Smugglers of Death

1959 film

25 December 1959 (1959-12-25)

Running time

93 minutesCountryCzechoslovakiaLanguageCzech

Smugglers of Death (Czech: Král Šumavy) is a 1959 Czechoslovak drama directed by Karel Kachyňa. The film is about members of SNB who guard Czechoslovak border in 1948.^[1] The film was viewed by more than 4 million people after its release in 1959.^[2]

Plot

The film is set in Šumava mountains, Czechoslovakia in 1948. People there illegally cross the border through the swampy area aided by a mysterious smuggler. Local SNB is aided in investigation by a young Sergeant Karel Zeman. He falls in love with a local shopkeeper Marie Rysová, whose husband escaped to the West. They become lovers but her husband unexpectedly shows up one day. He forces her to escape with him across the border and kills an SNB officer. They are led by a mysterious smuggler while Zeman chases them. Marie tries to run away but drowns in a swamp. Her husband is killed by the smuggler. Zeman then investigates and manages to track down the smuggler.

Cast

Radovan Lukavský as Lt. Václav Kot
Jiří Vala as Sgt. Karel Zeman
Jaroslav Marvan as Border control officer Beran
Jiřina Švorcová as Marie Rysová
Stanislav Remunda as Pavel Rys
Miroslav Holub as Gamekeeper Paleček
Jiří Holý as Galapetr
Rudolf Jelínek as Sgt. Cigánek
Vladimír Menšík as Sgt. Baryška
Ilja Prachař as SNB Commander

References

^ "Král Šumavy (1959)". Filmový přehled (in Czech). Retrieved 6 October 2017.
^ "Král Šumavy (1959)". Czech and Slovak Film Database. Retrieved 6 October 2017.