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Cast
Jan Werich
as král Já I.
Vlasta Burian
as kancléř Atakdále
Irena Kačírková
as princezna Drahomíra
Stella Májová
as princezna Zpěvanka
Milena Dvorská
as princezna Maruška
František Černý
as kuchař
Lubomír Lipský
as princ chrabrý, syn Děloslava VIII.
Miloš Kopecký
as chytrý princ
Miroslav Horníček
as princ krásný, syn Alabastra XVI.
Terezie Brzková
as stařenka kořenářka
Movie Info & Details
Release Year1955
Runtime1h 47m
LanguageCzech
CertificationNR
GenresFamily, Comedy, Fantasy
Votes34
DirectorBořivoj Zeman
WritersJiří Brdečka, Oldřich Kautský, Jan Werich
TypeFeature Film
Rating8.0 out of 10
Cast10 credited
Also Known AsOnce Upon a Time, There Was a King...
About Once Upon a Time, There Was a King...
A selfish self-centered widowed ruler, barely tolerated by his subjects and called appropriately enough, 'King Myself, First' asks his three daughters to name the measure of their love for him. When one of them says, "more than salt", he banishes her from the kingdom. Not understanding what she meant the King assumes love can only be measured by precious metals or one's own talent, the 'correct' answers from his other two daughters. The arrogance of the King leads him to gather all the salt in the kingdom and destroy it. Of course, this backfires as he slowly learns the universal value of the substance, and of course, the essence of his daughter's reply. With the help of the wise and magical old 'herb woman', the King also learns what it means to be a true and wise ruler.
Directed by Bořivoj Zeman, Once Upon a Time, There Was a King... leans on a strong ensemble — Jan Werich, Vlasta Burian, Irena Kačírková — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.
The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about family titles of 1955.
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