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.
Vlasta Burian, as a stowaway, disrupts the disciplined operation of a railway station. Mr. Ťopka gives the impression of a gentleman, somewhat Chaplin-like. He makes a living by doing odd jobs, for which he exclusively rides the train as a stowaway. During one of his trips, he meets the feared railway inspector general Kokrhel. At a small station, he manages to get out and change into the stationmaster's uniform. However, he cannot avoid meeting Inspector Kokrhel...
Strict and always dissatisfied grumbler Mr. Angel gets a voucher for summer recreation. He rejects it at first but he eventually decides to use it and spend 14 days in unionist hut Jezerka together with other merited co-workers.
The title refers to the office of records in the basement of a large company... sort of the place where a troublesome employee may be dumped in a dead end job. If fact, the story is a simple romantic comedy, with Burian as the kindly old stick-in-the-mud who helps the young man to sort out his romance with the daughter of the company's owner.
A rich bachelor, Pavel Haken, tries - with the help of his faithful servant - to escape the courtship of marriageable young ladies. They meet at a ladies' social club. In the cafeteria there, he is helped by the talkative Andula, the daughter of a poor taxi driver. Haken longs for peace and has a secluded weekend villa built for him. The brief silence that followed his mother's departure is interrupted by the inhabitants of a tent camp. The girls from the club have taken advantage of Mrs. Haken's offer and camped on their property, and Andula helps out in the camp kitchen...
A social comedy about a wealthy man in his prime, for whom marital infidelity is just a pleasant and regular sport. A young flower shop owner, to whom her husband seems to be generally ordinary and overworked, nevertheless manages to resist the advances of an experienced seducer.
Slightly ironic comedy of wretches, who come to understand the rich and are able to accept charity, and also about how love and work prevail over the factory owner's son.
A very hardworking but also very naive insurance company clerk, Valentin Plavec, becomes the target of endless pranks, jokes and recessions from his colleagues Bejšovec and Voborník. However, their last successful trick somewhat gets out of hand. They add a one to the winning number 8456 and convince Valentin that he has won a million in the lottery. However, since Valentin cannot collect his winnings immediately, he withdraws twenty thousand, which is all the savings he has saved together with his fiancée Helena, and starts shopping for a deposit. However, the truth soon comes out and when his colleagues reveal to him that it was just a joke, they all leave him, only the faithful Helena stays and even helps the unfortunate fiancé cancel all the deposits and agreed deals. When the newspaper reports that there has been a mistake and the winning ticket is number 18456, Valentin decides to take revenge on the two pranksters...
In "Fidlovacka", the name of a Czechoslovakian festival, the proprietress of a cheese factory picks a fiancé for her orphaned niece in her desire to bring aristocratic blood into the family. THe niece has also picked the man she wants to marry and isn't the the rich aristocrat.
An employee of the funeral home Pleticha calls his superior. He overhears that he is supposed to buy a wedding gift and deliver it to his boss's relatives. He therefore sets off to the given address to organize the funeral. When the mistake is explained, Pleticha, in return for the entertainment, performs dances and songs of various nations for the wedding guests. One of the guests, grandfather Boleslav Hnipírdo, experienced a train collision near Vrňany on his way to Prague. Since he was not injured, he does not even want to ask for compensation. Pleticha takes advantage of this and goes to the railway headquarters with his leg bandaged. He pretends to be Hnipírdo and is questioned in detail about his journey. Thanks to his talkativeness, he reveals, among other things, that he jumped on a moving train, drove illegally, spat on the window and tore off the emergency brake...
A painting of a girl from another time comes to life for it's buyer in this costume comedy.
Leopold Kohák married a rich widow a long time ago and now has nothing to do compared to his energetic wife. He's growing old and troubled by the fact that he betrayed his first love Emča and his beloved river Sázava where he spent his childhood and youth. A visit from an old friend Lebeda brings it all back to him. After a nervous breakdown Leopold secretly visits his home instead of going to the spa. A wandering tramp suggest Leopold should bathe in the magical waters of the Sázava, and slowly his youth returns to him.
The orphan Eliška Irovská, nicknamed Líza, arrives in her native village of Ptačice. As an orphan she is housed in the local poorhouse and has to go out begging. Her guardian Petr Tumlíř, however, sees that she is competent enough to go to school.
Věra Donátová has graduated from law school and wants to open a law firm. However, she is financially dependent on her parents. Her emancipated mother supports her efforts, but her father gives Věra money on the condition that if her practice is not successful within a year, she will marry the son of Consul Raboch. Věra has no clients. The first case is assigned to her ex officio. Věra visits her client Petr Kučera, known as Tygr, in a prison cell and achieves his release against his will. In an attempt to reform him, she offers him a position as a butler in his office. Tygr invites her to a pub to get acquainted with the mentality of the underworld. Věra likes his sovereign behavior. The one-year deadline has passed and Father Donát is throwing a feast. He wants Věra to choose from several invited suitors. Věra ridicules all the suitors, including Consul Raboch's son...
The stuffed animal dealer Václav Barvínek spent twenty-four hours in prison for a petty dispute. And that very day, his uncle's will was read, stating that the deceased had hidden a check for a million crowns somewhere. If it was not cashed by the appointed time, the entire amount would go to charity. The other relatives looted all the movable property, and only an abandoned Saint Bernard remained in the uncle's villa, which the kind-hearted Mr. Barvínek took in. The cheated heir continues to lead a simple life and has no idea that wealth is within reach. He has quite different worries - the heart of the elderly fat man has burned with love for a girl whose friendliness he misinterpreted...
Anton Špelec (Vlasta Burin) is a producer of musical instruments by trade but a sharp-shooter at heart. He expects to be awarded a medal at a large parade in town where veteran sharp-shooters will be honored. When the town council is one medal short, Anton must wait another year for his prized possession. He drowns his disappointment in drink at the local pub and becomes so drunk that he insults the emperor who sentences him to jail. Instead of fulfilling the emperor’s orders himself, Anton sends his employee in his stead.
People are afraid of the usurer Chazaj and are convinced that he is the bearer of evil. One day Chazaj pays a visit to the poor artist Simon Jordán and asks him to paint his portrait. Simon agrees but as he progresses with the work his mind conjures up terrible thoughts and in the end he commits suicide. The portrait looks lifelike and Chazaj is content with the results. After Chazaj's death the picture changes hands and brings misfortune to all who own it. The last victim is the young painter Roman who buys Chazaj's portrait in a bazaar. He finds a treasure in the frame and begins to live well off it. The comfortable life suits him so well that he rejects his original artistic aims and becomes a painter of fashionable kitsch.
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.
Woman concert star seeks to connect with her adult daughter, by her former marriage to a staid industrialist who has kept the two apart since the girl was very small, and receives inadvertent help from the industrialist's just-fired employee who has fallen in love with the girl.
A famous writer seeks the favor of a charming aspiring artist. However, Jarmila intends to dedicate her life to art, and men should have no other place in it than as models for the artist's work. So, the lovelorn Jan disguises himself as a fortune teller and a grandfather with a scythe, just so that the chosen beauty will notice him a little...
Rich spinster Berta celebrates her sixtieth birthday. Her faithful admirer Dr. Jelinek proposes. But Berta can not forget Edward, the great love of her life, and refuses the offer…
Student Jarek Pšenička worries teachers and parents in this Czech comedy. He is in his second year of sixth form and is facing another re-examination. His sister Věra is the exact opposite of her brother: she is a model student. But she also cannot avoid trouble - she falls hopelessly in love with Jarek's home tutor, a candidate for professorship, Stáni Mařík...
A village shop owner is convinced by his children to move to Prague, where they say he'll be able to enjoy a fine retirement in a modern furnished apartment. Bored by life in Prague with nothing to do, the old man takes to helping a young widow in her stationery shop.
Mr. Čap is an inventor who disturbs the peace of the town of Krásnov with his experiments. During his attempts to discover the eternal match, smoke and a stench pour out of the window, accompanied by detonations. Some people are amused by it, others fear for their lives.
Even though the heroine works as a seamstress, she would like to become a designer. And she really has the talent, even a businessman from Paris shows interest in her. But many things turn out to be different than they seem at first. This applies to people and love.
Pharmacist Janota's daughter, Karla, is about to get married to wealthy lawyer Jaroslav Kříž. On the day of the wedding, however, instead of the ceremony, she will have an appendectomy. After the successful procedure, the weakened Karla also develops severe pneumonia and even has a heart attack. Fortunately, she is under the care of Prague's best surgeon, MUDr. Hegl, who saves the young woman from certain death. Karla falls in love with the attractive doctor and begins seeing him. Hegl's resigned wife suffers silently from her husband's affairs in order to preserve the family. Karla's fiancé, on the other hand, cannot cope with the situation and commits suicide. When Karla becomes pregnant with Hegl, the doctor turns away from her. After all, he already has a new "patient". The girl is nevertheless determined to keep the child...
The owner of the ready-to-wear store, Mr. Richard Naceradec from Zizkov, is an enthusiastic fan of S.K. Slavia and despite his wife's opposition, he goes to football every Sunday. Tailor Emanuel Habásko lives alone with his adult son Eman. Widow Ouholicková chases Krejcí endlessly, but father Habásko bravely resists. Habásko do not recognize any other club except S.K. Viktoria. One day, Naceradec will face Eman at the match between Slavia and Viktoria.
The families of Vavruš Cagala and Cyril Hanulík live in a secluded area in the Beskydy Mountains. Vavruš and Cyril are hardworking woodcutters and foremen. Cagala's daughter Terezka likes Tomáš Hanulík, but she also likes Pavel Zgabaj, the son of the owner of the farms in the valley. Cyril Hanulík is jealous of his Heva and wrongly suspects her of infidelity. Francek, whom Heva loved before their marriage, takes revenge on the Hanulíks: he sets fire to their apiary, from which he seizes Cagala's hayloft. Since then, misfortune has befallen the Cagala family. They lose their horses and wood, and old Zgabaj demands the money he lent them. He is only willing to back down from his demands if Terezka marries his son. Cagala does not want to allow her daughter to sacrifice herself, so the girl secretly goes to the farm to work there as a helper on the farm...
An innkeeper is grieving because his wife left him for a second-rate actor. His two nephews, who are not on speaking terms, have to take over the running of the establishment...
Eighteen-year-old factory worker's daughter Věra Janáková is head over heels in love with the famous pilot Jiří Málek. She only knows him from a photograph, but that's enough for her to run away from the boarding house and set out to find him. There, she discovers that the old Málek family are expecting the arrival of a girl from the orphanage, from whom they intend to raise Jiří's future wife. Enterprising Věra doesn't hesitate and quickly disguises herself as a thirteen-year-old frog...
Landlord Orlický has had three failed marriages. This experience has made him a sworn enemy of all women. Only old bachelors can work on his estate, and he forces his nephew and universal heir, Ríša, to the same fate. One day, however, the uncle discovers that Ríša is secretly seeing a girl, becomes angry, and decides to remove him from his will. He has a more suitable heir in reserve: the cabaret dancer and singer Ada Bártů, a descendant of his sister, who once married against her parents' will. She has not had any contact with her relatives for years, so the old man has no idea that Ada's supposed nephew is actually his energetic and enterprising niece...
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...
On a park bench, one gossip tells another the story of a young man who has just passed by. His mother Helena was a beautiful and talented singing student years ago. She was platonically loved by her classmate Vilém, the son of a shoelace merchant. After the conservatory graduation party, Helena was seduced by the frivolous Martin. The next day, he left for Paris and did not report back. The girl was horrified to discover that she was pregnant. Therefore, she welcomed the saving offer of marriage from the faithful Vilém...
Poor saleswoman Helena accepts a theater ticket from a stranger who has left over the ticket after a disagreement with his fiancée Eva. The stranger is millionaire Jára Nerad, and Helena pretends to be rich in front of him. The next day, they meet by chance in the store where Helena works, and the truth comes out. However, Jára doesn't mind, and the two young people start dating...
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...
Milada Dvořáková is about to get married to her business partner Dub, a gas station owner. When she catches him hugging his secretary, she breaks up with him. She sets up a rival company, ŽUB (Women at Gas Stations), and employs only single women. Dub also gets into the competitive fight...
Kind and decent professor Artur Čejka is about to marry his fiancée Helena Frýdlová. On the eve of the wedding, he comes across the unfortunate actress Káťa Holanová on the riverbank, who has been unsuccessfully looking for an engagement for a long time and wants to take her own life out of desperation. Čejka prevents her from committing suicide and helps her. He meets the girl again on the train when he and Helena are going on their honeymoon...
The story of a janitor's daughter who married into a "better man". Obedient to her mother and eager to "rise up" herself, Nanynka did everything she could to avoid being left with a bucket and rags and to be able to move a few floors higher. But marrying off a poor daughter is not exactly easy...
The indebted owner of the Dubanský chateau sees the only way out of his debts in marrying his daughter Jana to the son of his childhood friend Bernard, now a millionaire. Without knowing each other, the young people are both against an arranged marriage. Dubanský himself marries a con artist who pretends to be a rich American and takes her on a honeymoon to the Tatras. In the meantime, the enterprising staff rents out the chateau under the name Bílá vrána to spa guests.
Thirteen people have gathered at Mayor Bartoš's. The company is uneasy about this number and therefore warmly welcomes the fourteenth guest, who is the new librarian Pavel Čtrnáctý...
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.
Jana's beautiful niece arrives in Prague to live with two spinster aunts. Both women wish to marry her off. The son of the court councilor Petr is courting her. However, Jana has met a young official Záviš and the two fall in love. But Záviš is poor and cannot marry yet. They keep it a secret from Jana that he composes songs. Coincidentally, Petr is his friend and both men talk about the girls they love, unaware that in both cases it is Jana...
Adam Kavalír returns from abroad to take over the family factory from his father. But as a consequence of his father's bohemian lifestyle the business is so far in debt that the Kavalírs even lose their villa and must find a place to sublet. Mrs. Trojanová is no longer up to managing her pension, the co-owner of which is none other than her peevish daughter Eva, and she is looking for a capable manager. Adam applies for the position and is accepted.
The bad economic situation causes the owner of a fish shop, Kateřina Udadná, to declare bankruptcy. The woman is devastated because she has worked hard all her life. She unexpectedly receives a letter from America from a certain Jonn Sam, who informs her that he is coming to Europe, where he intends to settle down. He brings her news about the inheritance that Mrs. Kateřina is to receive from his deceased uncle.
Silvestr Blažek loses his job, but he doesn't lose heart. He also courts the saleswoman Boženka Straková. The driver of the builder Herold, Karel Verner, is also interested in the girl. Boženka is the daughter of Narcis Straka, a man with a mysterious past. However, Herold's father-in-law Jakub Suldovský recognizes him as an old friend from Vienna, where they both loved the same woman....
A biographical film about the famous Czech painter Mikoláš Aleš, portrayed as part of the vanguard of the working class and a spokesman for the oppressed, who asserts himself despite the opposing bourgeoisie and reactionaries of all kinds. The film focuses on the period when Mikoláš Aleš participated in the competition to decorate the National Theatre.
Engineer Frank Nor loses his sight in an unfortunate accident. When his superficial fiancée Eliška leaves him, Frank attempts suicide. To prevent him from repeating his attempt, his father hires a young nurse, Milena. The girl takes exemplary care of Frank, literally becoming "the apple of his eye"...
The economic crisis affects the lives of many people. Professor Václav Junek gradually discovers how significantly his idealistic vision differs from the real life of his four children. The eldest son Zdeněk has been an unemployed engineer for two years. Daughter Pavla, a doctor, works in a hospital for a very low salary. The second daughter Hanka has left her job as a stenographer and wants to become a film actress...
Dissolute Abel Beer, with the help of his debt collector friends - usurers, swindles a Prague Doctor Jakub Hlohovský out of a quiet house in Malá Strana. Jakub, familiar with the secrets and effects of various medicines, uses them to make himself look dead.
The movie describes proletarian life in the Czech Lands after World War I.
Film about famous poet Karel Hynek Mácha
Marriage to a despotic man is unbearable for Liliana Garson. After a violent argument with Garson, she leaves jewelry, a wedding ring, and a letter announcing her departure in the drawer of her husband's desk intending to run away with Hugo Paton with whom she is in love. But Hugo is killed in a car accident and feeling helpless Liliana returns home but she is offered a ray of hope from an unexpected source. Polish language version of the 1929 Ruth Chatterton vehicle "The Doctor's Secret".
Helena Leeová is at a spa with her daughter Marcelka. One day a lifeguard saves her from drowning. The rescued woman comes to in the lifeguard's arms. This incident is used by the newspapers to promote a society scandal. They print a report that the lifeguard was seen with Helena in her bedroom. Helena's husband, the banker Filip Lee, is a candidate for bank president. The scandal threatens his career and thus Lee at once demands a divorce. His legal representative, Jan Farrland, not only wins the divorce suit but also manages to have Helena's daughter taken from her custody. One day Farrland meets Helena at a society party and he comes to understand that he has wronged her, and he falls in love with her.
The name day of Mr. Fiala: The husband catches his wife with his friend. In the ensuing argument the husband is insulted and attacked. The lovers believe him to be dead and carry him from the house out into the street. Drunkards find him there and they think they have have killed him. They stand him against a wall with his face in the window of a miser who has just been counting his money. The miser punches the man in the head and takes the "corpse" to river and throws it in.
Zdenka Sulanová has grown from a leggy frog into an attractive young lady in the two years since the success of Líza's Flight to Heaven. It is no wonder that Václav Binovec decided to guide her through the further pitfalls of the life of the orphan Líza, who comes to a monastery boarding school to gradually win the heart of a strict teacher, her classmates, and finally the man who caught her eye at first sight. Of course, it will not be easy and Líza will have to shed a few secret tears, show vitality and a willingness to fight for her happiness. Then even the viewers of this typical First Republic girl's romance can conclude with emotion that the world is not so bad after all, when a poor girl can achieve success in it through diligence and hard work.
A story of two story of two children tossed between their indifferent parents and a progressive boarding school.
A biographical film about a Czech mechanic and designer who was the first in the Czech lands to construct a steam car.
Early Days follows the early life of famous Czech writer Alois Jirásek. Jirásek had already developed his own view of the history of the Czech nation while he was at grammar school in Broumov. When he becomes the supply teach in Litomyšl, he has already written his first book and a number of poems. The local dignitaries await the arrival of the young writer in excited anticipation. Jirásek, however, is sickened by the empty patriotism from the depths of his soul and soon becomes disagreeable to the notables. The district sheriff tries to remove Jirásek from the school and drive him out of town. Unable to do this, the sheriff appoints a pro-Austrian headmaster who attempts to sabotage Jirásek. The students stand behind Jirásek , however, and discontent is not only felt in Litomyšl but throughout Bohemia.
Second half of the 19th century. In a small town in South Bohemia, fifth-former Jan Ratkin is living through the confusions of first love together with his classmates.