Gustav Hilmar

The Merry Wives

A morally questionable lord comes to the aid of a working class man who is to be executed for speaking out about thieving rich scoundrels sticking it to the poor.

Happy Journey

Filmed during the Nazi occupation, this panoramic drama set in a Prague department store follows the divergent destinies of four female coworkers, each of whom seeks happiness in a different way.

Jarní píseň

School Is the Foundation of Life

Seventh form pupils at a grammar school in Přívlaky are preparing for a secondary school sports competition. Class creep Krhounek gives the class teacher Lejsal a copy of the seventh form’s magazine Roar. Most of the teachers insist on severe punishing the culprit. The author does not own up and consequently the whole class is punished by being banned from taking part in the schools competition. The most gifted pupil, Benetka, rather sharply criticises the school in a homework essay on a subject of his choice. The strict Czech language teacher is convinced Benetka is the author of the school magazine. Benetka denies the charge but his expulsion from school is proposed anyway on account the views he expounded in his essay. Eventually, Boukal, the author of the school magazine comes forward and admits to writing it. The pupils are allowed to take part in the contest and thanks to Benetka they win. In the meantime however the teachers vote to expell him.

Advent

A ballad story from the life of the inhabitants of the Moravian Beskydy Mountains. The heroine is a young woman, Františka Plesníková. Františka's lover was killed by a falling tree before he could marry her, and the girl faced the bitter fate of a "roll" of illegitimate mother. Františka fought with all her might for a better life for her son Metúdek. For his sake, she eventually married an old widower farmer, Podešva. However, she soon realized that her marriage had not benefited either herself or her child.

Karel a já

The factory owner's son Oldřich missed his own wedding. He overdid his bachelor party and spent the night before the wedding in Mr. Šourek's carriage, who asked him in vain for his address. In the morning, the cabman went to the police for advice, but the passenger woke up and drove away with his carriage. He headed for his bride, but she was offended and threw him out. Oldřich also became hardened and declared that he would marry the first girl he met. The further development of events was ensured by Šourek's horse Karel, when he headed home, bringing Boženka, his master's daughter, to Oldřich's path. But she was not interested in the spoiled young man either. So Oldřich bet with her father that he would work hard for a month. If he won, he would win Boženka's hand, the cab, and the faithful Karel...

Ballad-Singer

A Step into the Darkness

A dashing but mysterious man saves a gambler from suicide, crashes the posh party of a prominent industrialist, falls in love with his daughter, and finds himself in a web of intrigue revolving around her blackmailing fiance and a gang of counterfeiters.