Once Upon a Time, There Was a King... (1955)
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.
Cast
- Jan Werich - král Já I.
- Vlasta Burian - kancléř Atakdále
- Irena Kačírková - princezna Drahomíra
- Stella Májová - princezna Zpěvanka
- Milena Dvorská - princezna Maruška
- František Černý - kuchař
- Lubomír Lipský - princ chrabrý, syn Děloslava VIII.
- Miloš Kopecký - chytrý princ
- Miroslav Horníček - princ krásný, syn Alabastra XVI.
- Terezie Brzková - stařenka kořenářka
Screenplay
- Božena Němcová (Book)
- Jiří Brdečka (Story)
- Oldřich Kautský (Story)
- Jan Werich (Story)
- Bořivoj Zeman (Story)
Themes
Fairytales Reimagined, Broken Fairy Tale Curses, Magical Fantasy Worlds
Keywords
fairy tale, based on short story
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Frequently Asked Questions
- What is Once Upon a Time, There Was a King... about?
- 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.
- Who directed Once Upon a Time, There Was a King...?
- Once Upon a Time, There Was a King... was directed by Bořivoj Zeman.
- Who stars in Once Upon a Time, There Was a King...?
- Once Upon a Time, There Was a King... stars Jan Werich, Vlasta Burian, Irena Kačírková, Stella Májová, Milena Dvorská, František Černý.
- How long is Once Upon a Time, There Was a King...?
- Once Upon a Time, There Was a King... has a runtime of 1h 47m (107 minutes).
- What genre is Once Upon a Time, There Was a King...?
- Once Upon a Time, There Was a King... is a Family, Comedy, Fantasy film.
- Where was Once Upon a Time, There Was a King... produced?
- Once Upon a Time, There Was a King... was produced in Czechoslovakia.
- What are the themes of Once Upon a Time, There Was a King...?
- The themes of Once Upon a Time, There Was a King... include: Fairytales Reimagined, Broken Fairy Tale Curses, Magical Fantasy Worlds.