The Song of a Great Love

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1932

Production year

1931—1932

Premiere

22 April 1932

Runtime

84 min

Category

film

Genre

melodrama

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Píseň o velké lásce

Czech title

Píseň o velké lásce

English title

The Song of a Great Love

Synopsis

Anuška Klímová rejects the attentions of rich landowner Topol - a coarse and violent man. The girl is in love with Karel Nebeský. The gamekeeper Novák catches a thief red-handed on the estate. Topol makes use of this turn of events by allowing him to escape and telling the gamekeeper to plant the bag full of stolen items in Karel's cottage. The game-keeper is given a bonus in his pay as a reward so that he can marry his girlfriend Vlasta. Karel is arrested and sentenced. Anuška, whose father owes money to Topol, is forced into marriage with the landowner. In prison Karel has fed his hate of all people and, on his release, he builds a log cabin in the woods and lives there alone with his faithful dog. His female company is short-lived. Helena, a girl from the town, lives with him for a while out of a longing for some kind of adventure but she soon goes off with a rich dandy. The gamekeeper catches his wife Vlasta being unfaithful with Topol. In an act of revenge, he tells Anuška that Karel was wrongly imprisoned. The young woman who had suffered in her life with Topol, hurries to Karel's cabin. The landowner comes to fetch her, a revolver in his hand, but goes away without completing what he had set out to do. Anuška and Karel are finally able to rejoice in their love for each other.

Note

The film was made on location only in the summer of 1931, without sound. It starred L. H. Struna, Aša Vašátková and Jan Svoboda. It was not until the beginnign od 1932 that other characters were cast and the film was completed on location and in the AB film studios in Vinohrady.

Cast

Aša Vašátková

Helena Zemanová

L. H. Struna

Karel Nebeský

Anita Janová

Anuška Klímová

Theodor Pištěk

statkář Topol

Josef Příhoda

unavený tanečník Vincek

Jan Richter

hajný Novák

Jan Svoboda

švihák z města Tržický

Karel Schleichert

otec Anušky

Emil Dlesk

vesničan

Rudolf Stahl

vesničan

pes Rek

Karlův vlčák Rek

Crew and creators

Screenstory

V. Smetana

Screenplay

V. Smetana

Director of Photography

Jaroslav Blažek

Production Designer

Vilém Rittershain

Film Editor

Marie Bourová

Sound Designer

Josef Zora

Cooperation

Miroslav Cikán (spolupráce na výsledné podobě a sestřihu)

Music

Selected Music

Petr Iljič Čajkovskij (Italské capriccio), Georges Bizet (Carmen /Toreadore smělý/)

Songs

Píseň o velké lásce

Song Composer Vlastislav Antonín Vipler
Writer of Lyrics František Kudrna
Singer Jindřich Láznička

Za tou naší vesnicí kostelíček stál /Kdo as' mé srdéčko potěší/

Song Composer J. J. Libor
Writer of Lyrics František Kudrna
Singer sbor

Production info

Original Title

Píseň o velké lásce

Czech Title

Píseň o velké lásce

English Title

The Song of a Great Love

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

melodrama

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1932

Production Year

1931—1932

Production specifications

date of censorship 04/1932

Premiere

premiere 22 April 1932 /unsuitable for youths/ (kina Hollywood /1 týden/, Metro /1 týden/ a Světozor /1 týden/, Praha)

Production

Grafo

Copyright Holders

Národní filmový archiv

Laboratories

Grafo

Distribution

Meissner

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

84 min

Original length in metres

2 390 meters

Distribution carrier

35mm

Aspect ratio

1:1,19

Colour

black & white

Sound

sound

Sound system/format

Tobis – Klang

Versions

Czech

Dialogue languages

Czech

Subtitles languages

without subtitles

Opening/End credits languages

Czech