Josef Oliak

Four short stories by the greatest Czech satirist Jaroslav Hašek. "Soup for Poor Children" tells the story of how Prince Robert himself cooked soup for poor children, "Meeting of the Municipal Council in Mejdlovary" is the history of filling the position of municipal policeman, "Trampotes of Mr. Tenkrát" shows how strange events lead to marriage and promotion, "Revolt of the Convict Šejba" depicts the victorious fight of the convict Šejba for a dumpling for ministering at mass.

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The Emperor's mismanagement of his country is provoking some in his court to plot to overthrow him. He feels successful, at least, when he discovers the legendary Golem, which he believes can protect him and even cure his imaginary illnesses but, when he disappears while on a bender, his kindly baker, who looks just like him, is mistaken for him, and begins to put things in order. However, the conspirators, not to be outdone, determine to bring the Golem back to life to do their bidding.

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Prague, during World War II. Hana Kaufmann, a Jewish ophthalmologist, marries Dr. Antonín Bureš, a Christian man. When her family is sent to the Theresienstadt concentration camp, their romance turns into a struggle for survival.

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The mysterious story of a young girl Pavla, who mysteriously disappeared from her mother five years ago, takes place in the dark corners of the Bratislava port. The girl was kidnapped by the hypnotist Lascani, who performs in a variety show and has just arrived in Pavla's hometown on his travels. He completely controls his victim and Pavla doesn't remember anything. She has to act as his "medium" with Lascani and even has to be his lover. However, a young boatman, Franta, falls in love with the girl and tries to free her...

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Five crime stories connected by the narration of police superintendent Bartosek.

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An ambitious and selfish lawyer confesses to the murder of his first wife. Some of the scenes were filmed in the last weeks of the war.

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A small Czech town in the 1860s. The townspeople once made a fortune from the proceeds of gold mines that are now flooded. However, they do not want to invest in draining them, as they are convinced that it is not worth it. However, the cessation of mining has plunged the miners' family into poverty. After vain requests for help in the town and the governor's office, the miners decide to take action themselves...

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A young and beautiful princess and her senile husband arrive at a castle near the village. The healthy air is supposed to help them with their busy heir. The princess accidentally meets the village shepherd Sochor and soon gives birth to a son. The young man from the village in question then marries and has only daughters. The princess returns after years with her clever son. He falls in love with Sochor's daughter, but her father drives him with a belt...

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Hairdresser Žofka Stárková desires fame perhaps more than other girls. The petty plans of her fiancé František do not satisfy her wild imagination. Žofka suddenly gains popularity when, while on her way to get an autograph, she discovers the dead body of the famous tenor Helbich and is arrested on suspicion of murder. Helbich actually committed suicide because he lost his voice. After being released from prison, Žofka receives an offer for the lead role in a forthcoming film. The dubious fame confuses her. She leaves her parents' modest apartment and quits her hairdressing business. Unfortunately, it soon becomes clear that she has no talent for acting, and the desperate director has the film edited in such a way that Žofka practically disappears from it...

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Tragicomic events in the idyllic town of Rukapán reveal both the prejudices of the local residents and their solidarity. The chronicle of the town of Rukapán captures the funny and tragic fates of its inhabitants at the end of the nineteenth century. Poacher Matěj saves the council of Zimmerheier in a buried mine, mayor Buzek is warned by an angel to stop drinking, and other events form a mosaic of the small town.

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Marta Dekasová works as a governess in a garrison town. The beautiful girl is the center of attention of many men, but she only desires Lieutenant Varga, who is married and rejects her. Desperate, Marta throws herself into the arms of the most intrusive of her suitors, and is then dismissed in disgrace. She goes to Prague to live with her friend Kiki, becomes a bar singer, and continues her journey down the sloping surface. Hope for a new life dawns on her when a young student falls in love with her, but just then Varga appears in the bar and rekindles her unquenched feelings...

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You will meet the family of the miller Kaliba, who is proud not only of his mill, but also of the family tradition, according to which the milling profession has been passed down at the inn's mill for almost three hundred years. And since Mr. Kaliba has no son, it is certain that his only daughter Liduška must marry a miller. Perhaps this would have happened if the Kalibas had not gone to the anniversary exhibition. Here, Liduška meets the handsome engineer Karel Loukota, who is an overly zealous member of the cycling club "Don't Get Married!", but is not immune to love at all. Of course, he will face many hardships and obstacles, the biggest of which is, of course, the miller Kaliba with his fierce efforts to uphold the family tradition...

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The fiddler Valenta has troubled his wife with his drinking and disorderly life. His daughter Rozárka and her younger sisters go to their aunt's in Prague, and their father sets fire to the abandoned house. Rozárka is suspected...

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A lost lady's glove that connects several human destinies. The focus here is not on the lost part of the wardrobe, but on piano virtuoso Arne Brant, a man armed with a charming smile and surrounded by women, two of whom have particularly influenced his life. The first is the daughter of a famous can-can star, dancer Pavlína Doré-Zejdová, the second is Mařenka Berková, the main character of the film and a kind of Kristián in skirts. An orderly and well-bred daughter from an honorable family who lives her second life as a lady of high society. The lost glove complicates the situation for all of them considerably, but in the end she finds her rightful place, just like the heroes of the film...

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You can see for yourself that finding the right one is not easy in this Czech comedy film. The gullible daughter of a bankrupt landowner would never have imagined that she had married not the rich man who was supposed to save her family, but a marriage fraudster who was impersonating him. The cheerful story full of mistakes and misunderstandings still captivates with its plot and quick dialogues.

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Ríša, a student of law, neglects his studies in favour of parties and pranks. His angry father refuses to continue helping him out of his debts. Ríša, however, is not entirely beyond hope. He decides to go and stay for a while with his uncle, a priest, who lives in Moravia, in order to prepare for his exams. He meets Helenka, the timid daughter of the local gamekeeper, at a village ball and is enchanted by her. The days pass and their idyllic relationship begins to tire Ríša. He begins to tell Helenka about his former debauched life the about the broken hearts of beautiful women. Helenka is hurt and refuses to see Ríša anymore. His uncle, the priest, is incensed at his behaviour and orders his nephew out of the house. Ríša tries desperately to find Helenka so he can make it up to her.

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Folk song collector Dr. Šerk arrives in the remote village of Lesov. He is enchanted by the singing of sixteen-year-old Madla Satranová and he records her songs for radio broadcast. Šerk's friend, composer Jaroslav Klán, takes care of a group of orphans, from whom he has formed a choir. Šerk brings the orphaned Madla to him. The teenage girl begins to help the housewife Nána with the care of the children.

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A painting of a girl from another time comes to life for it's buyer in this costume comedy.

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The factory owner Hložek is in a constant dispute with his son Jiří. Jiří wants to modernize the factory, but his father is afraid that the new machines will deprive the workers of their jobs. News of the factory modernization divides the employees into two hostile camps. To prevent unrest, Hložek offers his son money from his mother's inheritance in exchange for his departure. Jiří's biggest opponents include two older employees of the company - the correspondent Málek and the accountant Mazara...

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A young princess arrives at her estate. She is bored by the welcoming ceremony and is quite happy to hear about the rebellious miller who refused to come to the castle. He lives with his mother and ward Hanička in an old mill. The miller is exempt from work, but he is obliged, if the lordship requests it, to accompany her with a lantern to the forest castle. The princess likes the miller and therefore uses his right...

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Mr. Ducháček runs the law firm of JUDr. Faukner in a peculiar but completely devoted manner, which manages the financial affairs of the Rispaldic family. The family members treat their lawyer Faukner with condescension, except for their daughter Julia, who secretly loves him. However, no one except Ducháček knows that the squandering family no longer has any money and that JUDr. Faukner is subsidizing it, because he is also secretly in love with Julia.

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Juraj Hordubal returns from America after eight years, where he has earned enough money to improve his farm. However, his daughter Hafia does not recognize him and his wife Polana does not show any joy at his return. Štěpán Manya has been a farmhand on the farm all these years, and people claim that he has become Polana's lover. Juraj denies the accusations and believes that his wife's distance from him is only due to the long separation...

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The family of Prague burgher and master interior decorator Václav Kondelík lives happily in their house on Ječná Street. The peace is disturbed by an invitation to an "apron party", where their daughter Pepička meets a young municipal official, František Vejvara. The two young people fall in love. Their relationship is also supported by Mrs. Kondelíková, because Vejvara could become a welcome groom for her daughter. However, Pepička's acquaintance disrupts the established order of Kondelík's life.

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Orphaned Zdeňka Štěpánová helps her foster parents in Moravia at an inn. One day she learns that she is to be taken in by the owner of a toy factory, Miloš Kavan, who will fulfill her father's last wish. At the same time that Kavan and his housekeeper Mrs. Julie are expecting Zdeňka, their caretaker's little niece Hanička arrives. Mrs. Julie initially considers her her protégé, because she has no idea that Zdeňka is already a grown-up girl...

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A young village shopkeeper, Ferda Zuska, wants to jump in front of a train because his girlfriend has married someone else. At the last moment, he is saved by the railway guard Douša and his wife Anna. Ferda soon forgets his sadness and starts courting Anna. The unsuspecting Douša is the laughing stock of the whole village. Moreover, during Ferda's rescue, he slipped on the embankment, injured himself, and has had difficulty hearing since then. One day, he even discovers with horror that he has gone completely deaf and that he must therefore leave his job...

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The cunning lawyer Dr. Werner tries to divorce Pavel Bertl, who is considered by everyone to be a notorious gambler and drunkard. In reality, he is a weakling; although he loves his wife very much, he squanders her fortune. He is already in danger of financial ruin and Bertl, instead of truly improving himself, lets the lawyer convince him that the only way out of this situation is divorce. He secretly leaves home for the mountains with a girl whom the lawyer randomly finds for him, in order to obtain a reason for the divorce...

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One of the few European films of the 30s to criticize the Nazis, even if they couldn't be directly named due to censorship: Gangsters with gray hats stir up trouble in what is obviously the Sudetenland.

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