The Cross at the Stream

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1921

Production year

1921

Premiere

30 December 1921

Runtime

36 min

Category

film

Genre

drama

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionmedium

Original title

Kříž u potoka

Czech title

Kříž u potoka

English title

The Cross at the Stream

Synopsis

The cross at the stream is a tragic place for the Potocký family. Beneath it, Joza, disappointed in her love for Mikeš Potocký and married against her will to his brother Franík, plunges a knife into her heart and lays a curse on the name Potocký. Under the cross at the stream many years later, a fratricide takes place when two rival brothers fight for the love of one woman. However, the cross is also the place where Štěpán meets Eva, the foster daughter of Dolanský the miller. She falls in love with Štěpán and sets her heart on breaking the curse laid by the great grandmother of the family. She succeeds in doing so thanks to the strength and devotion of her love which overcomes her husband's estrangement, his infidelities and brutality. Štěpán understands her at the moment of her greatest humiliation as Eva asks Štěpán's lover Mařička, to give back her husband. After witnessing this scene Štepán returns home to Eva. Everything is going well for him again, and eventually he stands for election as mayor. However, the vindictive schemes of his former mistress result in a fight before the election in which Štěpán's brother Ambrož is killed while defending Štěpán with his own body. Thus with the second stabbing the family atones for the first and the curse is lifted.

Cast

Přemysl Pražský

Mikeš Potocký

Rudolf Myzet

Mikešův bratr Franík

Karel Noll

robotník Kobosil

Kamila Maroldová

Kobosilova dcera Józa

Emil Focht

mlynář Dolanský

Nataša Cyganková

mlynářovic schovanka Evička

Theodor Pištěk

Ambrož Potocký

Hugo Svoboda

Štěpán Potocký

František Beranský

soused Hovorka

Alois Sedláček

nejstarší radní

Arnošta Záhoříková

služka u Kobosilů

Bronislava Livia

Mařička Holých, Štěpánova milenka

Josef Šváb-Malostranský

bohatý sedlák, rychtář

Jan S. Kolár

mladší bratr Potockého

Máša Kolárová

nevěsta Mikeše Potockého

Josef Volman

karbaník

Rudolf Stahl

selský synek

Crew and creators

Based on

Karolina Světlá (Kříž u potoka – román)

Screenplay

Jan S. Kolár

Director of Photography

Otto Heller

Production Designer

Bohuslav Šula

Production info

Original Title

Kříž u potoka

Czech Title

Kříž u potoka

English Title

The Cross at the Stream

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

drama

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1921

Production Year

1921

Production specifications

date of censorship 28 December 1921

Premiere

premiere 30 December 1921 /unsuitable for youths/ (kino Lucerna, Praha)

Production

AB

Copyright Holders

Národní filmový archiv

Distribution

American

Technical info

Duration typology

medium length film

Duration in minutes

36 min

Distribution carrier

35mm

Aspect ratio

1:1,33

Colour

black & white

Sound

silent

Versions

Czech

Dialogue languages

without dialogue

Subtitles languages

without subtitles

Intertitles languages

Czech

Opening/End credits languages

Czech