Summary
While the most popular fairy tale in Václav Vorlíček’s filmography remains Tři oříšky pro Popelku (Three Nuts for Cinderella, 1973), the successful director also employed his experience of the fantasy genre to good effect in Princ a Večernice (The Prince and the Evening Star) (1978), a fairy tale about the power of familial love, and the romantic tale Jak se budí princezny (Best Way to Waking Up Princesses) (1977), inspired by the classic Sleeping Beauty narrative. The screenplay for the latter was written by Bohumila Zelenková; primarily a TV screenwriter and dramaturge, she was the wife and close collaborator of the better known Otto Zelenka. Zelenková had worked with Vorlíček on Three Nuts for Cinderella, on which she used her name to cover up the authorship of the then banned František Pavlíček... As the heroine is rather inactive when it comes both to selecting a groom and breaking her evil curse, and sleeps for most of the well-known fairy tale, Zelenková amended the plot. In her rendition, the comely princess has a jealous older sister Melánie; fortunately, the curse causes the old maid to soften. While the smug prince Jiří is keen on the princess, she loves his younger brother Jaroslav. When the curse is fulfilled and the princess pricks her finger, Jaroslav has to overcome various adversities in order to awaken his love and the entire kingdom… The lead in the stylish, engaging fairy tale was performed by the then 18-year-old Marie Horáková, who had previously only been seen in small parts. Jaroslav was played by Jan Hrušínský, who had already proven the ideal beau in Vorlíček’s Dívce na koštěti (The Girl on The Broom, 1971). Jan Kraus, popular for his portrayals of hooligans, also appeared in that picture and here played prince Jiří. Jaroslav’s valet Matěj, played by Vladimír Menšík, became a popular character in the movie.
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