In her convent school, Helenka thinks of her parental home, her family and the priest whose nephew Ríša, instead of studying, is spending his free time in pubs. Helenka's father, the forester, is fretting about the lot of his daughters. Albína is seriously ill, Gusta refuses to obey him so her father sends her to Vienna to stay with his married daughter Anna who is to keep an eye on her. Gusta, however, wanders about at night and soon allows herself to be a kept woman. She changes to such an extent that she is unable to grant the last wish of the dying Albína, that she return home. The priest invites Ríša to visit him. Helenka also returns home from the school and she meets Ríša at a ball. Because of his bad reputation, however, and refuses to have anything to do with him. Ríša promises her in a letter that he will improve himself and so they meet up several times. Helenka's father believes that Ríša is only being frivolous in his intentions with his daughter and so he asks the priest to send Ríša back to Prague. After a dramatic farewell with Helenka, Ríša leaves. After he completes his studies he returns to Helenka.
Working shots are included in the film How films were made in our country (put together by Bohumil Veselý, 1954).
In 2005 the film was reconstructed by National Film Archive with Ateliery Bonton Zlin.
lesník
lesník
lesníkova žena
lesníkova dcera Helenka
lesníkova dcera Gusta
lesníkova dcera Albína
lesníkova nejstarší dcera Anna
student práv Ríša Gregor
student, Ríšův přítel
farář v Ostrovačicích, Ríšův strýc
farářova hospodyně Kačka
Ríšova bytná, vdova po úředníkovi
číšnice u Primasů zvaná Kudrnáček
lesníkova hospodyně Marta
Albínin přítel Jenyš
Jenyšova matka
důstojník kapitán H. Nikolaus von Rittenburg zvaný Niki
poštmistrová
dcera poštmistrové Cilka
obecní strážník
manžel lesníkovy dcery Anny
lékař
student
pasák holek
lehká holka
lesníkova dcera Helenka jako dítě
Josef, milý hospodyně Kačky
vousatý muž na plese
žena na plese
host ve vídeňské krčmě
on sám, reálná postava
on sám, reálná postava
Vilém Mrštík (Pohádka máje – román)
Fotoatelier Dítě (fotograf)
Pohádka máje
Pohádka máje
A May Tale
film
featuretheatrical distribution
melodrama
Czechoslovakia
1926
1926
premiere 25 December 1926 /unsuitable for youths/ (kina Adria /2 týdny/ a Hvězda /1 týden/, Praha)
renewed premiere 10 March 2016 /suitable for all ages without limit/
Julius Schmitt (původní 1926), Národní filmový archiv (obnovená 2016)
feature film
115 min
3 818 meters
35mm, DCP 2-D, DVD, BRD
1:1,33
black & white
silent
Czech
without dialogue
without subtitles
Czech
Czech