Werther

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1926

Production year

1926

Premiere

29 April 1927

Runtime

88 min

Category

film

Genre

drama

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Film state

lost film

Original title

Werther

Czech title

Werther

English title

Werther

Parallel title

Utrpení mladé lásky

English parallel title

The Torment of Young Love

Synopsis

The dreamy loner Werther has fallen in love with the charming Lotta whose sister Žofie fails to conceal her feelings towards Werther. At a ball to which the girls have invited him, Werther meets Lotta's fiance Kestner. Lotta suggest to Werther that he should teach her brother Max to play the violin. Werther accepts and becomes good friends with him. Lotta eventually marries Kestner. Werther becomes withdrawn and succumbs to delusion. After some time he is invited to visit the Kestners. After Kestner leaves, Werther and Lotta play a work together which he had composed for her. When her husband comes back he finds Lotta in his embrace and Werther is thrown out. Werther decides to kill himself. He is mortally wounded by a bullet from his own pistol and is taken to Lotta to die in her arms. The despairing Lotta seeks the comfort of her husband. (According to promotional material issued at the time the film was made.)

Note

The film materials are believed lost. The novel Werther, upon which the film was based, was written as a paraphrase of the novel by Johann Wolfgang Goethe Utrpení mladého Werthera / The Torment of Young Werther and was published at the beginning of the 20th century.

Cast

Marta Mayrová

Charlotta Buffová, zvaná Lotta

Ela Poznerová

Žofie, sestra Lotty

Ola Hors

Max, bratr Lotty

Vladimír Židlický

Kestner, manžel Lotty

František Adam

Kampe, Wertherův přítel

Jan Marek

regenschori

Crew and creators

Based on

Johann Wolfgang Goethe (Utrpení mladého Werthera /Die Leiden des jungen Werthers/ – román), Jaroslav Maria (Werther – román)

Director of Photography

Otto Heller

Production Designer

Vilém Rittershain

Cooperation

Fotoatelier Jůn (fotograf)

Production info

Original Title

Werther

Czech Title

Werther

English Title

Werther

Parallel Title

Utrpení mladé lásky

English Parallel Title

The Torment of Young Love

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Film state

lost film

Genre

drama

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1926

Production Year

1926

Production specifications

date of censorship 17 July 1926
date of censorship 24 August 1932

Premiere

premiere 29 April 1927 /unsuitable for youths/ (kino Lucerna, Praha)
renewed premiere 08/1932 /unsuitable for youths/

Production

Miloš Hajský

Copyright Holders

Národní filmový archiv

Distribution

Fortuna Film (původní 1927), Ringler (obnovená 1932)

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

88 min

Original length in metres

2 492 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