During the period before the First World War an old circus artiste with his grown-up children Žak, Fricek and Olga are travelling through Bohemia in a caravan drawn by a little horse. The mime show incorporated into their artistic programme is a great success with audiences. The lecherous cattle-dealer Havránek arrives at the fair and his eye is drawn to the pretty Olga, however, Fricek immediately steps in and takes the girl away. Havránek gets his revenge and, during the show, shoots a cherry stone in Fricek's eye. Luckily the artistes are saved from serious injury. Fricek throws himself on Havránek. The comedians, however, are very low down on the social ladder and thus the "respectable citizens" drive them out. The family teams up with the Medrano circus but the owner's daughters are jealous of Olga and the family has to move on once more. After some time the circus' proprietress asks them by letter to return. Žak continues travelling with the circus alone on its trip abroad. Without his presence, however, the family comes to a tragic end. The old man drinks himself to death and the impoverished Olga and Fricek have to sell the horse and caravan. Olga meets Havránek again who still wants her, this time resorting to violence. Fricek stuns him with a stone and is charged with assault and robbery. Žak returns to Bohemia and meets his brother and sister in the courtroom. In his testimony he expresses the hope that the time will come when travelling artistes are judged just like everyone else.
starý komediant, otec Žaka, Fricka a Olgy
komediant Žak
komediant Fricek, Žakův bratr
komediantka Olga, Žakova sestra
majitelka cirkusu Medrano
obchodník s dobytkem Havránek
krasojezdkyně Margit, dcera majitelky cirkusu Medrano
bohatý pan Bohoušek
Bohouškova slečna Žužu
hostinský Pazdera
rychtářka a hostinská Amálka
rychtář a hostinský
Anka, Havránkova dívka
policajt
četník
komisař
tesař
hospodský
host v hospodě
host v hospodě
host v hospodě
muž u poštovní přepážky
policajt
návštěvnice cirkusu Luisa
artista
artista
artista
artista
artistka
Rosamunda, dcera majitelky Medrana
Luciana, dcera majitelky Medrana
artistka
chlapec na pouti
hostinský
žena v obecenstvu
poštovní úředník
poštovní úředník
policajt
divák v hospodě
divák v hospodě
divák v hospodě
listonoš
sedlák
tajný policista
host v hospodě
hostinský
muž v obecenstvu
žena
Jordan Balurov, Libuše Junková
Ivan Olbracht (Bratr Žak – povídka)
Jindřich Panáček (fotograf)
Singer Jaroslav Vojtasbor
Komedianti
Komedianti
Fairground Entertainers
Bratr Žak
film
featuretheatrical distribution
drama
Czechoslovakia
1953
1952—1953
start of filming 20 August 1952
the first film copy approved 30 December 1953
projection approval 25 March 1954
withdrawal from distribution 30 September 1973
premiere 16 April 1954 /suitable for youths/ (kina Sevastopol /5 týdnů/, Armádní /3 týdny/, Lucerna /3 týdny/, Kyjev /1 týden od 23. 4./, Arbes /1 týden od 30. 4./, Bystrica /1 týden od 30. 4./, Aero /1 týden od 7. 5./, Oko /1 týden od 7. 5./, Dukla /1 týden od 14. 5./ a Odboj /1 týden od 14. 5./, Praha)
Dramaturgická skupina Vladimíra Vlčka (vývoj scénáře), Vladimír Vlček (vedoucí dramaturgické skupiny)
feature film
80 min
2 286 meters
16mm, 35mm
1:1,37
colour
sound
mono
Czech
Czech
without subtitles
Czech