It is a customary habit among neighbours to ignore each other in order to avoid conflicts or even worse, any kind of familiarity; for this reason it is not strange that this German count didn't know anything about the early Czech silent film director, Herr Svatopluk Innemann.
Herr Svatopluk Innemann family was involved with the cinema from its beginnings, because Herr Innemann's father, Herr Rudolf Innemann (1861 1907) was a pioneer film director and an actor in those early days and Herr Svatopluk's older brother, Miroslav Innemann (1894 1953) worked also in the cinema, first as a projectionist and then as a cinema manager and later an actor in episodic roles. Acting was also part of Herr Innemann's wife Zdena Kavková's life (1896 1965); she played in a few of her husband's movies. Certainly making movies for the Innemann family was a natural thing and for that reason it wasn't strange that Herr Svatopluk Innemann become interested in this modern art and had a career as a director in both silent and sound films. "Lásky Kacenky Strnadové" ( The Loves Of Kacenka Strnadova ) (1926) is one of his most representative comedies made during the 20's.
The film depicts the adventures of Dame Kacenka ( Zdena Kavková ) und Herr Vincek ( Vlasta Burian ), two innocent country bumpkins who live in a Czech small town, and the various jobs that Dame Kacenka has once she moves to Prague, that beautiful capital city ( how dare you, Herr Innemann, not to include a single shot or glimpse of the Prague castle, the Charles bridge or the decadent Tyn towers??!! ) . Our heroine will have to bear difficult working conditions and to make things worse, she falls in love with a fake aristocrat ( genuine European aristocrats are in short supply
). Fortunately her companion, Vincek who is also in Prague, has an unrequited love for her. Though he is the cause of many Kacenka's problems, Vincek finally will help and resolve her loves troubles. And of course there is a happy ending that brings the Czech couple together.
"Lásky Kacenky Strnadové" is a very simple silent comedy that uses and abuses classic and well-know film comedic bits of business: "he loves me, she loves me not", funny gags involving misunderstandings, exaggerated mime and the usual bewilderment of country people in a big city. The film stars Dame Zdena Kavková and Vlasta Burian who worked together with Herr Innemann in three more films all based on novels by Herr Josef Skruzny.
Herr Innemann 's film narrative is uneven: characters appear and disappear throughout the film without explanation; there is much switching back and forth between Prague and the small town and from Dame Kacenka's love life to her jobs. Only at the end of the film does the narrative become more coherent.
In spite of such flaws "Lásky Kacenky Strnadové" is an interesting work that allows one to discover an unknown European silent director with a peculiar style. In fact, the next Schloss silent show will be another Herr Innemann's 20's film comedy; it will be a good chance to check if the Czech developed more original film narrative resources or if falling back on comic clichés is customary in his silent comedies.
And now, if you'll allow me, I must temporarily take my leave because this German Count must receive the Golem of Prague.
Herr Graf Ferdinand Von Galitzien http://ferdinandvongalitzien.blogspot.com/
