The Dog-heads

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1954

Production year

1953—1954

Premiere

25 March 1955

Runtime

94 min

Director

Martin Frič

Category

film

Genre

drama, historical

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Psohlavci

Czech title

Psohlavci

English title

The Dog-heads

Synopsis

The Šumava Mountains borders had always been guarded by the Chods who, in return, gained their freedom. They were answerable directly to the king. After the battle of the White Mountain, however, they are sold to the imperial councillor Lamingen, known as Lomikar, who refuses to recognize their rights and sends them into compulsory labour. The Chods rebel, relying on the parchment documents which had guaranteed their freedom in the past. After the battle for the hundred-year-old linden tree Lomikar seizes the parchments and burns them. Two of the most important documents, however, had previously been hidden by the mother of Jan Sladký, known as Kozina. A Chod delegation travels to Vienna with them to seek justice. When they are unsuccessful they turn to the Prague court of appeal. Their words are not heard even in Prague, and Kozina, Čtverák and Hrubý are even imprisoned. The others are forced to sign an oath of allegiance to Lomikar. Matěj Příbek organizes a rebellion in the Chod region, however, the Chods are defeated after the magistrate Syka betrays them. Their village is burned down and the Chods imprisoned in Prague are condemned to death. The execution is carried out on the 27th of November 1695. Before he dies Kozina challenges Lomikar to face the judgement of God – to the year and to the day. Exactly a year later Lomikar attends a feast and mocks Kozina's curse; during a toast, however, he collapses and dies.

Note

Wolf Maxmilian Lamingen of Albenreuth (+2. 11. 1696) – in the historical novel by Alois Jirásek The Dog Heads (nickname for the Chod people settled in the Bohemian southwestern frontier; they had a dog-head in coat of arms) presented as Laminger, popularly known as Lomikar – was a Bavarian nobleman who came from a family to which Chod villages were granted in the years 1621 and 1630. On the basis of a decree the Chod people, until this time free men, were declared serfs in 1668.

Cast

Vladimír Ráž

Jan Sladký zvaný Kozina

Jana Dítětová

Hančí, Kozinova žena

František Kovářík

rychtář Kryštof Hrubý z Draženova

Jarmila Kurandová

Kozinova matka, Kryštofova sestra

Zdeněk Štěpánek

Kozinův děd

Ladislav Pešek

dudák Jiskra Řehůřek

Jiřina Steimarová

Dorla, Jiskrova žena

Jaroslav Průcha

Matěj Příbek

František Smolík

starý Příbek, Matějův otec

Jana Štěpánková

Manka, Matějova dcera

Bohumil Švarc

Pavel Šerlovský, Mančin ženich

Jiří Dohnal

rychtář Adam Ecl zvaný Čtverák

Radovan Lukavský

rychtář Syka

Jaroslav Vojta

Pajdár z Pocínovic

Miloš Nedbal

Wolf Maxmilian Lamingen z Albenreuthu zvaný Lomikar

Marie Brožová

Lomikarova žena

Marta Fričová

Barbora, Lomikarova dcera

Věra Váchová

Marie, Lomikarova dcera

Miloš Kopecký

správce Koš

Oldřich Lukeš

trachtýř Just

Bedřich Vrbský

hrabě Šternberk

Jan Werich

rychtář z Pocínovic

Otto Čermák

rychtář z Postřekova

Josef Gruss

hrabě z Vrtby

Ladislav Boháč

prokurátor JUDr. Strauss

Felix le Breux

plukovník Stambach

Josef Beyvl

přísedící Paroubek

Miroslav Svoboda

úředník s listinou

Karel Pavlík

Psůtka z Postřekova

Lubomír Lipský

úředník čtoucí rozsudek

Bedřich Bozděch

Josef Němec z Medákova

František Holar

Lomikarův voják

Vlastimil Brodský

sekretář u soudu

Miroslav Ježek

dítě

Josef Bartůněk

císařský úředník

Otto Tutter

šlechtic

Alexej Solmar

prokurátor

Erik Zámiš

soudní úředník

Stanislav Langer

říšský dvorní rada Wolf Vilém Lamingen z Albenreuthu, Lamingenův otec

Mirko Čech

domažlický konšel

Antonín Dvořák (2)

přísedící

Jana Zahradníčková

tříletá Hanálka

T. Jaroš

Commentary

Crew and creators

Director

Martin Frič

Based on

Alois Jirásek (Psohlavci – román)

Shooting Script

Martin Frič

Director of Photography

Jan Stallich

Production Designer

Bohuslav Kulič

Assistent Production Designer

Juraj Červík

Set Designer

Josef Pavlík

Costume Designer

J. M. Gottlieb

Make-Up Artist

Gustav Hrdlička

Film Editor

Jan Kohout

Sound Designer

Josef Zora

Production Manager

Ladislav Terš

Unit Production Manager

Jaroslav Vlk

Consultant

PhDr. Jaroslav Kramařík, mjr. Jan Pulkrábek (vojenství), J. M. Gottlieb

Music

Music Composed by

E. F. Burian, Vlastimil Pinkas (instrumentace)

Music Performed by

FISYO (Music Conducted by Milivoj Uzelac)

Choreographer

Oldřich Stodola, Zora Šemberová

Songs

Hajej, dítě, kolíbám tě

Singer Jana Dítětová

Ktož jsú boží bojovníci

Production info

Original Title

Psohlavci

Czech Title

Psohlavci

English Title

The Dog-heads

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

drama, historical

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1954

Production Year

1953—1954

Production specifications

start of filming 1 October 1953
the first film copy approved 30 December 1954
projection approval 03/1955
withdrawal from distribution 1 November 1993

Premiere

premiere 25 March 1955 /suitable for youths/ (kina Alfa /7 týdnů/, Aero /1 týden/, Oko /1 týden od 1. 4./, Revoluce /1 týden od 8. 4./, Kyjev /1 týden od 15. 4./, Bystrica /1 týden od 22. 4./, Arbes /1 týden od 29. 4./ a Mír /1 týden od 6. 5./, Praha)

Copyright Holders

Národní filmový archiv

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

94 min

Original length in metres

2 674 meters

Distribution carrier

16mm, 35mm

Aspect ratio

1:1,37

Colour

colour

Sound

sound

Sound system/format

mono

Versions

Czech

Dialogue languages

Czech

Subtitles languages

without subtitles

Opening/End credits languages

Czech