Why Aren't You Laughing?

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1922

Production year

1922

Premiere

8 February 1923

Runtime

71 min

Director

Eman Fiala

Category

film

Genre

tragicomedy

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Proč se nesměješ

Czech title

Proč se nesměješ

English title

Why Aren't You Laughing?

Parallel title

Románek zapadlé uličky / Román zapomenutého / Románek zapomenutého

English parallel title

A Story about a Deserted Little Street / A Story of a Forgotten

Synopsis

Young Evicka is pining for home and she leaves the city to go back to her mother in the country. She discovers at the district office, however, that her mother has died. The lonely Evicka then finds work in a toy factory. Drops of blood from Evicka's finger fall onto the little puppet and it comes alive for a moment. Evicka grows fond of the puppet and takes it home with her. The next day the factory porter sees Evicka arrive with the little puppet under her blouse and denounces her as a thief and she is dismissed. She meets the young Pavel for whom she has an affection, but soon their paths separate. The puppet meanwhile is bought by an astute little boy who gives it to his parents. No-one, however, plays with it and it soon ends up on the rubbish heap where it is found by a dustbin man. He, in turn, gives it to the poor grandson of an old basket-weaver but the little boy soon dies. Evicka moves back to the city and again comes across the puppet. A companion of Pavel's shows an interest in Evicka but Pavel eventually returns and takes Evicka away with him. The unhappy companion remains alone with the puppet. (According to a film description of the time.)

Note

The first attempt at the puppet animation with live actors (the work of Ferdinand Fiala). Under the name Románek zapadlé uličky / A Story about a Desert Little Street, it was presented on the 14th of September 1923 in its adapted version. According to same materials, in 1926 the film was submitted to censors under the title Příběh zapomenutého / Story of the Forgotten. Working shots are included in the film How films were made in our country (compiled by Bohumil Veselý, 1954). Only part of film has survived.

Cast

Jindřich Fiala

oživlá loutka

Karel Fiala

košíkář

Dolly Dvořanová-Pospíšilová

Evička

Betty Kysilková

žena u domácího

Rudolf Myzet

statkář

Hermína Piskáčková

A. Nováková

Crew and creators

Director

Eman Fiala

Director of Photography

Otto Heller

Production Designer

Ferdinand Fiala

Production info

Original Title

Proč se nesměješ

Czech Title

Proč se nesměješ

English Title

Why Aren't You Laughing?

Parallel Title

Románek zapadlé uličky / Román zapomenutého / Románek zapomenutého

English Parallel Title

A Story about a Deserted Little Street / A Story of a Forgotten

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

tragicomedy

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1922

Production Year

1922

Premiere

premiere 8 February 1923 /suitable for youths/ (kino Hvězda, Praha)
renewed premiere 14 September 1923 /suitable for youths/ (upravená verze)
renewed premiere 1926 /unsuitable for youths/

Production

Karel Fiala

Copyright Holders

Národní filmový archiv

Distribution

Elekta (původní 1923), Svetofilm (obnovená 1926)

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

71 min

Original length in metres

2 000 meters

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