A May Tale
Country
CzechoslovakiaCopyright
1926Production year
1926Premiere
25 December 1926Runtime
115 minDirector
Karel AntonCategory
filmGenre
melodramaTypology
featuretheatrical distributionlongOriginal title
Pohádka májeCzech title
Pohádka májeEnglish title
A May TaleSynopsis
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.
Note
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.
Photos
Cast
Ferdinand Kaňkovský
lesník
Rudolf Žák
lesník
Anna Opplová
lesníkova žena
Anita Janová
lesníkova dcera Helenka
Jarmila Horáková
lesníkova dcera Gusta
Berta Reifová
lesníkova dcera Albína
neuvedeno
lesníkova nejstarší dcera Anna
Petr Dolan
student práv Ríša Gregor
Ludvík Veverka
student, Ríšův přítel
Antonín Marek
farář v Ostrovačicích, Ríšův strýc
Betty Kysilková
farářova hospodyně Kačka
Božena Svobodová
Ríšova bytná, vdova po úředníkovi
Mary Jansová
číšnice u Primasů zvaná Kudrnáček
Marie Počepická
lesníkova hospodyně Marta
František Fišer
Albínin přítel Jenyš
Saša Dobrovolná
Jenyšova matka
Jindřich Lhoták
důstojník kapitán H. Nikolaus von Rittenburg zvaný Niki
Milka Balek-Brodská
poštmistrová
Marie Pavlíková
dcera poštmistrové Cilka
Jan Richter
obecní strážník
Václav Kubásek
manžel lesníkovy dcery Anny
Václav Žichovský
lékař
Eduard Šimáček
student
L. H. Struna
pasák holek
Elsa Vetešníková
lehká holka
Helena Zmatlíková
lesníkova dcera Helenka jako dítě
Josef Dekoj
Josef, milý hospodyně Kačky
Alfred Schlesinger
vousatý muž na plese
Roza Schlesingerová
žena na plese
Jindřich Adolf
host ve vídeňské krčmě
Véna Vyskoč
on sám, reálná postava
Ferda-Sirky-Evropa
on sám, reálná postava
Crew and creators
Director
Based on
Vilém Mrštík (Pohádka máje – román)
Screenplay
Director of Photography
Production Designer
Cooperation
Fotoatelier Dítě (fotograf)
Production info
Original Title
Pohádka máje
Czech Title
Pohádka máje
English Title
A May Tale
Category
film
Typology
featuretheatrical distribution
Genre
melodrama
Origin country
Czechoslovakia
Copyright
1926
Production Year
1926
Premiere
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/
Production
Copyright Holders
Studio
Distribution
Julius Schmitt (původní 1926), Národní filmový archiv (obnovená 2016)
Technical info
Duration typology
feature film
Duration in minutes
115 min
Original length in metres
3 818 meters
Distribution carrier
35mm, DCP 2-D, DVD, BRD
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
