A million crowns hides in plain sight while our hero chases the wrong kind of treasure.
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...
Acting
Rašilov's bumbling sweetness carries every scene.
Writing
Irony so sharp you barely feel the cut.
Director
Otakar Vávra
Saša Rašilov
Václav Barvínek
Vlasta Matulová
Julinka Tichá
Svatopluk Beneš
Ing. Jiří Hora
Theodor Pištěk
Alois Trachta
Růžena Šlemrová
Demourová
Lola Skrbková
sestra slečny Demourové
Anna Letenská
Koubková
Blanka Waleská
Karpíšková
Eva Svobodová
Andula
Emil Bolek
Josef Koubek
Antonín Jedlička
bednářský pomocník
Rudolf Deyl
továrník
Eman Fiala
listonoš
František Filipovský
solicitátor
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
1942 Czech cinema under Protectorate constraints often turned to escapist comedy; Vávra's film sneaks moral commentary past censors through pure charm.
The million crowns check was worth roughly 40 years of average salary—making Barvínek's obliviousness almost physically painful to watch.
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