The Town in the Palm of His Hand
Country
CzechoslovakiaCopyright
1942Production year
1941—1942Premiere
18 September 1942Runtime
98 minDirector
Václav BinovecCategory
filmGenre
dramaTypology
featuretheatrical distributionlongOriginal title
Městečko na dlaniCzech title
Městečko na dlaniEnglish title
The Town in the Palm of His HandProtectorate parallel title
GotteshandSynopsis
František Buzek, the mayor of a hamlet called Rukapáně, was always a good administrator of the community's affairs. Unfortunately, his health is being ruined by an excessive intake of wine. The coal-miner and poacher Matěj Řezáč shoots a deer and, excited by his catch, forgets his knife at the scene. Councillor Zimmerheier comes by this proof of guilt and goes down the mine in search of him. A dynamite explosion causes part of the mine to cave in and one miner is killed. All the others are rescued except Matěj and the councillor. Matěj manages to save the life of his badly wounded superior and brings him to the surface after two days in the mine. Václav, the son of the rich farmer Trantinec, has seduced Ančka, the daughter of a poor rafter. He wants to marry her but his proud father drives him out of the house with a whip. The village idiot, Janek, is given an ocarina by his former mining friends which they bought at a fair but they mock him for having been abandoned by his wife. Janek's flight to the church tower ends with his tragic fall. As Buzek approaches his final days, he recommends Trantinec as his successor but the local inhabitants condemn him for his behaviour towards Václav. After Buzek's death he recognises that his pride caused him to act unreasonably and he becomes reconciled with his son.
Note
Filming took place in two parts, exteriors in August 1941 and studio shots from February 25 to March 25, 1942. The première outside Prague was held already on the 4th of September 1942 in Ronov nad Doubravou.
Photos
Cast
František Smolík
starosta a bednář František Buzek
Gustav Hilmar
sedlák Jan Trantinec
Marie Blažková
Trantincova žena
Ladislav Boháč
Václav, syn Trantincových
Marie Glázrová
Ančka Karasová
Vladimír Řepa
vorař Karas, Ančin otec
Jaroslav Průcha
havíř Matěj Řezáč
Blanka Waleská
Pepča, Řezáčova žena
Jaroslav Marvan
důlní rada Rudolf Zimmerheier
Jindřich Plachta
obecní blázen Janek Pudeš
Anna Letenská
Marie Pudešová, bláznova bývalá žena
Ferenc Futurista
obecní strážník Pazdušek
František Filipovský
čepičář Stýblo
František Černý
MUDr. Rozum
Jan W. Speerger
hajný Valenta
Antonín Holzinger
radní
Jára Kohout
radní
Josef Pleskot
radní
F. X. Mlejnek
radní
Bolek Prchal
radní
Josef Steigl
radní
Jan Černý
radní
Karel Šanda
radní
Jindřich Láznička
radní
Viktor Nejedlý
radní
Josef Loskot
radní
Václav Menger
radní
Alois Dvorský
soused
František Lašek
zraněný havíř
Hermína Vojtová
vdova Hošinská
Milka Balek-Brodská
žena havíře
Marie Oliaková
žena havíře
Marie Nademlejnská
žena havíře
Marie Hodrová
žena havíře
Eliška Jílková
žena havíře
Ella Nollová
žena pohodného
Gabriel Hart
trhovec s hračkami
Eman Fiala
trhovec se šátky
Ladislav Hemmer
důlní
Ota Motyčka
zřízenec na obecním úřadě
Miloš Nedbal
anděl
František Paul
planetář
Fráňa Vajner
důlní
Josef Waltner
hostinský
Josef Kemr
bednářský učeň
Emil Bolek
lesník
Antonín Jirsa
silák
Jindřich Fiala
chasník
Ladislav Janeček
chasník
Vladimír Smíchovský
chasník
Ada Dohnal
chasník
Karel Veverka
farář
Filip Balek-Brodský
muž v kostele
Emanuel Hříbal
muž v kostele
Josef Oliak
muž v kostele
Frank Rose-Růžička
host v hostinci
Karolína Vávrová
žena na trhu
Crew and creators
Director
Assistant Director
Based on
Jan Drda (Městečko na dlani – román)
Screenplay
Director of Photography
Production Designer
Set Designer
Film Editor
Sound Designer
Production Manager
Václav Dražil, Karel Feix (ředitel výroby)
Consultant
Karel Hašler (umělecký poradce), Jan Wenig (jazykový poradce)
Cooperation
Antonín Frič (fotograf), Jan Mikota (fotograf)
Music
Music Composed by
Music Performed by
Orchestr F.O.K. (Music Conducted by Jiří Fiala)
Songs
Jeden chudej bednář
Song Composer Jiří Fiala
Writer of Lyrics Josef Mach
Singer mužský sbor
Proto tedy připijme hornickému stavu /Hornická/ (přípitek)
Song Composer Jiří Fiala
Writer of Lyrics Josef Mach
Singer mužský sbor
K Závisti cestička ušlapaná /Cestička k Zářičí/
Song Composer Jiří Fiala
Writer of Lyrics Josef Mach
Singer ženský sbor
Bednářskej tovaryš
Song Composer Jiří Fiala
Production info
Original Title
Městečko na dlani
Czech Title
Městečko na dlani
English Title
The Town in the Palm of His Hand
Protectorate Parallel Title
Gotteshand
Category
film
Typology
featuretheatrical distribution
Genre
drama
Origin country
Czechoslovakia
Copyright
1942
Production Year
1941—1942
Production specifications
start of filming 08/1941
end of filming 25 March 1942
date of censorship 25 August 1942 (kulturně-výchovný)
date of censorship 1943 (predikáty „uznáníhodný film“, „lidově vzdělavatelský film“ a „film pro Den hrdinů“)
withdrawal from distribution 18 May 1945
date of censorship 20 September 1945 (konec povolení k promítání 20. 9. 1946)
date of censorship 19 August 1946 (konec povolení k promítání 30. 3. 1947)
withdrawal from distribution 15 August 1949
date of censorship 1950 (neschváleno do distribuce)
withdrawal from distribution 31 December 1991
Premiere
preview 4 September 1942 (Ronov nad Doubravou)
premiere 18 September 1942 /inaccessible for youths/ (kina Adria /4 týdny/ a Kapitol /4 týdny/, Praha)
renewed premiere 5 October 1945 /inaccessible for youths/
Production
With support
Copyright Holders
Studio
Laboratories
Distribution
Nationalfilm (původní 1942), Státní půjčovna filmů (obnovená 1945)
Technical info
Duration typology
feature film
Duration in minutes
98 min
Original length in metres
2 778 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, German
