One Night at Karlštejn Castle

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1919

Production year

1919

Premiere

2 January 1920

Runtime

45 min

Category

film

Genre

comedy

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionmedium

Original title

Noc na Karlštejně

Czech title

Noc na Karlštejně

English title

One Night at Karlštejn Castle

Summary

Olaf Larus-Racek's film made in 1919 stands out for its surreal dreamlike narrative, time jumps and mixing fantasy and historical elements. In Noc na Karlštejně, the most important role is played by the work with subjective narrative, which is achieved through many formal and optical effects. Despite the filmmaker's slight uncertainty, which he uses to create some comic situations, it is a remarkable film, forming the base of the Czechoslovak genre tradition.

Synopsis

Lovers, Jaroslav and Růženka escort Růženka's mother to Karlštejn Castle. In vain do they try to escape from her mother, until finally Jaroslav buys the last tickets for a sight-seeing tour of the castle. However, by the time Mother reaches the castle it is closed and the tour is already in progress. Jaroslav and Růženka get left behind on the tour and are forced to spend the night in the castle. They dream that they find themselves in the fourteenth century and are locked in the castle dungeon. When Petr Cyperský discovers that a woman has spent the night in the castle he brings the lovers before King Charles IV. The King decides, that for the sake of appearances they must be punished and then he allows them to go free. On their escape, however, Petr Cyperský catches up with them and takes them back to his house. They become his slaves. Jaroslav works in the fields, Růženka becomes part of the harem. When they both stand firmly against his orders, Petr ties them together, puts them in a sack and throws them in to the river. The lovers wake up from the terrible dream fearing that the worst is yet to come when they face mother. In a year they return to Karlštejn again. They are now married and have a small baby.

Cast

Berta Šíblová-Zuzáková

Růženka, Jaroslavova milá

Málka Tuháčková

matka Růženky/kat/otrokyně

Václav Plavec

profesor/písař/eunuch

Olga Illiková

stará panna

Rudolf Budil

císař římský a král český Karel IV.

Petr Roch

arcibiskup pražský Arnošt z Pardubic

Henry Patsch

král Petr Cyperský

Olaf Larus-Racek

purkrabí Ješek z Wartenberka

Crew and creators

Screenstory

Emil Vachek

Based on

Jaroslav Vrchlický (Noc na Karlštejně – divadelní hra)

Screenplay

Emil Vachek

Director of Photography

Oldřich Ochtábec

Production Designer

František Josef Leopold

Production info

Original Title

Noc na Karlštejně

Czech Title

Noc na Karlštejně

English Title

One Night at Karlštejn Castle

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

comedy

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1919

Production Year

1919

Premiere

premiere 2 January 1920 /unsuitable for youths/ (kino Světozor, Praha)

Production

Pragafilm

Copyright Holders

Národní filmový archiv

Distribution

Kinema

Technical info

Duration typology

medium length film

Duration in minutes

45 min

Distribution carrier

35mm

Aspect ratio

1:1,33

Colour

tinting, black & white

Sound

silent

Versions

Czech

Dialogue languages

without dialogue

Subtitles languages

without subtitles

Intertitles languages

Czech

Opening/End credits languages

Czech