What a Fine Daughter!

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1940

Production year

1940

Premiere

12 April 1940

Runtime

84 min

Category

film

Genre

comedy

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Dceruška k pohledání

Czech title

Dceruška k pohledání

English title

What a Fine Daughter!

Parallel title

So eine Tochter muss man suchen

Working title

Dcerušky k pohledání

Synopsis

A Czech-American professor, Johnny Novák, discovers from his late father's estate that he is himself a father - of a girl that lives with her mother Helena Strnadová in Prague where Johnny had briefly lived eighteen years earlier. Johnny's father had disapproved of the affair so strongly that he did not forward Helena's letters, only sending money to her aunt for the child's upbringing. Johnny and his friend Jimmy Sládek decide to go and visit Helena and her daughter, and they notify Helena's aunt by telegramme. She turns out to have invented the story of the child in order to compel Johnny to return to Helena. Johnny never knew of the child and Helena's aunt set her up in a costume rental business with the money she received. Both women want to punish Johnny. They enlist the help of an amateur dramatic group who are to play Helena's admirers and the role of Helena's fictive daughter is enthusiastically taken on by Máňa Nováčková. Johnny sends Sládek off on a reconnaissance mission. The latter happens to meet Máňa and they fall in love with each other. The aunt's plan fails, the actors are not convincing, and the aunt's lie is exposed. Johnny and Helena's love flares up again. Jimmy takes his girlfriend Máňa to the United States.

Cast

Věra Ferbasová

Máňa Nováčková

Jára Kohout

režisér ochotníků Nováček, otec Máni

Meda Valentová

Helena Strnadová

Anna Steimarová

Formánková, teta Heleny

Jiří Dohnal

Jimmy Sládek

Josef Hořánek

profesor Kokoška

František Filipovský

Pavel, Kokoškův syn

Antonie Nedošinská

hospodyně u Kokošků paní Cibulková

Emil Bolek

profesor Johny Novák

Karel Roden

profesor Kadeřábek

František Kreuzmann

lakýrník Zoubek

Theodor Pištěk

papírník Chramosta

František Paul

holič Tříska

Ema Karlová

švadlenka Jarča

František Černý

zřízenec s koníkem

Bolek Prchal

strážník

František Beranský

ušlápnutý mužíček

Setleři

pěvecký sbor

Crew and creators

Assistant Director

Václav Štrup

Screenplay

Josef Mach

Director of Photography

Jaroslav Tuzar

Production Designer

Bohumil Heš

Set Designer

Ina Žáková

Film Editor

Marie Bourová

Sound Designer

Emanuel Formánek

Production Manager

František Jerhot

Cooperation

Willy Ströminger (fotograf)

Music

Music Composed by

Eman Fiala

Music Performed by

Orchestr F.O.K. (Music Conducted by Eman Fiala)

Songs

Koníčku, nes mne v dál

Song Composer Eman Fiala
Writer of Lyrics František Kudrna
Singer Jiří Dohnal [dab]Setleři

Blátem se plouží

Singer Věra Ferbasová

Na Belvedéru

Singer Věra Ferbasová

Já mám svou panenku v Roudnici

Singer Emil BolekMeda Valentová

Production info

Original Title

Dceruška k pohledání

Czech Title

Dceruška k pohledání

English Title

What a Fine Daughter!

Parallel Title

So eine Tochter muss man suchen

Working Title

Dcerušky k pohledání

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

comedy

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1940

Production Year

1940

Production specifications

end of filming 03/1940
start of filming 13 March 1940
date of censorship 9 April 1940 (kulturně-výchovný)
projection approval 3 December 1945 (konec povolení k promítání 3. 12. 1946)

Premiere

premiere 12 April 1940 /unsuitable for youths/ (kina Letka /1 týden/ a Máj /2 týdny/, Praha)
renewed premiere 25 December 1945 /unsuitable for youths/

Production

Continental

Copyright Holders

Národní filmový archiv

Distribution

Continental (původní 1940), Státní půjčovna filmů (obnovená 1945)

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

84 min

Original length in metres

2 400 meters

Distribution carrier

35mm

Aspect ratio

1:1,37

Colour

black & white

Sound

sound

Sound system/format

Visatone

Versions

Czech

Dialogue languages

Czech

Subtitles languages

without subtitles

Opening/End credits languages

Czech, German