Humoresque

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1939

Production year

1939

Premiere

11 August 1939

Runtime

100 min

Category

film

Genre

drama

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Humoreska

Czech title

Humoreska

English title

Humoresque

Synopsis

Josef Hupka fails to graduate because he loves music more than school. He runs away from home and joins a band of travelling musicians. He marries the violinist Hanči and with her he has a son, Hynek. His happiness comes to an end when Hanči dies of typhus. Hupka tries in vain to earn a living by playing on the streets. One day Multrus the lawyer hears his 'Humoresque' and offers him a job in his office if he will play in the doctor's quartet. Hynek studies law and Multrus takes him on as a law clerk. Thus he also discovers that Hynek is an excellent violinist. Multrus's wife Julie, who acted in a variety theatre, falls in love with Hynek and seduces him. The law firm is given the will of a certain Svída to execute, and the case is successfully worked out by Hynek. When he is to present the evidence in court, the will disappears. It has been stolen by Julie at the behest of her former lover, agent Forejt. The elder Hupka succeeds in guilefully getting back the will. Julie in a fit of hysteria begs Hynek to forgive and love her. Multrus witnesses this and dies from being upset. Hynek would like to leave his father and lose himself in his work. He meets his father in the street at the moment when both are listening on 'Humoresque,' which has accompanied them the whole of their lives.

Note

The film was presented at the 7th Venice Film Festival, 1939.

Cast

Rudolf Hrušínský

maturant Josef Hupka

Jaroslav Průcha

maturant Josef Hupka ve středním věku

Vladimír Salač

JUDr. Hynek, Hupkův syn jako patnáctiletý

Ladislav Boháč

JUDr. Hynek, Hupkův syn jako pětadvacetiletý

František Smolík

JUDr. K. Multrus, advokát

Jiřina Šejbalová

Julie Herdová, později Multrusova žena

Ella Nollová

Batíková, Hupkova bytná

Jaroslav Vojta

šumař Podestát

Božena Šustrová

Hanči, Podestátova dcera

Stanislava Strobachová

Dora, Podestátova dcera

Hermína Vojtová

teta Hupková

Karel Dostal

předseda maturitní komise

Anna Steimarová

žebračka Šišvorka

Milada Smolíková

Máry, kuchařka u JUDr. Multruse

Vladimír Řepa

úředník na obci

Rudolf Hrušínský st.

člen maturitní komise

Josef Hořánek

člen maturitní komise

Miloš Šubrt

hostinský

Filip Balek-Brodský

hráč kulečníku

Josef Oliak

hráč karet

Antonín Šolc

host v kavárně

Crew and creators

Based on

Karel Matěj Čapek-Chod (Humoreska – novela)

Screenplay

Otakar Vávra

Director of Photography

Jan Roth

Production Designer

Karel Petr Adam

Set Designer

František Nestler

Film Editor

Jan Kohout

Sound Designer

Josef Zora

Production Manager

Jan Sinnreich

Cooperation

Willy Ströminger (fotograf)

Music

Music Composed by

František Škvor

Selected Music

Antonín Dvořák (Humoreska), Antonín Dvořák (Smyčcový kvartet F dur Americký), Bedřich Smetana (Z mého života), Bedřich Smetana (Hubička /Jsme svoji/), Joseph Haydn (Sedm slov Vykupitelových na kříži)

Music Performed by

Orchestr F.O.K. (Music Conducted by František Škvor)

Songs

Já se vždycky podívám k domažlickým zahradám

Singer Božena ŠustrováStanislava StrobachováJaroslav VojtaRudolf Hrušínský st.

Žádnej neví, co jsou Domažlice

Production info

Original Title

Humoreska

Czech Title

Humoreska

English Title

Humoresque

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

drama

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1939

Production Year

1939

Production specifications

start of filming 18 March 1939
end of filming 13 April 1939
date of censorship 07/1939
projection approval 4 June 1945 (konec povolení k promítání 4. 6. 1946)
projection approval 2 May 1946 (konec povolení k promítání 31. 5. 1947)
projection approval 03/1969

Premiere

premiere 11 August 1939 /unsuitable for youths/ (kino Lucerna /4 týdny/, Praha)
renewed premiere 8 June 1945 /unsuitable for youths/
renewed premiere 18 April 1969 /suitable for youths/

Production

Lucernafilm

Copyright Holders

Národní filmový archiv

Distribution

AB (původní 1939), Státní půjčovna filmů (obnovená 1945), Ústřední půjčovna filmů (obnovená 1969)

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

100 min

Original length in metres

2 865 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: Ceny ministra průmyslu, obchodu a živností

1939
Praha / Czechoslovakia
Otakar Vávra

Vítěz

Event: Ceny ministra průmyslu, obchodu a živností

1939
Praha / Czechoslovakia
Lucernafilm