Sylvie Havránková

In the garden of Hojtaš's estate, local dignitaries gather to watch a theatrical performance starring the author of the play, Dr. Pavel Chvojka, the landowner's granddaughter Olga, and Lenka, her ward. Lenka is intoxicated by the theater and Pavel, but he prefers the more experienced Olga. Lenka runs away to Prague to become a real actress. However, the beginnings are difficult and the girl is forced to work in a fashion salon. Here she meets the warm-hearted Milada, with whom she also shares a sublet. In the salon, Lenka meets Pavel again after some time...

The smooth narration, corresponding to the requirements of a light comedy, develops the smiling and optimistic story of the "one-armed" beggar Dostál, who earned enough money with his excellent begging skills to buy a nice house, become a respectable master of the house, and save the impoverished lawyer Neprosil from poverty, who he contributed regularly to him when he was still well off. He also wanted to get him together with his pretty ward Zorka, for whom he said he would be an ideal husband, but the young people were able to do that by themselves and without his clumsy help, or rather despite his rather ineffective help... The film was shown at the VI. IFF in Venice in 1938.

Country tailor Florian Svíčička neglects his work because of his interest in medieval history. When preparing an amateur performance at Zdislavice Castle, he gladly replaces the bailiff and plays the role of a knight. However, he ruins the performance and is shamefully banished. On his way home, he witnesses a horrific scene in the forest: two knights behead a young girl. It later turns out that it was a filming, and the girl Hana, a double for the famous diva Elvíra, spends the night with Florian at the castle because the filmmakers accidentally leave her. The master loses patience with Florian's excesses and Florian is fired from the tailoring shop. He sets off for Prague to find the girl he was with at the castle the night before. However, he does not know her name and accidentally comes to Elvíra's villa. The diva is not at home. Florian finds a love letter in the villa and thinks it is addressed to him. However, upon his return, Elvíra mercilessly throws Florian out...

“The Carpathians are medieval!” one character bellows, and this tale of the tree-chopper Petro, his faithless wife Marijka, and various scheming businessmen and foremen does little to disprove the assertion. Interestingly filmed with a nonprofessional cast recruited from the region, Faithless Marijka may have a neorealist conceit, but its direction is utterly futuristic, filled with the lightning-fast montage techniques and low-angle camera of the Soviet avant-garde (along with its invigorating agitprop).