Prince Wenceslas

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1942

Production year

1942

Runtime

90 min

Category

film

Genre

drama, historical

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Film state

partially realised project

Original title

Kníže Václav

Czech title

Kníže Václav

English title

Prince Wenceslas

Protectorate parallel title

Herzog Wenzel

Working title

Svatý Václav

Summary

Unfinished film.

Synopsis

A drama from the dawn of Czech history and from the life of prince Wenceslas (Václav) from the Přemyslid dynasty and his murderer – his brother Boleslav. Prince Vratislav of Bohemia dies after a battle with invaders from the East. Vratislav's mother, Princess Ludmila, takes over the regency on behalf of the minor grandsons of Wenceslas and Boleslav. While the elder Wenceslas is studying in Budeč, she sends for him to come to Prague so that he can be proclaimed the new prince. After a quarrel with the pagan squires, Princess Ludmila retires to her castle in Tetín. Vratislav's widow, Princess Drahomíra, who had been jealous of her mother-in-law's power, takes over. The new regent turns away from Christianity and gives her privileges off to the pagan squires. Wenceslas himself is also discouraged from his faith, yet the young prince secretly practises Christianity and good deeds. Squires Tuna and Gomon offer to eliminate Drahomíra's mother-in-law, who becomes increasingly popular among the people. The princess agrees. News of the situation in Bohemia and of the murders in Tetín reaches Bishop Tut from Řezno and the Frankish King Henry I the Fowler. After being warned, the princess has Tuna and Gomon punished by beheading. Radslav, the ruler of Zlic, who wants to become a prince himself, rebels against Drahomíra's injustice. He invites the troops of Duke Arnulf of Bavaria into the country. Wenceslas goes into the battle to prevent Radslav and Arnulf's armies from joining forces. The young man challenges Radslav to a personal duel and wins. At Prague Castle, Wenceslas finally takes over the power. He banishes his mother to Budeč Castle and assigns his brother Boleslav with the administration of Ludmila's region of Pšovsko. At the Imperial Diet in Quedlinburg, Wenceslas makes an alliance with Henry I the Fowler. In Bohemia, to the displeasure of the squires and Boleslav, the prince introduces new customs, bans the torture of slaves, builds the stone church of St. Vitus and spreads Christianity. He has Ludmila's body transferred to St. George's Church in the Prague Castle. Eventually, Wenceslas reconciles with his mother, who now has changed. The Frankish king begins to spread Christianity by force among the other Slavic tribes. Wenceslas refuses to act against his ally and help his fellow tribes, and he welcomes Henry to Prague. The frustrated squires convince Boleslav that he must kill the prince. He himself is to take over the government as a decisive and strong statesman. Boleslav therefore invites his brother to his castle in the town of Boleslav. After a lavish banquet, Wenceslas goes to church to attend the morning service. However, Boleslav and his allies attack him and murder him. The murderers finally kneel before the majesty of death and the greatness of Wenceslas. (Based on the original script)

Note

Preserved footage from an unfinished film begun in 1942. Silent exterior shots are extant only. This was the only film from the period of the Protectorate that was to have been shot on the direct insistence of the Nazi occupational authorities, and it was to give the legend of Saint Wenceslaus a German interpretation (Prince Wenceslaus as a German vassal). Preparations for the filming were consciously protracted, and in spite of the fact that the roles had been cast, only filming of the rehearsals took place, all of them shot in the exterior locations. For reasons of "material scarcity" after two years of the production process the project was quietly liquidated.

Cast

Karel Höger

kníže Václav

Vítězslav Vejražka

Boleslav, Václavův bratr

Marie Glázrová

kněžna Drahomíra, Václavova a Boleslavova matka

Jiřina Štěpničková

kněžna Ludmila, Václavova a Boleslavova babička

Gustav Nezval

vladyka Podiven, Václavův přítel

Karel Dostal

kněz Pavel

Miloš Nedbal

kněz na útěku

František Kovářík

pohanský kněz Žrec

Jaroslav Vojta

vladyka Důdleb

Fred Bulín

mladý vladyka

Miloš Hájek

mladý vladyka

Ladislav Janeček

mladý vladyka

Ada Dohnal

křesťanský vladyka

Václav Pecián

pohanský vladyka

Svata Benešová

otrokyně Drahomíry

Jiřina Lehárová

otrokyně Drahomíry

Libuše Havelíková

Crew and creators

Director of Photography

Ferdinand Pečenka, Karel Degl

Production Designer

Jan Zázvorka, Karel Škvor

Costume Designer

Fernand Vácha

Costumes

Jaromír Novák, Betty Adolfová, Josef Žebrakovský, Božena Houšková, Jiří Kalina, František Mašek, František Novák, Marie Sandrová, Františka Smíšková, Františka Seimlová

Film Editor

Antonín Zelenka

Production Manager

Karel Šilhánek, Vilém Brož (ředitel výroby)

Unit Production Manager

František Růžička

Unit Production Manager

Jaroslav Niklas, Jaroslav Kulhavý, Vladimír Vlček, Karel Beran, Slavomíra Čechová, Vladimír Hrubeš, Jiří Sobotka, Eduard Zachystal

Consultant

Václav Dobš, mjr. Jan Pulkrábek, Alžběta Birnbaumová, Miroslav Rutte (jazykový poradce)

Cooperation

Jaroslav Balzar (fotograf)

Music

Music Composed by

Otakar Jeremiáš

Music Conducted by

Otakar Jeremiáš

Choreographer

Joe Jenčík

Songs

Hospodine pomiluj ny

Singer sbor

Povstaniž Hospodine, Bože silný

Singer Karel HögerGustav Nezval

Hore háj, dole háj

Singer Karel HögerGustav Nezvalmužský sbor

Svatý Václave, vévodo české země

Locations

Horažďovice, Mělnicko, vinice (Mělnicko), Suchdol u Prahy, Sušicko, Praha, Šárka (Praha), Beroun, Křivoklát, Otava, Kouřim, Mělník, Šumava

Production info

Original Title

Kníže Václav

Czech Title

Kníže Václav

English Title

Prince Wenceslas

Protectorate Parallel Title

Herzog Wenzel

Working Title

Svatý Václav

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Film state

partially realised project

Genre

drama, historical

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1942

Production Year

1942

Production specifications

date of censorship (nepředloženo cenzuře)
start of filming 08/1942
end of filming 09/1942

Premiere

premiere (neproběhla)

Distribution slogan

no caption

Production

Lucernafilm

Copyright Holders

Národní filmový archiv

Laboratories

Pragfilm

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

90 min

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, German