Simpleton

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1944

Production year

1943—1944

Runtime

17 min

Category

film

Genre

short-story

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionshort

Original title

Prosťáček

Czech title

Prosťáček

English title

Simpleton

Parallel title

Die Stimme des Gewissens

Working title

Proti desateru / Proti desíti přikázání

Synopsis

A man in a dressing gown and fez is rocking in his chair. Then he plucks a sausage from a bush and savours every morsel. He then takes out some baked chicken from a bird cage. He washes his food down with wine sipped from a glass shaped like a bunch of grapes. It is winter and a ragged tramp Kozmánek is not pleased to have to wake up from his delicious dream, down by the stream. In a haystack he meets another tramp Rumlík who suggests that he pretend to be a poor sick man and ask to stay the night in a nearby cottage. At night, when everyone has gone to bed, the tramp is to open the window for his companion and together they will rob the house. The lady of the house, her daughter and maid are working hard at their spinning wheels. It is the eve of St Lucy, the patron saint of spinning. The tramp is welcomed into their home and fed well. The women tend his wounded hand. A group of people in carnival dress dance around the room and praise the women's work. Kozmánek is put to bed in the box room. When his companion taps on the window, the tramp refuses to open it. The second tramp, however, breaks the window and opens it himself. Our tramp does not wish to repay the care provided him with evil deeds and himself brings attention to the thief. Then he is able to greet the policeman he encounters on the way with a clear conscience.

Film online

Cast

František Filipovský

tulák Kozmánek

Vladimír Řepa

tulák-zloděj Rumlík

Milada Smolíková

panímáma vdova Rejsová

Naděžda Vladyková

Barunka, děvečka u Rejsové

Eliška Kuchařová

Anička, dcera Rejsové

Vítězslav Havel

syn Rejsové

Josef Pehr

slaměná maškara

Crew and creators

Assistant Director

Vladimír Hladký

Screenstory

Karel Steklý

Screenplay

Karel Steklý

Director of Photography

Jaroslav Tuzar

Production Designer

Ferdinand Fiala

Sound Designer

Stanislav Vondraš

Production Manager

Václav Dražil, Karel Feix (ředitel výroby)

Unit Production Manager

František Urbánek

Cooperation

Willy Ströminger (fotograf)

Music

Music Composed by

Jiří Fiala

Music Performed by

Orchestr Pragfilmu

Production info

Original Title

Prosťáček

Czech Title

Prosťáček

English Title

Simpleton

Parallel Title

Die Stimme des Gewissens

Working Title

Proti desateru / Proti desíti přikázání

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

short-story

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1944

Production Year

1943—1944

Production specifications

start of filming 13 December 1943
end of filming 1944
date of censorship 16 March 1945 (predikát „uznáníhodný film“)

Premiere

premiere 03/1945 /suitable for youths/

Production

Nationalfilm

Copyright Holders

Národní filmový archiv

Distribution

Nationalfilm

Technical info

Duration typology

short film

Duration in minutes

17 min

Original length in metres

474 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