Unfinished film.
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)
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.
kníže Václav
Boleslav, Václavův bratr
kněžna Drahomíra, Václavova a Boleslavova matka
kněžna Ludmila, Václavova a Boleslavova babička
vladyka Podiven, Václavův přítel
kněz Pavel
kněz na útěku
pohanský kněz Žrec
vladyka Důdleb
mladý vladyka
mladý vladyka
mladý vladyka
křesťanský vladyka
otrok Zura
pohanský vladyka
otrokyně Drahomíry
otrokyně Drahomíry
Jaromír Novák, Betty Adolfová, Josef Žebrakovský, Božena Houšková, Jiří Kalina, František Mašek, František Novák, Marie Sandrová, Františka Smíšková, Františka Seimlová
Karel Šilhánek, Vilém Brož (ředitel výroby)
Jaroslav Niklas, Jaroslav Kulhavý, Vladimír Vlček, Karel Beran, Slavomíra Čechová, Vladimír Hrubeš, Jiří Sobotka, Eduard Zachystal
Václav Dobš, mjr. Jan Pulkrábek, Alžběta Birnbaumová, Miroslav Rutte (jazykový poradce)
Jaroslav Balzar (fotograf)
Singer sbor
Singer Karel HögerGustav Nezval
Singer Karel HögerGustav Nezvalmužský sbor
Horažďovice, Mělnicko, vinice (Mělnicko), Suchdol u Prahy, Sušicko, Praha, Šárka (Praha), Beroun, Křivoklát, Otava, Kouřim, Mělník, Šumava
Kníže Václav
Kníže Václav
Prince Wenceslas
Herzog Wenzel
Svatý Václav
film
featuretheatrical distribution
partially realised project
drama, historical
Czechoslovakia
1942
1942
date of censorship (nepředloženo cenzuře)
start of filming 08/1942
end of filming 09/1942
premiere (neproběhla)
no caption
feature film
90 min
35mm
1:1,37
black & white
sound
Tobis – Klang
Czech
Czech
without subtitles
Czech, German