Christian (1939 film)
 | This article may be expanded with text translated from the corresponding article in Czech. (July 2010) Click [show] for important translation instructions.
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| Christian | |
|---|---|
 Czech poster | |
| Directed by | Martin Frič |
| Written by | |
| Produced by | Jan Sinnreich |
| Starring | Oldřich Nový |
| Cinematography | Ferdinand Pečenka |
| Edited by | Jan Kohout |
| Music by | Sláva Eman Nováček |
Production company | AB |
| Distributed by | Lucernafilm |
Release date |
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Running time | 96 minutes |
| Country | Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia |
| Language | Czech |
| Budget | 675,000 Kčs[1] |
Christian (Czech: Kristián) is a 1939 Czech comedy film directed by Martin Frič.[1] The film is based on a French play by Yvan Noé.
On the first of every month, a mysterious guest, who goes by the name Kristián, appears in the fashionable Orient Bar. He tips lavishly, and on every visit, his tales of foreign travels charm a new woman into falling for him. After every conquest, however, he slips away, vanishing poignantly but harmlessly into the night—until a dropped business card betrays his identity. Thanks to the clue, his latest conquest, Zuzana, discovers that by day Kristián is merely Alois Novák, a mousy travel agent with a wife, and Zuzana decides to take humorous revenge. The result is a witty movie that calls to mind American screwball comedies of the same era such as The Lady Eve and The Awful Truth.[2] In real life, the actresses who played Zuzana and Novák's wife were friends, and during World War II they competed for the affections of the producer Willy Söhnel.[1]
Production[]
The film is based on a play by Yvan Noé.[3] Shooting of the film took 23 days and cost 675,000 Kčs. The film premiered on 8 September 1939.[1]
Plot[]
Alois Novák is an uninspired clerk married to Marie. He lives a boring life and wants to feel adventure. Once in a month he attends Orient bar disguised as a rich traveller Kristian and seduces beautiful and elegant women and then leaves them broken-hearted. One day he meets Zuzana. She sees through his game and doesn't let herself be fooled. She starts to search for him which leads to many comical situations. She eventually finds him and makes Novák to return to reality. Novák leaves his Kristián persona but becomes a more confident person and more loving husband for his wife.
Cast[]
- Oldřich Nový as Alois Novák alias Kristián
- Nataša Gollová as Marie Nováková
- Raoul Schránil as Fred
- as Petr
- Adina Mandlová as Fred's fiancée Zuzana Rendlová
- as Travel agent Josef Novotný
- as Marie's aunt
- Jaroslav Marvan as Travel agency manager Král
- Čeněk Šlégl as Dandy with a handkerchief
- as Manager of the "Orient" bar
- as Waiter Robert
- Jan W. Speerger as Barman
Release[]
The film premiered on 8 September 1939. It remained in cinemas for 5 weeks. The film was re-released in theatres in 1951, but all scenes featuring were cut from the film, because he emigrated in 1948.[1]
Possible sequel[]
Oldřich Nový wanted to collaborate with Martin Frič on a sequel called Christian Returns. Nový even wrote a screenplay with his wife.[1]
References[]
- ^ a b c d e f "Kristián". csfd.cz. Retrieved 2011-01-29.
- ^ "Kristián. 1939. Directed by Martin Fric". Museum of Modern Art. April 20, 2017. Retrieved May 5, 2017.
- ^ "Kristian (1939)". Filmový přehled (in Czech). Retrieved 3 May 2018.
External links[]
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- Culture articles needing translation from Czech Wikipedia
- 1939 films
- Czech-language films
- 1939 comedy films
- Czechoslovak films
- Czechoslovak black-and-white films
- Czechoslovak comedy films
- Czech films
- Czech comedy films
- Czech black-and-white films
- Films directed by Martin Frič
- 1930s Czech film stubs
- 1930s comedy film stubs