The Town in the Palm of His Hand

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1942

Production year

1941—1942

Premiere

18 September 1942

Runtime

98 min

Category

film

Genre

drama

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Městečko na dlani

Czech title

Městečko na dlani

English title

The Town in the Palm of His Hand

Parallel title

Gotteshand

Synopsis

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.

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, bláznova bývalá žena

Ferenc Futurista

obecní strážník Pazdušek

František Filipovský

čepičář Stýblo

Jan W. Speerger

hajný Valenta

Josef Pleskot

radní

František Lašek

zraněný havíř

Hermína Vojtová

vdova Hošinská

Milka Balek-Brodská

manželka havíře

Marie Oliaková

manželka havíře

Marie Nademlejnská

manželka havíře

Marie Hodrová

manželka havíře

Eliška Jílková

manželka havíře

Ella Nollová

manželka pohodného

Gabriel Hart

trhovec s hračkami

Eman Fiala

trhovec se šátky

Ota Motyčka

zřízenec na obecním úřadě

František Paul

planetář

Josef Waltner

hospodský

Josef Kemr

bednářský učeň

Emil Bolek

lesník

Ada Dohnal

chasník

Filip Balek-Brodský

muž v kostele

Emanuel Hříbal

muž v kostele

Josef Oliak

muž v kostele

Frank Rose-Růžička

host v hospodě

Karolína Vávrová

žena na trhu

Crew and creators

Based on

Jan Drda (Městečko na dlani – román)

Director of Photography

Julius Vegricht

Production Designer

Ferdinand Fiala, Jiří Dušek

Set Designer

Ferdinand Kliment

Film Editor

Marie Bourová

Sound Designer

Stanislav Vondraš

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

Jiří Fiala

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

Singer ženský sbor

Production info

Original Title

Městečko na dlani

Czech Title

Městečko na dlani

English Title

The Town in the Palm of His Hand

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)
projection approval 20 September 1945 (konec povolení k promítání 20. 9. 1946)
projection approval 19 August 1946 (konec povolení k promítání 30. 3. 1947)
projection approval 1950 (neschváleno do distribuce)

Premiere

preview 4 September 1942 (Ronov nad Doubravou)
premiere 18 September 1942 /unsuitable for youths/ (kina Adria /4 týdny/ a Kapitol /4 týdny/, Praha)
renewed premiere 5 October 1945 /unsuitable for youths/

Production

Nationalfilm

Copyright Holders

Národní filmový archiv

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