Old Czech Legends

Old Czech Legends
Directed byJiří Trnka
Screenplay byJiří Brdečka
Jiří Trnka
Based onStaré pověsti české
by Alois Jirásek
CinematographyEmanuel Franek
Ludvík Hájek
Edited byHelena Lebdušková
Music byVáclav Trojan
Production
companies
Československý státní film Praha
Loutkový film Praha
Distributed byRozdělovna filmů Československého státního filmu
Release date
  • 8 April 1953 (1953-04-08)
Running time
91 minutes
CountryCzechoslovakia
LanguageCzech

Old Czech Legends (Czech: Staré pověsti české) is a 1953 Czechoslovak stop motion puppet animation film directed by Jiří Trnka. It is based on the 1894 book Ancient Bohemian Legends by Alois Jirásek.

Production

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After the completion of Prince Bayaya in 1950, Trnka was praised by the communist regime of Czechoslovakia, and asked to make more films. He planned to make an adaptation of Don Quixote, but was rejected for the theme being too cosmopolitan.[1] He was pressed to make an adaptation of Jirásek's Ancient Bohemian Legends. Trnka initially didn't want to work on the project.[2]

The film has a complex story with many characters and features complicated scenes both to stage and animate. Trnka's use of camera movements, lighting, set design, character design and animation and general storytelling made this an influential film in the history of animation.[3]

Voice cast

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References

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  1. ^ "Jiří Trnka, Walt Disney of the East". Animation World Network. Retrieved 2020-02-29.
  2. ^ "Staré pověsti české - Revue". Filmový přehled (in Czech). NFA. Retrieved 2020-02-29.
  3. ^ Jana Rogoff. "Lucie Česálková (ed.): Staré pověsti české". Apparatus. Retrieved 2020-02-29.
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