The Hordubals
Country
CzechoslovakiaCopyright
1937Production year
1937Premiere
21 January 1938Runtime
112 minDirector
Martin FričCategory
filmGenre
dramaTypology
featuretheatrical distributionlongOriginal title
HordubalovéCzech title
HordubalovéEnglish title
The HordubalsWorking title
HordubalSynopsis
Juraj Hordubal returns after eight years from America, where he has made enough money for improvements on his farm. His daughter Hafie does not recognize him and even his wife Polana displays no visible joy at his return. Štěpán Manya has been a labourer on the farm for the whole of these years and people claim that he has become Polana's lover. Juraj refuses to listen to the accusations and believes that his wife's estrangement is only the result of the long period of loneliness. Nevertheless he fires Štěpán. Subsequently his wife shuts herself in the attic and stops taking an interest in the household. So that she will become conciliatory, Juraj brings Štěpán back after a while, but he publicly announces that he is Hafie's fiancé, which is not to the labourer's liking at all. In spite of everything Juraj stops by the notary's and in his will he bequeathes all his property to his wife. But on the way home he gets drenched and comes down with fever. In the morning the news spreads through the village that he has been killed. Suspicion is first to fall on Juraj's brother Michal, with whom Juraj has been feuding of late. Eventually the desperate Polana confesses in court that she and Štěpán killed her husband. As the doctor states, however, the severely ill Juraj was at that moment already in a deathly agony.
Note
The film was presented at the 6th Venice Film Festival, 1938.
Photos
Cast
Jaroslav Vojta
Juraj Hordubal
Paľo Bielik
Michal, Jurajův mladší bratr
Suzanne Marwille
Polana Hordubalová, Jurajova žena
Mirko Eliáš
čeledín u Hordubalů Štěpán Manya
Vlasta Součková
Maryna, Michalova žena
Eliška Kuchařová
Hafie, dcera Polany a Juraje
František Kovářík
bača Míšo
Filip Dávidík
Filípek, Marynin nezletilý bratr
Gustav Hilmar
četnický praporčík Gelnaj
Vilém Pfeiffer
štábní strážmistr Karel Biegl
Vladimír Majer
gazda Gejza Fedeleš
Alois Dvorský
MUDr. Václav Klenka, soudní lékař
Viktor Nejedlý
cestující ve vlaku
František Říha
cestující ve vlaku
Václav Menger
průvodčí ve vlaku
Antonín Jirsa
kovář
L. H. Struna
chasník
Jan W. Speerger
chasník
Václav Mlčkovský
chasník
Václav Švec
chasník
Vladimír Smíchovský
dělník v lomu
Miloš Šubrt
hospodář u Fedeleše
Karel Veverka
předseda senátu
Přemysl Pražský
státní návladní
František Filipovský
obhájce
Jaroslav Marvan
soudní znalec
Antonín Kandert
notář
Eduard Ševčík
přísedící senátu
Gabriel Hart
přísedící senátu
Josef Oliak
člen poroty
Josef Kotalík
člen poroty
Antonín Šolc
člen poroty
Malvína Mlejnková
návštěvnice v soudní síni
Václav Piskáček
strážník u soudu
Věkoslav Satoria
strážník u soudu
Fráňa Vajner
soudní zřízenec
Karolína Vávrová
stařeina ve vlaku
Mirko Svoboda
Slobodníková
Crew and creators
Director
Assistant Director
Based on
Karel Čapek (Hordubal – román)
Screenplay
Director of Photography
Production Designer
Set Designer
Costumes
Make-Up Artist
Film Editor
Sound Designer
Production Manager
Cooperation
Willy Ströminger (fotograf)
Music
Music Composed by
Music Performed by
Orchestr F.O.K. (Music Conducted by Miloš Smatek)
Production info
Original Title
Hordubalové
Czech Title
Hordubalové
English Title
The Hordubals
Working Title
Hordubal
Category
film
Typology
featuretheatrical distribution
Genre
drama
Origin country
Czechoslovakia
Copyright
1937
Production Year
1937
Production specifications
start of filming 3 September 1937
end of filming 24 September 1937
date of censorship 11/1937
projection approval 16 November 1945 (konec povolení k promítání 16. 11. 1946)
Premiere
premiere 21 January 1938 /unsuitable for youths/ (kina Lucerna /1 týden/ a Passage /1 týden/, Praha)
renewed premiere 1 December 1945 /unsuitable for youths/
Production
With support
Copyright Holders
Studio
Distribution
Lloyd (původní 1938), Státní půjčovna filmů (obnovená 1945)
Technical info
Duration typology
feature film
Duration in minutes
112 min
Original length in metres
3 200 meters
Distribution carrier
35mm
Aspect ratio
1:1,19
Colour
black & white
Sound
sound
Sound system/format
Tobis – Klang
Versions
Czech
Dialogue languages
Czech
Subtitles languages
without subtitles
Opening/End credits languages
Czech
Awards
Vítěz
Event: Odměny ministra průmyslu, obchodu a živností
1939
Praha / Czechoslovakia
Lloyd
