The Ninth Heart
Country
CzechoslovakiaCopyright
1978Production year
1977—1978Premiere
13 April 1979Runtime
89 minDirector
Juraj HerzCategory
filmGenre
fairytaleTypology
featuretheatrical distributionlongOriginal title
Deváté srdceCzech title
Deváté srdceEnglish title
The Ninth HeartWorking title
Černý rytíř [literární scénář]Summary
Among the jewels of the rich store of Czechoslovak fairy tale motion pictures are two stylish undertakings from director Juraj Herz marked by a fondness for classic horror stories: Panna a netvor (The Virgin and the Monster) and Deváté srdce (The Ninth Heart) both from 1978. The two films, with cinematography from cameraman Jiří Macháně and music from composer Petr Hapka, shared a budget and partially drew on the same scenery Vladimír Labský created the sets at Barrandov film studio; in the same year they were also used in the shooting of two other films, namely Tajemství Ocelového města (The Secret of the Steel Town, 1978) and Kočičí princ (Cat Prince, 1978). The story, very much cohering around the sensation of horror, relates the tale of a wandering student who must watch over a beautiful princess who is under the spell of an evil sorcerer longing for eternal life. This is a visually captivating picture that attracts us with its close atmosphere as well as fine performances from Ondřej Pavelka and Julie Jurištová. Juraj Kukura proved a success in the role of elegant wizard Aldobrandini.
Synopsis
An errant student called Martin meets a group of strolling puppeteers and is smitten by the pretty Tončka. At the pub, Martin offers drinks and food for Tončka and other actors from the troupe. Here he learns about the king's troubles with Princess Adriena who spends her days daydreaming and always vanishes without trace at night. Martin has no money to pay the pub bill and is locked up at the castle prison, even though the old man at the pub has given him a magical cloak: whoever wears it becomes invisible. To spare himself from punishment, Martin signs up as the Princess's ninth rescuer. At the castle, the old court jester helps Martin and reveals to him the true cause of Adriena's suffering. The court astrologer Count Aldobrandini is hypnotising the girl in order to achieve power over the whole country. At the astrologer's castle, Martin finds out much more. He overhears what the count tells the Princess after she has awoken from the hypnotic sleep: he has been keeping himself alive for three hundred years thanks to an elixir made out of the hearts of nine people. And Martin's is the ninth heart. The valiant Martin is unafraid. He manages to escape from the count and take the girl with him, finds his way out of the terrifying chamber of time, revives the eight youths and with the help of a pomegranate on a golden chain, a gift from Tončka, they all return to town. Martin is supposed to become the Princess's husband, but the Princess likes the new astrologer better and Martin hurries to his Tončka.
Note
The film was budgeted together with the picture The Virgin and the Monster, and the two films also shared sets. In the studio No. 6 in the Barrandov Studios, architect Labský created a multi-functional set that was further adapted and used for the filming of The Virgin and the Monster, Mystery of the Iron City and Cat Prince.
Film online
Photos
Cast
Ondřej Pavelka
student Martin
Anna Maľová
Voice by Lenka Kořínková
loutkářka Tončka
Julie Jurištová
princezna Adriena
Josef Kemr
principál, otec Tončky
Juraj Kukura
hrabě Aldobrandini, dvorní astrolog
František Filipovský
šašek
Přemysl Kočí
velkovévoda
Růžena Rudnická
Voice by Bohumila Dolejšová
velkovévodkyně
Lubomír Černík
policejní rada
Josef Somr
hejtman gardové stráže
Jan Přeučil
převozník
Augustin Kubán
převozník
Zdeněk Černý
Jozífek
Václav Lohniský
hostinský
Vladimír Jedenáctík
kolovrátkář
Juraj Herz
hrabě Merlini, nový astrolog
Zeno Dostál
postilion
Miro Grisa
cizí princ
Jaroslava Zelenková
loutkářka
Miroslav Vomela
loutkář
Jan Buršík
mládenec
Pavel Calda
mládenec
Miroslav Hába
mládenec
Petr Herold
mládenec
Vít Hořejš
mládenec
Jiří Pařízek
mládenec
Pavel Toman
mládenec
Petr Wurm
mládenec
Marcela Černačová
tanečnice
Anna Červinková
tanečnice
Alena Dostalíková
tanečnice
Eva Gabajová
tanečnice
Monika Horanová
tanečnice
Jarmila Jarošová
tanečnice
Věra Kramešová
tanečnice
Monika Lichtágová
tanečnice
Stanislava Martínková
tanečnice
Eva Mikovcová
tanečnice
Dagmar Mikulová
tanečnice
Jaroslava Mládková
tanečnice
Elena Nagyová
tanečnice
Eliška Novotná
tanečnice
Jana Ressnerová
tanečnice
Krista Šorsáková
tanečnice
Vlasta Vindušková
tanečnice
Blažena Vrzalová
tanečnice
Dagmar Weinlichová
tanečnice
Blanka Žehová
tanečnice
Vítězslav Bouchner
tanečník
Miloslav Horáček
tanečník
Jiří Chládek
tanečník
Antonín Klepáč
tanečník
Josef Kotěšovský
tanečník
Zdeněk Kozlík
tanečník
Jan Kuchař
tanečník
Jiří Melichar
tanečník
Petr Novák (2)
tanečník
František Pokorný
tanečník
Jiří Slezáček
tanečník
Jiří Staněk
tanečník
Oldřich Stodola
tanečník
Walter Syrový
tanečník
František Szepessy
tanečník
Zdeněk Tomeš
tanečník
Jiří Vrzal
tanečník
Miroslav Walter
tanečník
Petr Zenkl
tanečník
Zdeněk Dušek
bubeník
Lubomír Bryg
kuchař
Miroslav Svoboda
šlechtic
Václav Vodák
starý dvořan
Richard Záhorský
starý dvořan
Petr Hapka
dvořan
Marta Kadlečíková
dvořanka
Vratislav Hlavatý
dvořan
M. Jandová
dvořanka
Jan Cmíral
lokaj
Karel Effa
lokaj
Zdeněk Novotný (2)
žonglér
Zdeněk Srstka
zápasník
Eliška Janečková
mladá komediantka
Vilém Janeček
mladý komediant
Dana Novotná
provazochodkyně
Dominik Jung
artista
Karla Jungová
artistka
Miroslav Buberle
podomek
Blažena Kramešová
služebná
Markéta Světlíková
děvečka
Jiřina Koucká
komorná
Jana Lewittová
komorná
Marta Richterová
komorná
Ronald Heller
muž s koněm
Vít Pešina
jídlonosič
Kamal El Rasheed
černoch
Awad El Seed
černoch
Musa Ahmed Mansour
černoch
William M. Ncube
černoch
Victoria Anyetei
černoška
Shania Birtukan
černoška
Faith Munemo
černoška
Suzanna Nabarewch
černoška
Nharebath Nancaia
černoška
Fatima Omar
černoška
Christine Catherine Sey
černoška
Vítězslav Černý
strážný
Petr Drozda
strážný
Petr Fürst
strážný
Josef Hrubý
strážný
Jiří Klenot
strážný
Jindřich Sejk
strážný
J. Simandl
strážný
Václav Štekl
strážný
Stanislav Veselý
strážný
Josef Brázda
hudebník-hráč na loutnu
Ladislav Engler
hudebník
Ivo Laniar
hudebník
Ondřej Lewitt
hudebník-houslista
Václav Slivanský
hudebník-flétnista
Oldřich Smola
hudebník
Josef Šaroun
hudebník
Jan Žižka
hudebník
Michal Křička
hudebník
Boh. Matolín
hudebník
Josef Riedelbauch
hudebník
J. Šidla
hudebník
skupina Gobaro
šermíři
členové souboru Varieté Jung
komedianti
Crew and creators
Director
Second Unit Director
Assistant Director
Kateřina Lukášová
Continuity
Screenstory
Screenplay
Josef Hanzlík, Juraj Herz (spolupráce na scénáři)
Shooting Script
Dramaturg
Director of Photography
Second Unit Photography
Camera Operator
Production Designer
Assistent Production Designer
Art Director
Set Designer
Josef Pavlík, Ladislav Rada, Miroslav Buberle, Karel Karas, Jaroslav Lehman
Costume Designer
Costumes
Helena Vondrušková (vedoucí kostymérka), Aša Teršová (vedoucí kostymérka), Zdeňka Čochnařová, Lubomír Votoček
Make-Up Artist
Jiří Hurych, Jiřina Bissingerová, Tomáš Kuchta, Jarmila Sommerová
Film Editor
Assistant Film Editor
Sound Designer
Special Effects
Titles Designed by
Production Manager
Unit Production Manager
Petra Havlínová, Petr Prejda, Věra Lukášová
Unit Production Manager
Jiřina Vaňková
Cooperation
Eliška Moulisová (klapka), Oldřich Křesina (vrchní osvětlovač), Karel Ješátko (fotograf), Jaroslav Engelhart
Music
Music Composed by
Music Performed by
FISYO (Music Conducted by František Belfín), Petr Hapka
Choreographer
Songs
Bláznivá chásko
Song Composer Petr Hapka
Singer Vladimír Jedenáctíksbor
Production info
Original Title
Deváté srdce
Czech Title
Deváté srdce
English Title
The Ninth Heart
Working Title
Černý rytíř [literární scénář]
Category
film
Typology
featuretheatrical distribution
Genre
fairytale
Origin country
Czechoslovakia
Copyright
1978
Production Year
1977—1978
Production specifications
literary Screenplay approved 31 March 1976
start of filming 2 May 1977
technical Screenplay approved 5 July 1977
end of filming 12 July 1978
projection approval 24 July 1978
withdrawal from distribution 31 December 1987
Premiere
premiere 13 April 1979 /suitable for youths/
renewed premiere 31 October 2024 /suitable for all ages without limit/
Production
Copyright Holders
Studio
Laboratories
Distribution
Ústřední půjčovna filmů (původní 1979), Národní filmový archiv (obnovená 2024)
Creative Group
Dramaturgická skupina Oty Hofmana, Ota Hofman (vedoucí dramaturgické skupiny)
Technical info
Duration typology
feature film
Duration in minutes
89 min
Original length in metres
2 472 meters
Distribution carrier
16mm, 35mm, DCP 2-D, MP4
Aspect ratio
1:1,66
Colour
colour
Sound
sound
Sound system/format
mono
Versions
Czech
Dialogue languages
Czech
Subtitles languages
without subtitles
Opening/End credits languages
Czech
Awards
Vítěz
Exhibition: 1. mezinárodní přehlídka fantastických a sci-fi filmů Madrid
1980
Madrid / Spain
