Pleasures of the Father of His Country

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1969

Production year

1968—1969

Premiere

8 July 1969

Runtime

100 min

Category

film

Genre

historical, comedy

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Slasti Otce vlasti

Czech title

Slasti Otce vlasti

English title

Pleasures of the Father of His Country

Working title

Králova učňovská léta aneb Malá škola dějepisu

Summary

Jaromír Hanzlík and Daniela Kolářová performed in not just one but two films inspired by the life of Emperor Charles IV: the romantic comedy Slasti Otce vlasti (Pleasures of the Father of His Country, 1969) and Noc na Karlštejně (Night at Karlštejn, 1973). However, in the latter film, a musical directed by Zdeněk Podskalský, they played only supporting roles while Vlastimil Brodský took on the part of the Father of the Nation. In Pleasures of the Father of His Country, directed by Karel Steklý to a script by Jan Procházka, the duo of Hanzlík and Kolářová play the central couple: young Prince Wenceslaus (later Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV) and his fiancée Blanche de Valois. The heir apparent undergoes a dramatic personal development from naïve love-struck youth to responsible man of action capable of raising the indebted Bohemian kingdom to new glories and of standing up to his authoritarian father, John of Luxembourg (John the Blind). The part of John went to Miloš Kopecký who also starred in another historical drama created by the Procházka-Steklý partnership; Svatby pana Voka (Weddings of Petr Vok of Rožmberk, 1970).

Synopsis

The young Prince Charles, the future Father of his Country Charles IV, is being educated at the French court in the company of his fiancée Blanche. One day he receives a summons from his father John of Luxembourg in Italy. He leaves for Italy accompanied by a deputation from Bohemia led by Bušek of Velhartice. On the way the prince's company fights a battle with armed Milanese against heavy odds. Thanks to Charles's perspicacity, or perhaps the intercession of St. Catherine, the prince's almost naked soldiers win through. In Lucca in Italy Charles joins his father, and here he experiences an amorous adventure and escapes from the traps laid by the Italian rebels. Later the king marries him to Blanche and sends him to Bohemia with the title and powers of a margrave. The situation in Bohemia is not easy for the young couple. The country is burdened by debts and the royal property pawned to the Czech lords. The young Charles energetically sets about remedying the situation. He has to face various devious tricks, but in the end his efforts bear fruit. He is taken aback, however, when his father unexpectedly returns to Bohemia and has his son imprisoned. Charles manages to escape to Italy, where he wages war for two years. When after a long period of separation Blanche arrives with a deputation from Bohemia, he decides to return home. He tackles the perfidious nobles and forces his father to leave the kingdom. He then reigns for a time with his beloved Blanche, although he is to have three more wives.

Film online

Cast

Jaromír Hanzlík

kralevic Karel

Daniela Kolářová

Blanka z Valois

Miloš Kopecký

král Jan Lucemburský

Oldřich Velen

Bušek z Velhartic

Zdeněk Kryzánek

prelát-učitel

Lubomír Kostelka

Pistorius, vyslanec města Luccy

Milena Zahrynowská

Sofie, Pistoriova žena

Vladimír Menšík

Marsillio Rossi

Jana Kasanová

Dina, Marsilliova žena

Josef Gruss

Azzo Visconti, velitel milánských

Jiří Štěpnička

pobočník Enrico

Josef Elsner

pán z Potštejna

Karel Beníško

biskup Jan z Dražic

Jaroslav Cmíral

pán z Rabštejna

Jan Schánilec

mág mistr Hilarius

Jan Pohan

pán z Lipé

Miloš Vavruška

královský lovčí

Bohumil Švarc

herold v Lucce

Nina Popelíková

Karlova teta

Karel Gott

trubadúr

Bohuslav Čáp

muž s vosím hnízdem

Vlastimil Bedrna

zmrzlinář

Kamil Blahovec

venkovan/oráč

Ludmila Engelová

služebná

Vladimír Hrabánek

zraněný strážný

Karel Hábl

posel z Vellaie

František Hruška

muž v chrámu

Stanislav Juna

muž v chrámu

Blažena Kramešová

venkovanka v hermelínu

Petr Jákl

judista

Jan Kouba

prelát

Jan Přeučil

posel z Verony

Zdeněk Kutil

mistr šermu

Jiří Lír

krejčí

Josef Kotapiš

strážný

Mirko Musil

spiklenec

Jiřina Součková

paštikářka

Antonín Soukup

žebravý mnich

Jiří Hein

pomocník

Miloš Nesvadba

tancmajstr

František Svačina

trpaslík-ochutnávač

Marie Štrampachová

žena v chrámu

Richard Záhorský

ceremoniář

Rudolf Kalina

odbojný pán

Jindra Ovčárová

vnadná pradlena

J. Jurenko

kulturista

J. Jiroušek

dvořan

J. Málek

svalnatec

E. Vašíčková

Agnes

Jaroslav Šebek

stařec

M. Romlerová

abatyše

V. Prokšová

Italka

J. Bartoš

ozbrojenec

Z. Böhm

ozbrojenec

Michal Dohányos

ozbrojenec

A. Holík

ozbrojenec

František Horek

ozbrojenec

V. Chmelař

ozbrojenec

Miroslav Janda

ozbrojenec

V. Janovský

ozbrojenec

I. Kocner

ozbrojenec

J. Kubík

ozbrojenec

Jaromír Laštovka

ozbrojenec

J. Merkner

ozbrojenec

M. Nachtigal

ozbrojenec

V. Slapnička

ozbrojenec

Jaroslav Sus

ozbrojenec

J. Špíšek

ozbrojenec

A. Štaffa

ozbrojenec

J. Štěpán

ozbrojenec

Zdeněk Vondruška

ozbrojenec

V. Zoul

ozbrojenec

Magdalena Čechová

balet

Eva Zakouřilová

balet

Jana Homolová

balet

P. Marek

balet

M. Pecholt

balet

Eva Polášková

balet

J. Prokeš

balet

Pavel Ruta

balet

T. Štúr

balet

K. Volková

balet

Bohumila Čepová

balet

Karel Anderle

šermíř

Zdeněk Houška

šermíř

Ivan Chrz

šermíř

Petr Lebeda

šermíř

Miloslav Průša

šermíř

František Plecháček

šermíř

J. Plecháčková

šermířka

J. Schuster

šermíř

Robert Ritschel

šermíř

Petr Vinař

šermíř

Jaroslav Voigst

šermíř

M. Zembala

sluha

K. Jerhot

dubl za Jaromíra Hanzlíka

Crew and creators

Second Unit Director

Jaroslav Pour

Assistant Director

Zdeněk Maršálek

Based on

František Kubka (Karlštejnské vigilie – kniha)

Shooting Script

Karel Steklý

Director of Photography

Jiří Tarantík

Second Unit Photography

Jan Kváča

Camera Operator

Vladimír Smutný

Production Designer

Přemek Longa

Assistent Production Designer

Věra Líznerová

Art Director

Milan Kubík

Set Designer

Rudolf Beneš, Václav Kozel, Vladimír Mácha

Costume Designer

Jan Kropáček

Film Editor

Jan Kohout

Assistant Film Editor

Jarmila Müllerová

Sound Designer

Jiří Hora

Production Manager

Ladislav Kalaš

Unit Production Manager

Jaroslav Vágner, Adolf Široký

Unit Production Manager

Alena Řepová

Consultant

Jiří Spěváček

Cooperation

J. Jindrová (klapka), Miroslav Pešan (fotograf)

Music

Music Composed by

Jaromír Klempíř

Music Performed by

FISYO (Music Conducted by Štěpán Koníček)

Songs

Země nám révu dává

Song Composer Jaromír Klempíř
Writer of Lyrics Pavel Kopta
Singer sbor

Srdce trubadúra

Song Composer Jaromír Klempíř
Writer of Lyrics Jiří Štaidl
Singer Karel Gott

Production info

Original Title

Slasti Otce vlasti

Czech Title

Slasti Otce vlasti

English Title

Pleasures of the Father of His Country

Working Title

Králova učňovská léta aneb Malá škola dějepisu

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

historical, comedy

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1969

Production Year

1968—1969

Production specifications

literary Screenplay approved 22 November 1967
technical Screenplay approved 2 May 1968
start of filming 14 August 1968
end of filming 8 April 1969
the first film copy approved 15 May 1969
projection approval 22 May 1969
withdrawal from distribution 31 December 1989

Premiere

festival premiere 13 June 1969 (20. filmový festival pracujících – léto ´69)
premiere 8 July 1969 /suitable for youths/ (celostátní)
premiere 14 August 1969 /suitable for youths/ (kino Blaník /4½ týdne/, Praha)

Creative Group

Tvůrčí skupina Švabík – Procházka, Jan Procházka (vedoucí dramaturg tvůrčí skupiny), Erich Švabík (vedoucí výroby tvůrčí skupiny)

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

100 min

Original length in metres

2 834 meters

Distribution carrier

16mm, 35mm

Aspect ratio

1:1,85, 1:2,35

Colour

black & white

Sound

sound

Sound system/format

mono

Versions

Czech

Dialogue languages

Czech

Subtitles languages

without subtitles

Opening/End credits languages

Czech