The Smiling Country

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1952

Production year

1951—1952

Premiere

6 June 1952

Runtime

94 min

Category

film

Genre

drama

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Usměvavá zem

Czech title

Usměvavá zem

English title

The Smiling Country

Synopsis

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)

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

Oldřich Podlešák

obyvatelé Čepřovic

obyvatelé Nišovic

obyvatelé Volyně

Crew and creators

Director of Photography

Julius Vegricht (interiéry), Jiří Bronec (exteriéry)

Camera Operator

Bohumil Turek, Stanislav Kautský

Production Designer

Miroslav Pelc

Set Designer

František Suchý

Make-Up Artist

Karel Suchánek

Production Manager

Ladislav Hanuš, Miloš Mastník

Unit Production Manager

Bohumil Kouba, Hubert Novotný

Cooperation

Josef Janoušek (fotograf), Jaroslav Kaiser (fotograf), Jindřich Panáček (fotograf)

Music

Music Composed by

Jiří Srnka

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

Singer Pěvecký sbor Československého rozhlasu

Voda široká, tráva zelená

Singer Pěvecký sbor Československého rozhlasu

Široký, hluboký, ty vltavský tůně

Singer Pěvecký sbor Československého rozhlasu

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)

Copyright Holders

Národní filmový archiv

Studio

Hostivař

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