Fetters

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1925

Production year

1925

Premiere

3 August 1925

Runtime

126 min

Category

film

Genre

drama

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Film state

lost film

Original title

Okovy

Czech title

Okovy

English title

Fetters

Synopsis

The rich family Vítěz of the Blahonice etate divides into two branches in the middle of the 19th century. The younger of the two sons Jan marries into a family which owns a farm in Skalsko and, under the influence of his wife, adopts the Catholic faith. The older brother Amos keeps up the family tradition in the Evangelical faith and begins to hate Jan for his apostasy. Jan's gambling passion causes the loss of the family's entire property. Jan's son Štěpán moves from Skalsko to Prague where he lives with his wife in penury until his son Vladimír completes his education and is able to support his family. Vladimír makes the acquaintance of the daughter of a mason, Milada Rovenská. After the outbreak of the First World War Vladimír is freed from military service. Milada's father however is conscripted and Milada is forced to abandon her studies. She finds a position which is well-paid but when the boss starts to harras her, she leaves. Under difficult financial cirumstances Vladimír marries her. He however becomes entanglend in unpropitious financial dealings involving war supplies. He finally has to join the army, just like the last son of the Blahotice line of the family Vítěz who fell like a hero in the War. After a great battle Vladimír is declared missing. Then when the War is over, he joyfully returns home as a legionnaire. He becomes the heir to the family property and thus both branches of the Vítěz line are joined once more. (According to an article appearing in the press at the time the film was made.)

Note

The film materials are believed lost. Working shots are included in the film How films were made in our country (put together by Bohumil Veselý, 1954)

Cast

Marie Černá

Milada Rovenská

František Havel

zedník Antonín Rovenský, Miladin otec

Eduard Malý

Amos Vítěz/Jeronym Vítěz, Janův otec

Jan W. Speerger

Jan Vítěz/Ing. Vladimír Vítěz

Marie Laudová-Hořicová

statkářka Veronika Vítězová, Jeronymova matka

Josef Vraný

statkář Borčic, karbaník/inženýr Páv/rytmistr baron Targon

Karel Fiala

císařský rada Gustav Roland, místopředseda banky

Saša Dobrovolná

Hedvika Vítězová, Vladimírova Matka

Alois Charvát

Štěpán Vítěz

Marie Fingerová

Horáčková, Miladina bytná

František Kovářík

lichvář/Petrželka

Crew and creators

Based on

Jan Kobr (Okovy – román)

Director of Photography

Svatopluk Innemann

Production Designer

Alois Mecera

Production info

Original Title

Okovy

Czech Title

Okovy

English Title

Fetters

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Film state

lost film

Genre

drama

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1925

Production Year

1925

Production specifications

date of censorship 19 June 1925

Premiere

preview 3 July 1925 (kino Hvězda /2 týdny/, Praha)
premiere 3 August 1925 /unsuitable for youths/ (kino Hvězda, Praha)

Production

Pronax-Film

Copyright Holders

Národní filmový archiv

Distribution

Biografia

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

126 min

Original length in metres

3 600 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