People in the Valley

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1937

Production year

1937

Premiere

18 March 1938

Runtime

91 min

Category

film

Genre

drama

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Lidé pod horami

Czech title

Lidé pod horami

English title

People in the Valley

Synopsis

Brychta, a solitary eccentric and owner of a mill in the mountains, is set on marrying Tereza, the ward of a farmer named Havrda. They live in a small village comprising only a few cottages and all the men in the community are wild about the beautiful, fair-haired Tereza. She, however, only has eyes for the stable-boy Martin but he rejects her, intending to marry another. Brychta goes to court Tereza and sees her embracing Martin. The miller returns home and, in his bitter disappointment, dams up the stream - the only source of water for the village. Farmers Albín, Rybák, Hájek and Havrda discover what he has done and start breaking down the dam. Brychta tries to stop them, threatening them with his rifle. Tempers rise and Albín kills him with a hoe. The men weigh down Brychta's body with a boulder and throw him in the pond. A wandering accordion-player named Jozífek stumbles across the old mill and, finding it empty, steals some money he finds there. His unexpected extravagance leads to his imprisonment and he is charged with the murder. Albín is tormented by his conscience and begins to suffer fits. Tereza, who discovers the truth about the murder, becomes the victim of accusations from her guardian who claims she is at fault for all that has happened. The farmers return to the mill to bury the body, but are arrested. They are judged to have acted in self-defence, however, and the court lets them go free. Tereza leaves the village and the farmers return to their normal lives.

Note

Josef Toman adapted the original film story into the novel Wasp´s Nest.

Cast

František Kreuzmann

mlynář Jan Brychta

Jaroslav Marvan

hospodář František Havrda

Jiřina Štěpničková

Tereza, Havrdova schovanka

Otto Čermák

hospodář Alois Hájek

Betty Kysilková

Hájkova žena

Slávka Procházková

Hanka, dcera Hájkových

Václav Trégl

harmonikář Jozífek Zedníček

L. H. Struna

čeledín Martin

Miroslav Svoboda

hospodář Jan Albín

Marie Grossová

Marie, Albínova žena

Miroslav Kryštof-Kutina

hospodář Josef Rybák

Jan W. Speerger

čeledín Štěpán

Eman Fiala

tulák Dobropil

Václav Menger

hostinský

František Vlček

jedlík v hospodě

Karel Černý

strážmistr

Karel Jičínský

vyšetřující soudce

Stanislav Bláha

soudní zapisovatel

Crew and creators

Assistant Director

Josef Zezulka

Screenstory

Josef Toman

Director of Photography

Ferdinand Pečenka, Josef Střecha

Camera Operator

Jaromír Holpuch

Production Designer

Štěpán Kopecký

Set Designer

Arnold Reimann

Film Editor

Jan Kohout

Production Manager

František Jerhot

Cooperation

Willy Ströminger (fotograf)

Music

Music Composed by

Erno Košťál

Music Performed by

Orchestr F.O.K. (Music Conducted by Erno Košťál)

Songs

Hej totu totu

Singer Jiřina Štěpničková

Sivá holuběnko

Singer sbor

V tom našem arestě

Singer Josef Příhoda

Šla panenka uťapaná

Singer Josef Příhoda

Na koníčka si vyskočím

Song Composer lidová píseň

Production info

Original Title

Lidé pod horami

Czech Title

Lidé pod horami

English Title

People in the Valley

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

drama

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1937

Production Year

1937

Production specifications

start of filming 28 July 1937
end of filming 24 August 1937
date of censorship 12/1937
projection approval 11 January 1946 (konec povolení k promítání 11. 1. 1947)

Premiere

premiere 18 March 1938 /unsuitable for youths/ (kina Avion /1 týden/ a Hollywood /1 týden/, Praha)
renewed premiere 8 February 1946 /unsuitable for youths/

Production

Meissner, Wolframfilm (zadavatel)

Copyright Holders

Národní filmový archiv

Distribution

Wolframfilm (původní 1938), Státní půjčovna filmů (obnovená 1946)

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

91 min

Original length in metres

2 590 meters

Distribution carrier

35mm

Aspect ratio

1:1,37

Colour

black & white

Sound

sound

Sound system/format

Tobis – Klang

Versions

Czech

Dialogue languages

Czech

Subtitles languages

without subtitles

Opening/End credits languages

Czech

Awards

Vítěz

Event: Soutěž Filmového studia na původní filmové drama

1936
Praha / Czechoslovakia
Josef Toman