neighbouring Rousov. Benda unknowingly provokes the jealousy of Drvota, Darmochleby agronomist who is in love with the local teacher Ročková but is too shy to show his feelings. While the Darmochleby cooperative is prospering, farmers in Rousov are toiling just like in the old times. The local money-man, pub-owner Sahula, is the arch-enemy of the idea of forming a cooperative there, instigating trouble by offering help with work in the fields to his fellow-farmers. Each time anyone borrows his span, though, they have to pay it off many times over by working for him. Only after the Rousov people visit the prospering Darmochleby cooperative are their eyes opened. The misunderstanding between Benda and Drvota is settled. Rousov forms a cooperative and Sahula is arrested after getting caught trying to infect cooperative pigs with polio. Hence the last obstacle standing in the way of the flourishing of both cooperatives is removed.
Note
The preview of the film took place on May 16th, 1952 in Volyň. For security reasons (danger of fire from the lighing equipment), an unorthodox solution was chosen during the shooting of the film. Models of cowsheds and an old pigsty were built right inside the atelier and hundreds of cattle were brought in. The milk cows adjusted quickly and after two days the level of milk reached the normal amount of 30 and more litres of milk, which was processed right away in an installed dairy. The film makers had good experiences also with the fatlings and sows, in whom they discovered obedient and willing actors who only asked for one fee – bigger fattening fations. (The Film Information No. 7/1952)
Photos
Cast
Otomar Korbelář
předseda JZD Mates Podlešák
Josef Mixa
agronom Václav Drvota
Miroslava Langová
učitelka a jednatelka JZD Vlasta Ročková
Jaromír Spal
účetní Cyril Benda
Zdeňka Baldová
klepavá babka Fejfarová
Jarmila Kurandová
družstevnice Holubová
Ota Motyčka
pekař Bruml, účetní družstva
Vladimír Řepa
krmič vepřů František Skácel
Josef Beyvl
sedlák a hostinský Bedřich Sahula
Hynek Němec
střední rolník Kratochvíl
Lola Skrbková
Kratochvílova žena Anna
Eva Jiroušková
Božka, dcera Kratochvílových
Stanislav Neumann
Kratochvílův tchán Mates Beránek
Rudolf Deyl ml.
posluha Hranička
Oldřich Lukeš
dílenský mistr Suchomel, patronátní referent JZD
Marie Nademlejnská
drůbežnice Marie, Skácelova žena
Marie Rintová
rolnice Šimáňová
Emil Bolek
družstevník
Eman Fiala
chalupník Kasal
Josef Příhoda
střední rolník Říha
Magda Kopřivová
krmička vepřů Zelenková
Vladimír Bejval
Toník, syn Kratochvílových
Ladislav Ulman
Jeník Podlešák
František Holar
skupinář JZD Kučera
Ferdinand Jarkovský
chalupník Šimáně
Anna Kadeřábková
dojička Tonička
Dana Ingvortová
Vlastička, dcera Ročkové
Anna Kubalová
matka Ročkové
František Lang
děda
František Miroslav Doubrava
traktorista Karel Mazač
Antonín Ženčák
předseda MNV Rousov
Otto Čermák
střední rolník Kocián
Jaroslav Vondřička
Kociánův synek
Pavel Wuršer
mechanik v továrně Josef Pašek
Věra Kalendová
hostinská Sahulová
Bohumil Machník
družstevník Bohouš
Jiří Kostka
rolník
Josef Štefl
rolník
Oldřich Podlešák
obyvatelé Čepřovic
obyvatelé Nišovic
obyvatelé Volyně
Crew and creators
Director
Assistant Director
Screenstory
Screenplay
Director of Photography
Julius Vegricht (interiéry), Jiří Bronec (exteriéry)
Camera Operator
Bohumil Turek, Stanislav Kautský
Production Designer
Set Designer
Costumes
Make-Up Artist
Film Editor
Sound Designer
Production Manager
Unit Production Manager
Cooperation
Josef Janoušek (fotograf), Jaroslav Kaiser (fotograf), Jindřich Panáček (fotograf)
Music
Music Composed by
Music Performed by
FISYO (Music Conducted by Milivoj Uzelac)
Songs
Radost
Song Composer Jiří Srnka
Writer of Lyrics Jan Noha
Singer Pěvecký sbor Československého rozhlasu
Ó, hřebíčku zahradnický
Voda široká, tráva zelená
Široký, hluboký, ty vltavský tůně
Production info
Original Title
Usměvavá zem
Czech Title
Usměvavá zem
English Title
The Smiling Country
Category
film
Typology
featuretheatrical distribution
Genre
drama
Origin country
Czechoslovakia
Copyright
1952
Production Year
1951—1952
Production specifications
start of filming 29 October 1951
end of filming 25 January 1952
the first film copy approved 3 May 1952
date of censorship 14 May 1952 (konec povolení k promítání 14. 5. 1957)
withdrawal from distribution 26 April 1961
Premiere
preview 16 May 1952 (Volyň)
gala premiere 5 June 1952 (kino Blaník, Praha)
premiere 6 June 1952 /suitable for youths/ (kina Armádní /2 týdny/ a Blaník /2 týdny/, Praha)
Production
Copyright Holders
Studio
Distribution
Creative Group
Dramaturgická skupina Vladimíra Kabelíka (vývoj scénáře), Vladimír Kabelík (vedoucí dramaturgické skupiny)
Technical info
Duration typology
feature film
Duration in minutes
94 min
Original length in metres
2 685 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
