The Vagaries of Youth

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1933

Production year

1933

Premiere

neproběhla

Category

film

Genre

melodrama

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Film state

partially realised project, lost film

Original title

Rozmary mládí

Czech title

Rozmary mládí

English title

The Vagaries of Youth

Summary

Unfinished film.

Synopsis

Eva, an energetic daughter of a government councillor Minařík, and her friend Alena go to the Beskydy Mountains for a ski race at the invitation of the landowner Matoušek. Beskydy customs officers are worried about a gang of smuggler Janek and some others. The financier Filip Kříž even gets shot and dies. This is the third victim in six months. Councillor Minařík sends Chief Financial Commissioner Dubský to the border to put things in order. Dubský is in love with Eva. Dubský's friend, the financial commissioner and poet Burda, who is in love with Alena, goes to the mountains with him. Meanwhile, Janek's gang continues to smuggle in the mountains. A mountain girl dressed as a customs officer seizes the smugglers’ group stolen goods. Dubský stays with the old financial inspector Holubička, whose frightened daughter Marča falls unhappily in love with Dubský with help of the beggar Buzková. In the tavern, Horák reveals to his friend Valach how he and his wife have tricked Janek. They are secretly questioned by the innkeeper and Dubský, who arrests Horák. Subsequently, the customs officers arrest Janek's gang, including smuggler Stibor, only Janko escapes. At the hotel, Alena becomes engaged to Burda, while the inept big landowner Matoušek unsuccessfully tries to win over Eva's heart. Dubský searches in vain for Janek for several days in the woods and mountain huts, having constantly Eva on his mind. After a big engagement party, Eva, Alena, Matoušek and Burda take part in a ski race and go on a ski tour the next day. Holubička and the customs officers Mašek and Chotaš do not like Dubský's eagerness in finding smugglers and suspect him of espionage because of his expensive clothes. During the hike, the tourists get trapped in a big blizzard, in which Eva gets lost. She is rescued at the very last moment by Dubský and carried to a mountain hut. Burda, Alena and Matoušek arrive at the hotel; the search for Eva begins. In the hut, Dubský is injured by a nail, so Eva takes care of him, cures him, and later lets him to take over her. In Prague, Minařík and his wife, who has returned from a medical treatment, reflect on their youth, and think about their daughter. Marča is worried about Dubský and decides to go look for him. She arrives at a mountain hut, but through window she can see Dubský and Eva hugging, which makes her upset. Eva, who thinks of Dubský as a mere customs officer, resists loving a man to whom she would be a burden as a girl from upper class, and so she leaves. Dubský manages to get Janek and returns to Prague. As a reward, in addition to his promotion, Minařík invites him to Eva's eighteenth birthday party. Meanwhile, the girl worries that she has betrayed and abandoned Dubský. She confides in Alena, but their conversation is secretly overheard by Eva's mother. She suggests to her father that he engages Eva to Matoušek at the party. At a lavish banquet gathers very exclusive company. Dubský also arrives and the unhappy Eva learns who he really is. With the help of Alena and Burda, the girl reconciles with Dubský and, despite her father's initial reluctance, becomes engaged to him in front of everyone. The big landowner Matoušek congratulates the future married couple. (Based on the original script)

Note

The film was gradually announced from November 1932 onwards with glamorous advertising and paid-for footage from the set. Originally scheduled to be shot in January 1933, filming was moved to late February/March due to bad weather. Because of the lack of necessary funds, only the winter exterior scenes were shot, and the film was never completed (although a studio shoot was planned for early March 1933). The film materials have not survived. At the same time, the film was to be shot also in a German version. On 15 March, some scenes from the film were screened at a press screening with a foreign colour film at the Hollywood cinema in Prague. The press reported already in April that filming of the interiors was to begin in June 1933 with the newly hired cameraman Jan Stallich, and the premiere was to take place on 25 August. It was planned to release the film in France, Poland, and Yugoslavia. The film was last mentioned at the beginning of December in the press in connection with director Engel's plan to shoot the remaining exteriors in January 1934, based on a revised script by Otakar Hanus. None of these plans were realised.

Cast

Jiří Steimar

vládní rada Karel Minařík

Božena Svobodová

Minaříkova žena

Jiřina Steimarová

Eva, dcera Minaříkových

Fred Bulín

vrchní finanční komisař Dr. Jiří Dubský

F. X. Mlejnek

velkostatkář Matoušek zvaný Hafínek

Josef Rovenský

finanční inspektor Holubička

Mary Jansová

Marča, Holubičkova dcera

Blanka Waleská

malířka Alena Píšová, Evina přítelkyně

K. V. Marek

finanční komisař a básník Ivan Burda, Alenin snoubenec

Jan W. Speerger

pašerák Horák

Věra Horová

pašeračka Horačka Žofka, Horákova společnice

Jarmila Holmová

služebná u Minaříků

pes Rek

pes

Crew and creators

Assistant Director

Jindřich Fiala

Screenstory

Josef R. Engel

Director of Photography

Jaroslav Fischer, Jan Stallich

Production Designer

Štěpán Kopecký

Production Manager

Walter Hitschmann

Cooperation

Willy Ströminger (fotograf)

Music

Music Composed by

Josef Kumok

Songs

Lyžařský pochod

Song Composer Josef Kumok
Singer Jiřina Steimarovásbor

Přes Javorničky štyry cestičky

Singer sbor

Nesplněný sen

Song Composer Josef Kumok
Singer K. V. MarekJiřina Steimarovásbor

Ligotala sa hvězdička

Singer Mary Jansová

Kysúca

Singer Mary Jansová

Beskýde, Beskýde

Singer Jan W. Speerger

Locations

Praha, střechy (Praha), nádraží (Praha), ulice (Praha)

Production info

Original Title

Rozmary mládí

Czech Title

Rozmary mládí

English Title

The Vagaries of Youth

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Film state

partially realised project, lost film

Genre

melodrama

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1933

Production Year

1933

Production specifications

date of censorship nepředloženo cenzuře

Premiere

premiere neproběhla

Production

Melody

Copyright Holders

Národní filmový archiv

Technical info

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