Night at Karlštejn

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1973

Production year

1972—1973

Premiere

12 July 1974

Runtime

87 min

Director

Zdeněk Podskalský

Genre

historical, musical

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Noc na Karlštejně

Czech title

Noc na Karlštejně

English title

Night at Karlštejn

Summary

Jaroslav Vrchlický’s stage comedy was first performed in May 1884. The light-hearted love story of a King and his Queen, which takes place in a castle devoted to spiritual contemplation, was first adapted for the silver screen by director Olaf Larus-Racek as a silent film in 1919, and later by František Filip, whose 1965 television drama starred Vladimír Ráž and Jiřina Bohdalová and benefited from pop hits revived with new lyrics. However, neither of the earlier adaptations can hold a candle to the musical film made in 1973 by director Zdeněk Podskalský, full of catchy tunes written by Karel Svoboda. In Podskalský's film, the late Middle Ages become a backdrop to two love stories: the married romance of Emperor Charles IV and his wife Elizabeth of Pomerania, and the burgeoning love of the burgrave’s niece Alena and Pešek, the royal cupbearer. Both ladies violate the King’s edict banning women from entering Karlštejn castle: the Empress comes in secret to be close to her beloved but distant husband; Alena sneaks in disguised as a guard in an attempt to win a bet with her father and marry the man she wants. A duo of meddlesome, nosy guests, the Cypriot king and the Duke of Bavaria, become witness to countless cross-dressing shenanigans. In the end, love triumphs over courtly etiquette. This playful historical comedy stars many famous actors of the time. Vlastimil Brodský and Jana Brejchová play the Emperor and Empress; Daniela Kolářová and Jaromír Hanzlík perform the parts of Alena and Pešek. Jaroslav Marvan plays the burgrave and singer Waldemar Matuška stars as the King of Cyprus. Actors also offer impressive singing performances, with the exception of Jana Brejchová, whose singing part was performed by Helena Vondráčková.

Synopsis

The young queen Eliška Pomořanská (Elizabeth of Pomerania) waits in vain for her husband Emperor Karel IV. (Charles IV) to join a celebration at the Prague Castle. The king is busy with state duties. Eliška at least looks forward to taking a journey with Karel to Karlštejn castle. To her great surprise, she learns that women are banned from Karlštejn. She finally goes to the small castle of Karlík to be closer to her husband. – At Karlštejn, everything is being prepared for the Emperor's arrival. The guests, the Cypriot king Petr and the Bavarian archduke Štěpán, are already there. Neither of the royal guests believes that the ban on female visitors is going to be strictly observed but even they do not suspect that the orders have already been broken. Not just one but two women have already found their way into Karlštejn. One is the Queen Eliška, and the other Alena, the burgrave's niece dressed as a pageboy who has laid a wager with her father that she will spend a night at the castle. Her fathers' blessing for her marriage to the royal tapster Pešek is to be her reward should she succeed. The archbishop Arnošt of Pardubice soon discovers Eliška is in the castle. To keep her presence secret, the queen appears in disguise as a night guard in the anteroom to the royal chamber. King Petr almost discovers her there, and the Emperor recognizes her beyond any doubt, but he gives no hint of it and after learning about the other girl he orders a search. Pešek tells the burgrave that Alena is in the castle. While everybody is searching for the two intruders, Arnošt confesses everything to the Emperor. The Emperor calls off the search. Alena must leave the castle without delay. In the resulting confusion, Arnošt leads Eliška out of the castle unnoticed and immediately afterwards announces her arrival. The Emperor welcomes her at the castle, which will from now on belong equally to her.

Photos

Based on

Jaroslav Vrchlický (Noc na Karlštejně – divadelní hra)

Screenplay

Zdeněk Podskalský

Shooting Script

Zdeněk Podskalský

Dramaturg

Milena Honzíková, Věra Kalábová

Director of Photography

Jaroslav Kučera

Second Unit Photography

Oldřich Hubáček

Camera Operator

Jiří Pospíšil

Production Designer

Boris Moravec

Assistent Production Designer

Jiří Matolín

Set Designer

Josef Dvořák

Costume Designer

Irena Greifová

Costumes

Božena Světlá

Make-Up Artist

Rudolf Buneš

Film Editor

Zdeněk Stehlík

Sound Designer

Miloslav Hůrka

Special Effects

Josef Staněk

Production Manager

Josef Ouzký

Unit Production Manager

Jiří Mařas, Růžena Hulínská

Unit Production Manager

Vladimíra Kopecká

Consultant

Dobroslava Menclová, Jana Budíková, Ivan Chrz, František Michálek (jezdectví)

Cooperation

Karel Šebík (fotograf)

Music

Music Composed by

Karel Svoboda

Music Performed by

Orchestr Václava Zahradníka (Music Conducted by Václav Zahradník), FISYO (Music Conducted by Štěpán Koníček)

Choreographer

Josef Koníček

Songs

Jede král

Song Composer Karel Svoboda
Writer of Lyrics Jiří Štaidl
Singer Vokální soubor Lubomíra Pánka

Do věží

Song Composer Karel Svoboda
Writer of Lyrics Jiří Štaidl
Singer Waldemar MatuškaHelena Vondráčková

Muži nejlíp sluší sólo

Song Composer Karel Svoboda
Writer of Lyrics Jiří Štaidl
Singer Karel HálaPetr SpálenýKarel ŠtědrýViktor SodomaPavel BartoňJan LibíčekVokální soubor Lubomíra Pánka

Hoja hoj!

Song Composer Karel Svoboda
Writer of Lyrics Jiří Štaidl
Singer Daniela KolářováVokální soubor Lubomíra Pánka

Je v tom něčí dcera

Song Composer Karel Svoboda
Writer of Lyrics Jiří Štaidl
Singer Jaromír HanzlíkWaldemar MatuškaMiloš Kopecký

Když mám tekutou révu

Song Composer Karel Svoboda
Writer of Lyrics Jiří Štaidl
Singer Jaroslav MarvanWaldemar Matuška

Ať jde o pannu nebo o paní

Song Composer Karel Svoboda
Writer of Lyrics Jiří Štaidl
Singer Pavel BartoňKarel EffaEugen JegorovJaroslav MarvanWaldemar MatuškaZdeněk NajmanVáclav ŠteklMilan NedělaVokální soubor Lubomíra Pánka

Ten, kdo nedumá

Song Composer Karel Svoboda
Writer of Lyrics Jiří Štaidl
Singer Daniela KolářováJaromír Hanzlík

Kdypak tetřevi hon s lovci prohrají

Song Composer Karel Svoboda
Writer of Lyrics Jiří Štaidl
Singer Miloš KopeckýWaldemar Matuška

Lásko má, já stůňu

Song Composer Karel Svoboda
Writer of Lyrics Jiří Štaidl
Singer Jana Brejchová [dab]Helena Vondráčková

Finále

Song Composer Karel Svoboda
Writer of Lyrics Jiří Štaidl
Singer Waldemar MatuškaHelena VondráčkováVokální soubor Lubomíra Pánka

Production info

Original Title

Noc na Karlštejně

Czech Title

Noc na Karlštejně

English Title

Night at Karlštejn

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

historical, musical

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1973

Production Year

1972—1973

Production specifications

literary Screenplay approved 13 July 1972
technical Screenplay approved 20 October 1972
start of filming 4 April 1973
end of filming 27 June 1973
projection approval 31 October 1973

Premiere

gala premiere 28 March 1974 (kino Blaník, Praha)
festival premiere 13 June 1974 (25. filmový festival pracujících – červen ´74)
premiere 12 July 1974 /suitable for youths/ (celostátní)
premiere 23 July 1974 /suitable for youths/ (Sportovní hala Parku kultury a oddechu Julia Fučíka, Praha)

Production

Filmové studio Barrandov

Copyright Holders

Státní fond kinematografie

Studio

Barrandov

Distribution

Ústřední půjčovna filmů

Creative Group

Dramaturgická skupina Miloše Brože, Miloš Brož (vedoucí dramaturgické skupiny)

Sales

Národní filmový archiv, Obchodní oddělení

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

87 min

Original length in metres

2 431 meters

Distribution carrier

16mm, 35mm

Aspect ratio

1:1,66

Colour

colour

Sound

sound

Sound system/format

mono

Versions

Czech

Dialogue languages

Czech, Latin

Subtitles languages

without subtitles

Opening/End credits languages

Czech

Night at Karlštejn

Country

Copyright

Production year

Premiere

Runtime

Director

Category

Genre

Typology

Original title

Czech title

English title

Summary

Synopsis

Photos

Cast

Věra Kozlová

Jiří Hladký

Karel Bodnár

Vít Buček

Pavel Kos

Antonín Pokorný

Milena Kaplická

Bernard Fürst

Josef Kovařík

Josef Vlček (2)

Jan Janeček

Karel Medek

Jaroslav Palkoska

Ivan Chrz

Petr Lebeda

Marian Linder

Ivo Prokop

Miloslav Průša

Tomáš Svoboda (2)

Vladislav Drtina

Petr Gasseldorfer

Lubor Karger

Drahomíra Plasová

Zdeněk Boubelík

Eva Boubelíková

Josef Brozman

Josef Cmíral

Dana Daňková

Jaroslav Doleček (2)

Miroslav Fabiánek

Marta Fialová

Tomáš Hanták

Anna Hantáková

Jaroslav Hostaša

Marcela Hrušková

Jana Čižinská

Karel Klement

Jan Kolenatý

Elena Lindauerová

Stanislava Martínková

Elvíra Matoušková

Rudolf Mošna

Dagmar Najdenová

Zdeněk Pešek

Zbyněk Pohlídal

Helena Postránecká

Pavel Ruta

Bobina Staňková

Ivana Suchá

Jaroslav Šmída

Vladimír Štúr

Ladislav Tajovský

Jaroslava Vejmelková

Eva Zakouřilová

Petr Zámostný

Crew and creators

Director

Second Unit Director

Assistant Director

Continuity

Screenstory

Based on

Screenplay