Otakar Vávra

Otakar Vávra Trailers

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Otakar Vávra (28 February 1911 – 15 September 2011) was a Czech film director, screenwriter and pedagogue. Vávra attended universities in Brno and Prague, where he studied architecture. During 1929–30, while still a student, he participated in the making of a handful of documentaries and wrote movie scripts. In 1931, he produced the experimental film Světlo proniká tmou. The first movie he directed was 1937's Panenství. His 1938 film The Merry Wives was praised in Variety for "first-rate direction, a salty yarn and elaborate production effort", even though it had undergone certain cuts because it was considered too "ribald" by American censors. Vávra was a member of the Communist Party from 1945 to 1989. After the Communists seized power in 1948, Vávra adapted quickly to the new political climate and produced films praising the current regime and supporting the new, official interpretation of the past. In the 1950s he filmed the "Hussite Trilogy", one of his most famous works, consisting of Jan Hus (1954), Jan Žižka (1955) and Against All (1957).[2] In the 1960s, Vávra made his most celebrated films Zlatá reneta (1965), Romance for Bugle (1966) and Witchhammer (1969). Romance for Bugle was entered into the 5th Moscow International Film Festival where it won the Special Silver Prize. In the 1970s Vávra produced his "War Trilogy" consisting of semi-documentary movies Dny zrady, Sokolovo and Osvobození Prahy, all being heavily influenced by communist propaganda. The film Dny zrady (Days of Betrayal, 1973) was entered into the 8th Moscow International Film Festival where it won a Diploma. In 1979 he was a member of the jury at the 11th Moscow International Film Festival. Since the 1950s Vávra taught film direction at Film and TV School of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague. Among his students were several directors of the "Czech New Wave".

Most Popular Otakar Vávra Trailers

Total trailers found: 85

Dark Sun Trailer (1980)

19 September 1980

A remake of Vávra's 1948 atomic age thriller Krakatit. Engineer Prokop creates the devastating explosive “Krakatit” and soon confronts manipulative agents and imperialist conspiracies.

Posel úsvitu Trailer (1951)

28 September 1951

A biographical film about a Czech mechanic and designer who was the first in the Czech lands to construct a steam car.

Barrandovské nokturno aneb Jak film tančil a zpíval Trailer (1985)

01 February 1985

The 50th anniversary of the Barrandov studios was celebrated with a spectacular show: many directors and other important people gathered in the expensive decorations of the Variety Theatre auditorium (built for the Circus Humberto series).

Nástup Trailer (1953)

01 May 1953

"The Rally" is based on a communist writer Vaclav Řezáč's well-written novel of the same name

The Adventurous Bachelor Trailer (1946)

06 September 1946

Even the pre-Blohemian times were not idyllic. Even a bachelor, invited by the consuls to Rakovník to elevate the local education system, finds out.

A Box of Film Trailer (1958)

01 January 1958

A film about filmmaking.

Happy Journey Trailer (1943)

25 December 1943

Filmed during the Nazi occupation, this panoramic drama set in a Prague department store follows the divergent destinies of four female coworkers, each of whom seeks happiness in a different way.

The Night Guest Trailer (1961)

29 September 1961

When a man stops at a motel one evening in 1961, his tormenting behavior drives one of the people present at the motel to remember his experiences in a concentration camp during WWII.

Golden Queen Trailer (1965)

22 October 1965

A man returns to his native village in search of renewed faith and his old girlfriend. But she, now a middleaged woman, does not recognise him and he goes home, more disillusioned than ever.

August Sunday Trailer (1961)

12 May 1961

This lyrical comedy story takes place in two hot days in the small South Bohemian village. On the shore of a small pond, summer guests and local youth meet.

History of Philosophy Trailer (1937)

05 November 1937

A student rebellion precedes revolutionary events in Prague.

Camel Through The Eye Of A Needle Trailer (1937)

19 January 1937

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.

První parta Trailer (1960)

19 February 1960

The unfortunate 1930s also befell the student Standa Půlpán. For existential reasons, he had to abandon his studies and entered the mines.

Policejní hodina Trailer (1961)

21 April 1961

The story of a poor, disintegrating family of a mother Fišerová and her three children. It is set in the 1890s - a time when the poor working classes did not yet have the right to vote or a permanent eight-hour working day.

Horoucí srdce Trailer (1963)

08 March 1963

The years 1851-1856: events from the life of the writer Božena Němcová, who, because of her free-thinking views and strong patriotic feelings, comes into conflict with the society, the church and the Austrian authorities.

Oldrich and Bozena Trailer (1985)

01 August 1985

At the turn of the 10th and 11th centuries Boleslav's kingdom fell apart in the fratricidal war between the Přemyslovci and the other clans the main profiteer of this being the German emperor.

Listopad Trailer (1935)

22 November 1935

A man and a woman meet on the streetcar. Six years ago, they were close . . .

Občan Brych Trailer (1959)

20 February 1959

František Brych, a principled lawyer, refuses to back the new Communist regime at his factory and grows increasingly alienated, even as his former love Irena, unhappily married to factory owner Ondřej Ráž, seeks his understanding.

Její pastorkyně Trailer (1938)

11 March 1938

Village drama. The widowed daughter-in-law of the old woman Buryjovka, called Kostelnička, is very proud of her pretty and well-bred ward Jenůfa.

Sokolovo Trailer (1975)

09 May 1975

The plot begins in the Soviet Union showing first efforts to establish the Czechoslovak legion in 1942.

Three Men in the Snow Trailer (1936)

26 June 1936

Young doctor Hájek has been looking for a job for a long time in vain. But luck has smiled on him a little - he has won a competition for the best advertising slogan, which was held by the factory owner Bárta.

Romance for Bugle Trailer (1967)

03 March 1967

A lyrical story about first love, death and disappointment, based on a poem of the same title.

Maryša Trailer (1935)

01 March 1935

A village drama about the tragic culmination of a forced marriage. The film was financed by a Brno company, which required interventions in the generally known original.

Passage in the Paradise Trailer (1936)

25 September 1936

Orphan Petr lives with his dog Puntja with his aunt. His uncle Gustav wants to get rid of Peter and puts him in an orphanage.

Jan Žižka Trailer (1956)

05 February 1956

The second part of the revolutionary Hussite trilogy takes place in the years 1419-1420.

Days of Betrayal Trailer (1973)

27 April 1973

This feature film based on the events of 1938 is a chronicle of the futile efforts of the Czechoslovak president Edvard Benes (Jirí Pleskot), politicians and ordinary citizens, to save the independence and the territorial integrity of the state from the advance of Hitler's Germany.

Morality Above All Else Trailer (1937)

24 February 1937

Professor Karas is widely known as enthusiastic propagator of the motto "Morality Above All Else". He guides his students as well as his own family to live a morally decent life.

The Masked Lover Trailer (1940)

11 October 1940

A romantic story of a noble lady who wanted to live without the bonds of marriage, but her desire for a child led her - carefully disguised - into the arms of a young nobleman.

The Liberation of Prague Trailer (1977)

06 May 1977

On 20th of April 1945 the Soviet army launches its attack on Berlin. The end has come for Nazi Germany and Hitler decides to commit suicide.

Bezdětná Trailer (1935)

08 November 1935

The Eleventh Commandment Trailer (1935)

30 August 1935

During the New Year's Eve celebration of the arrival of the twentieth century, three friends meet in a nightclub.

A Little Street in Paradise Trailer (1936)

09 November 1936

A poor dog catcher in Prague takes up an orphan's boy who finds his favorite bull with him, with himself, until both find a better home, finally, with a rich family.

Okouzlená Trailer (1942)

06 November 1942

In the garden of Hojtaš's estate, local dignitaries gather to watch a theatrical performance starring the author of the play, Dr.

The Magic House Trailer (1939)

21 November 1939

When Vilem appears in the road with an unconscious young woman, it disturbs the peaceful life of three generations of the Balvínova family.

May Fairy Tale Trailer (1940)

25 October 1940

Ríša, a student of law, neglects his studies in favour of parties and pranks. His angry father refuses to continue helping him out of his debts.

Shoesmachine Trailer (1954)

24 September 1954

The happenings in a shoe factory serve as a not very thinly veiled examination of the pros and cons of both socialism and democracy.

Moje Praha Trailer (2002)

01 November 2002

Otakar Vávra walks through Prague in front of the camera and with the camera, and remembers those who in the 1930s determined the pulse of the cultural and political life of that time.

Krakatit Trailer (1948)

09 April 1948

In early 20th century Czechoslovakia, a gravely ill chemist recalls his discovery of a powerful explosive and how it landed in the hands of anarchists.

Vdavky Nanynky Kulichovy Trailer (1935)

25 December 1935

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.

Až se vrátíš... Trailer (1948)

23 January 1948

In an unsightly tenement house, the walls of which are as peeling as the souls of the tenants, an old woman waits for her son to return from prison.

Hostinec „U kamenného stolu“ Trailer (1949)

23 September 1949

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.

CzechMate: In Search of Jiří Menzel Trailer (2018)

16 September 2018

An epic exploration of the Czechoslovak New Wave cinema of the 1960s and 70s, structured around a series of conversations with one of its most acclaimed exponents - Closely Observed Trains director Jiří Menzel.

Rodinné trampoty oficiála Tříšky Trailer (1949)

30 December 1949

The plump, punctual and slightly despotic Mr. Tříška worked as a housing officer, which completely damaged his psychological resilience, he is short-tempered and easily angered.

Jan Hus Trailer (1955)

29 April 1955

The first part of the "Hussite Revolutionary Trilogy", completed with Jan Žižka (1955) and Proti všem (Against All Odds, 1957).

Pacientka dr. Hegla Trailer (1940)

30 August 1940

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.

Silent Barricade Trailer (1949)

06 May 1949

A fiction piece centered around the Czech resistance to the Nazis.

Presentiment Trailer (1947)

25 December 1947

A daughter of a celebrity family experiences a holiday adventure with a mysterious young man. Though she is strongly attracted to him, she is also concerned about his sinister, panicky speech, his fierce charisma.

Against All Trailer (1957)

04 October 1957

After the battle of Sudoměř the Hussite teaching spreads through the whole country and people start leaving their homes to help build the fortification of Tábor.

Witchhammer Trailer (1970)

23 January 1970

In the 1600s, an overzealous clergy hauls innocent women in front of tribunals, forces them to confess to imaginary witchery, and engages in brutal torture and persecution of their subjects.

Turbina Trailer (1941)

17 October 1941

The imperial councilor Ullik decides to modernize his old mills by installing a new turbine. His eccentric brother-in-law Artuš tries to prevent this, as the construction work disrupts the statics of the tower in which he lives.

Na dobré stopě Trailer (1949)

07 January 1949

An adventure story for young people set in a summer camp for boaters in Juná. Eda, marked by a tragic experience of occupation, has difficulty getting along with the other boys.

Dva ohně Trailer (1950)

17 February 1950

A socialist drama from the time of the February coup. The owner of the brickyard will use several workers before February in order to subvert worker solidarity and continue to do his black business.

The Musician Trailer (1948)

21 May 1948

Přijdu hned Trailer (1942)

25 December 1942

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.

Svítání Trailer (1933)

01 September 1933

The family of the worker Kučera lives happily. His daughter Anežka, engaged to technical draftsman Adolf, is a seamstress.

Wild Beasts Trailer (1948)

30 April 1948

Building a bridge is no simple matter. The city council has to decide between two competing proposals, one of which is submitted by villainous scoundrels and scoundrels who would like to enrich themselves everywhere.

Humoreska Trailer (1939)

11 August 1939

Dvořák's well-known composition reappears again and again in the serious moments of the lives of the father and son Hupeks - talented non-professional musicians for whom music gives them the opportunity to rise above difficulties and problems.

The Merry Wives Trailer (1938)

16 September 1938

A morally questionable lord comes to the aid of a working class man who is to be executed for speaking out about thieving rich scoundrels sticking it to the poor.

The Great Movie Robbery Trailer (1987)

01 January 1987

The film is essentially a feature-length commercial for an exhibition to mark the 40th anniversary of the nationalisation of the Czechoslovak film industry, to be held at the Prague U Hybernu venue.

Ze světa lesních samot Trailer (1933)

17 February 1933