The Sin of the Past

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1929

Production year

1929

Premiere

7 February 1930

Runtime

112 min

Category

film

Genre

drama

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Starý hřích

Czech title

Starý hřích

English title

The Sin of the Past

Parallel title

Starý hřích – kalich hořkosti

Synopsis

In the village of Modlínov lives the well respected and loved miller Dolanský. He has led a contented life until the feared rough-neck Vavřík returns home from the army. He asks for work at the mill. The miller doesn't want to give him a job. The angry Vavřík threatens to tell the court the circumstances of the miller's wife's death. He claims that the miller threw his wife off the first floor of the stable. Dolanský is not entirely sure what happened that fateful day and he allows himself to be blackmailed by Vavřík. Vavřík loses his money in cards. When he comes to ask for the hand in marriage of the miller's daughter Eva, the miller decides to go to the courts to tell the truth himself in order to save his child. The court doesn't believe his testimony and Vavřík is summoned. The latter is subsequently wounded by guards and dies. Before he dies he confesses to his love Tonička that he had invented the story about the miller and Tonička testifies in court. The miller is relieved of his sin of the past and life gradually returns to normal.

Note

The film was presented once more in its sound version in 1933, set to the music of Dalibor C. Vačkář, under the title "The Sin of the Past – Cup of bitterness."

Cast

Josef Rovenský

mlynář Dolanský

Melita Jelenská

mlynářova dcera Eva

Jarmila Lhotová

Tonička Pelikánová

Karel Jičínský

vyděrač Vavřík Světák

Roza Schlesingerová

Vavříkova matka žebračka

Otto Zahrádka

Bartoloměj Pelikán, Toniččin otec

Karel Lamač

Karel Horyna

Bohumil Kovář

mlynář Horyna, Karlův otec

Marie Fingerová

mlynářka Horynová

Antonín Frič

stárek Lukáš

Václav Pecián

selský synek František Vodenka

Václav Žichovský

okresní soudce

Robert Ford

strážmistr

Jindřich Fiala

soudní sluha

Crew and creators

Based on

Jan Klecanda (Starý hřích – román)

Director of Photography

Otto Heller

Production Designer

Alois Mecera

Cooperation

Jan Roth (vrchní osvětlovač), Willy Ströminger (fotograf)

Music

Music Composed by

Dalibor C. Vačkář (ozvučení 1933)

Songs

Mlynářská (ozvučení 1933)

Song Composer Dalibor C. Vačkář /ozvučení 1933/
Writer of Lyrics Otakar Hanuš /ozvučení 1933/
Singer Vinohradské pěvecké kvarteto /ozvučení 1933/

Na poli v koukolí (ozvučení 1933)

Song Composer Dalibor C. Vačkář /ozvučení 1933/
Writer of Lyrics Otakar Hanuš /ozvučení 1933/
Singer Vinohradské pěvecké kvarteto /ozvučení 1933/

Production info

Original Title

Starý hřích

Czech Title

Starý hřích

English Title

The Sin of the Past

Parallel Title

Starý hřích – kalich hořkosti

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

drama

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1929

Production Year

1929

Production specifications

date of censorship 30 October 1929
date of censorship 03/1933 (ozvučená verze)

Premiere

premiere 7 February 1930 /unsuitable for youths/ (kino Národ /2 týdny/, Praha)
renewed premiere 6 October 1933 /unsuitable for youths/ (kino Alma /1 týden/, Praha /ozvučená verze/)

Production

Jan Kyzour

Copyright Holders

Národní filmový archiv

Distribution

Jan Kyzour (původní 1930 a obnovená 1933)

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

112 min

Original length in metres

3 200 meters

Distribution carrier

35mm

Aspect ratio

1:1,33, 1:1,19

Colour

tinting, black & white

Sound

silent, sound

Sound system/format

Union Electric

Versions

Czech

Dialogue languages

Czech, without dialogue

Subtitles languages

without subtitles

Intertitles languages

Czech

Opening/End credits languages

Czech