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Section: Czechoslovakian Cinema: Films of My Childhood
Once Upon a Time There Was a King (1954)
The arrogant ruler of the kingdom has decided to take a break and wants one of his three daughters to reign. He puts his daughters to the test, asking them how much they love him. The oldest daughter likes her father like gold, the middle daughter as like a golden voice, and the youngest daughter, Maruska, says she loves him like salt, because salt is needed. Maruska's father is angry, so he has her taken out of the castle and orders all the salt in the kingdom destroyed. But the king soon finds out that salt and true love are indeed better than all the treasures on earth.
| Country | Czechoslovakia |
|---|---|
| Year | 1954 |
| Duration | 107 min |
| Rating | 6 |
| Language | Czech |
| Subtitle | No subtitles |
| Directed by | Bořivoj Zeman |
| Screenplay | Jan Werich, Jiří Brdečka, Bořivoj Zeman |
| Director of Photography | Jan Roth, Vladimír Novotný |
| Music | Václav Trojan |
| Edited by | Josef Dobřichovský |
| Contact | Národní filmový archiv |
Biography
A classic of Czech film, he got his start at the Hostivař and Zlin studios. He is famous for his children's works; he created the first Czech fairy tale film ever: The Proud Princess (1952). His fairy tales Once Upon a Time, There Was a King... (1954) and The Incredibly Sad Princess (1968) were also greatly successful.