The Princess with the Golden Star

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1959

Production year

1959

Premiere

18 December 1959

Runtime

77 min

Director

Martin Frič

Category

film

Genre

fairytale

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Princezna se zlatou hvězdou

Czech title

Princezna se zlatou hvězdou

English title

The Princess with the Golden Star

Summary

Based on a folk tale, later retold by children’s author Božena Němcová, and then adapted for the theatre by K. M. Walló. In 1959, the story also found its way to the big screen courtesy of director Martin Frič – and would go on to become one of the most beloved of all the Czechoslovak film fairytales. The title heroine, played by Marie Kyselková, is a bold young woman, who rejects marriage to King Kazisvět (“World wrecker”). Instead, she flees from the castle of her timid father. Princess Lada masks both her beauty and the gold star on her forehead by wearing a hood made of shabby mouse fur, and finds a job as a cook at the palace of a neighbouring monarch – the wise Prince Radovan (played by singer and occasional actor Josef Zíma). Ultimately, the prince finds his true love in the form of this wayward kitchen helper. The power-hungry Kazisvět is played by Martin Růžek, and in line with the ideology of the times, he portrays a prototypical German usurper-occupier, who is ultimately cast out of Lada’s land by ordinary folk.

Synopsis

Old king Hostivít has a beautiful daughter Lada, a princess with a golden star on her forehead. The evil and wealthy king Kazisvět VI comes to court Lada but she does not want to marry him. On the advice of her maid, the princess dresses up in a fur coat made of mouse fur and goes out into the world. When she has crossed mountains and valleys she arrives in the gentle land of prince Radovan. As a poor girl wrapped in grey fur she gets a job as a kitchen help at Radovan's castle. A celebration is being prepared during which the prince is to choose his future bride. The popular ruler is sensible and hopes to marry out of love. He therefore rejects the proud Florindella and spoiled Glorie. Lada, who is curious to see the prince, changes into the only fine dress she brought with her during her escape, and mingles with the other guests. Radovan follows her all over the castle. The young couple fall in love at first sight but Lada turns him down since she does not want to put him or his country at risk. After exchanging rings Lada runs off. The next morning she reappears in the kitchen in her disguise. She does not notice that the prince's ring has fallen into the soup she is preparing. When the prince finds the ring, he now knows where to find the princess. He recognizes her even in her mouse fur. Kazisvět arrives at the castle with his entourage but the prince bravely drives them away. Nothing lies in the way of the celebrated wedding of Lada and Radovan.

Cast

František Smolík

král Hostivít

Martin Růžek

král Kazisvět VI.

Marie Kyselková

princezna Lada, Hostivítova dcera

Josef Zíma

princ Radovan

Stanislav Neumann

vrchní kuchař

Eduard Kohout

maršálek

Josef Vinklář

kuchtík Janek

Stella Májová

vévodkyně Glorie

Květa Fialová

princezna Florindella

Theodor Pištěk

princův pobočník

Karel Effa

pobočník krále Kazisvěta

Jan Skopeček

strážný

Miroslav Svoboda

pobočník krále Kazisvěta

Václav Švec

strážný

Crew and creators

Director

Martin Frič

Second Unit Director

Václav Berdych

Based on

Božena Němcová (Princezna se zlatou hvězdou na čele – pohádka), K. M. Walló (Princezna se zlatou hvězdou – divadelní hra na motivy pohádky Princezna se zlatou hvězdou na čele)

Shooting Script

Martin Frič

Director of Photography

Jan Roth

Camera Operator

Josef Pávek, Jan Kváča

Production Designer

Bohuslav Kulič

Assistent Production Designer

Věra Líznerová

Set Designer

Josef Pavlík

Costume Designer

Vladimír Synek

Make-Up Artist

Gustav Hrdlička

Film Editor

Jan Kohout

Sound Designer

Emanuel Formánek

Production Manager

Rudolf Wolf

Unit Production Manager

Vladimír Vojta

Cooperation

Jiřina Kottová

Music

Music Composed by

Bohuslav Sedláček

Music Performed by

FISYO (Music Conducted by František Belfín)

Choreographer

Bedřich Füsseger

Songs

Pověz mi, modrá obloho

Song Composer Bohuslav Sedláček
Writer of Lyrics K. M. Walló
Singer Marie Kyselková [dab]

Prstýnek něžný dala mi

Song Composer Bohuslav Sedláček
Writer of Lyrics K. M. Walló
Singer Josef Zíma

Production info

Original Title

Princezna se zlatou hvězdou

Czech Title

Princezna se zlatou hvězdou

English Title

The Princess with the Golden Star

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

fairytale

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1959

Production Year

1959

Production specifications

literary Screenplay approved 12 January 1959
technical Screenplay approved 3 February 1959
start of filming 20 March 1959
end of filming 6 June 1959
projection approval 25 August 1959

Premiere

preview 4 December 1959 (kino Sevastopol /1 týden/, Praha)
premiere 18 December 1959 /suitable for youths/ (kina Mladých /4 týdny/ a Lucerna /3 týdny od 25. 12./, Praha)

Copyright Holders

Národní filmový archiv

Studio

Barrandov

Creative Group

Tvůrčí skupina Hanuš – Pavlíček, Ladislav Hanuš (vedoucí výroby tvůrčí skupiny), František Pavlíček (vedoucí dramaturg tvůrčí skupiny)

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

77 min

Original length in metres

2 199 meters

Distribution carrier

16mm, 35mm

Aspect ratio

1:1,37

Colour

colour

Sound

sound

Sound system/format

mono

Versions

Czech

Dialogue languages

Czech

Subtitles languages

without subtitles

Opening/End credits languages

Czech