Sons of the Mountains

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1956

Production year

1955—1956

Premiere

21 December 1956

Runtime

92 min

Director

Čeněk Duba

Category

film

Genre

drama, biography

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Synové hor

Czech title

Synové hor

English title

Sons of the Mountains

Synopsis

This film was based on a real event. In 1912, weaver Bohumil Hanč won an international 50 kilometres ski race competition. He wants to marry his beloved Slávka so he pays instalments to buy off a half-ruined cottage from factor Kraus. His good friend Václav Vrbata acts as his guarantor. Hanč is originally a mason, and with the help of his friends he gets the building work done. The newly wed couple is happy, they are only troubled by their debt to Kraus. They finally manage to pay this off as well. It is 1913. Slávka is expecting a baby and Bohumil promises her that he will leave ski racing. But he wants to take part in an international competition for the last time. The race starts in wonderful weather but very soon a sharp wind starts blowing and the competitors begin to give up. A thick fog rises and the temperature starts dropping rapidly. Hanč, who didn't hear the news about the interruption of the race, is alone on the track. His faithful friend Vrbata waits for him with a coat, hat and a scarf. The two men get lost and die in the windstorm very close to each other. A grave-mound placed at the Golden hillock in Giant Mountains commemorates their self-sacrificing friendship.

Cast

Josef Bek

tkadlec a zedník Bohumil Hanč

Svatava Hubeňáková

Jaroslava, Hančova žena

Jiří Vala

Václav Vrbata, Hančův přítel

Jaroslav Vojta

učitel Josef Buchar

Vladimír Řepa

faktor Kraus

Miroslav Polach

Jarolímek, Hančův přítel

Jaroslav Rozsíval

inženýr Fišer

Emerich Rath

hajný Lenz

J. O. Martin

Hančův otec

Robert Vrchota

německý závodník Bartel

Otakar Brousek

člen záchranného mužstva Rath

Josef Koza

Kalenda

Karel Pavlík

dr. Vajna

Jarmila Kurandová

Vrbatova matka

Anna Matějková

Anna

Eman Fiala

Smetáček

Karel Effa

fotograf

Jaroslav Růža

Scheiner

Jiří Kašpar

závodník

Jaroslav Materna

závodník

Jiří Novotný

závodník

Jan Hrabě

závodník

Karlička Nováková

dítě

Miroslav Jarouš

dítě

Pavel Janeček

dítě

Petr Hartl

dítě

Bohuslav Sýkora

dubl za Josefa Beka – lyžování

Commentary

Crew and creators

Director

Čeněk Duba

Second Unit Director

Jindřich Polák

Based on

František Kožík (Synové hor – povídka)

Director of Photography

Josef Střecha

Second Unit Photography

Jaromír Holpuch

Production Designer

Karel Černý

Set Designer

Vladimír Mácha

Costume Designer

Jaromír Lauda

Sound Designer

Jiří Pavlík

Production Manager

Rudolf Hájek

Unit Production Manager

Vlastimil Maršálek

Consultant

Bohuslav Sýkora, Emerich Rath

Cooperation

členové Horské služby Krkonoše

Music

Music Composed by

Jiří Šust

Production info

Original Title

Synové hor

Czech Title

Synové hor

English Title

Sons of the Mountains

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

drama, biography

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1956

Production Year

1955—1956

Production specifications

projection approval 30 August 1956

Premiere

premiere 21 December 1956 /suitable for youths/ (kina Kyjev /1 týden/, Oko /1 týden/, Světozor /4½ týdne od 25. 12./, Vzlet /1 týden od 28. 12./, Dukla /1 týden od 4. 1. 1957/ a Mír /1 týden od 18. 1. 1957/, Praha)

Copyright Holders

Národní filmový archiv

Studio

Hostivař

Creative Group

Tvůrčí skupina Šmída – Kabelík, Vladimír Kabelík (vedoucí tvůrčí skupiny), Bohumil Šmída (vedoucí tvůrčí skupiny)

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

92 min

Original length in metres

2 607 meters

Distribution carrier

16mm, 35mm

Aspect ratio

1:1,37

Colour

black & white

Sound

sound

Sound system/format

mono

Versions

Czech

Dialogue languages

Czech

Subtitles languages

without subtitles

Opening/End credits languages

Czech