The Emperor's Nightingale

The Emperor's Nightingale (Czech: Císařův slavík) is a 1949 Czechoslovak stop-motion animated film directed by Jiří Trnka and Miloš Makovec. The film is based on the 1843 fairy tale "The Nightingale" by Hans Christian Andersen. Boris Karloff provides the voice of the narrator in the 1951 American dubbed version.[1] The film won the Golden Leopard at the Locarno International Film Festival.[2]

The Emperor's Nightingale
Directed byJiří Trnka
Miloš Makovec
Written byVítězslav Nezval
Hans Christian Andersen
Jiří Brdečka
Jiří Trnka
StarringHelena Patockova
Jaromir Sobotoa
Detsky pevecky sbor Jana Kuhna
CinematographyFerdinand Pecenka
Edited byHelena Lebdusková
Jiří Trnka
Music byVáclav Trojan
Release date
  • 15 April 1949 (1949-04-15)
Running time
72 minutes
CountryCzechoslovakia
LanguageCzech

In the film, a live-action boy dreams that his toys are real. The toys come to life in stop-motion animation, and tell the story of a Chinese emperor who makes friends with a nightingale.[3]

Cast edit

  • Helena Patočková as the girl
  • Jaromír Sobota as the boy
  • Dětský pěvecký sbor Jana Kuhna as chorus
  • Boris Karloff - Narrator in English language version only

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ Stephen Jacobs, Boris Karloff: More Than a Monster, Tomahawk Press 2011 p 353
  2. ^ "Winners of the Golden Leopard". Locarno. Archived from the original on 2009-07-19. Retrieved 2012-08-12.
  3. ^ Lenburg, Jeff (2009). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons (3rd ed.). New York: Checkmark Books. p. 177. ISBN 978-0-8160-6600-1.

External links edit