Home | Movies By Year | Movies from 1930
Tonka of the Gallows
Buy Tonka of the Gallows now from AmazonFirst, read the Wikipedia article. Then, scroll down to see what other TopShelfReviews readers thought about the movie. And once you've experienced the movie, tell everyone what you thought about it.
Wikipedia article
'Tonka of the Gallows' (Czech: 'Tonka ibenice', French: 'Tonischka', German: 'Die Galgentoni') is a 1930 Czech drama film directed by Karl Anton and starring Ita Rina, Vera Baranovskaya and Josef Rovensk.
It is an adaptation of the novella 'Die Himmelfahrt der Galgentoni' by Egon Erwin Kisch.
The movie was shot as a silent movie, but later Czech, German and French post-synchronized sound versions were made.
Plot
The movie follows story of a country girl Tonka who lives in Prague and works as a prostitute unbeknownst to her family. One day a convicted murderer Prokpek requests to spend a night with a girl before his execution. Policemen ask many prostitutes if they're willing to do this job, but all of them refuse except Tonka. As a result, none of her customers wants to visit her again and other prostitutes shun her.
Cast
*Ita Rina as Tonka of the Gallows
*Vera Baranovskaya Tonka's mother
*Josef Rovensk as Murderer Prokpek
*Jack Mylong-Mnz as Jan
*Jindich Plachta as Cabman
*Antonie Nedoinsk as Whorehouse owner
*Emilie Nitschov as Chestnut seller
*Rudolf tpn as Executioner
*Felix Khne as Salesman
*Theodor Pitk as Drunkard
*Jan Svitk as Pimp
*Karel Jelnek as Whorehouse customer
Production
Writer Egon Erwin Kisch allegedly met a prostitute Antonie Havlov who told him her life story shortly before her death in 1911. He wrote a novella 'Die Himmelfahrt der Galgentoni' based on her life in 1921. In the same year a theatre play based on the book was produced at Revolun scna with Xena Longenov playing the main role. Karel Anton decided to make a silent movie based on the book. The shooting started in autumn 1929 at Kavalrka studio in Koe. Unfortunatelly the stages burned down on 25 October together with some reels of the film. The movie was finished at AB studios in Vinohrady and it was decided to release the movie as a sound film. Czech, French and German post-synchrons were recorded at Gaumont Joinville studio in Paris.
Reception
'Tonka of the Gallows' premiered at Alfa cinema in Prague on 27 February 1930. The movie was advertised as the "first Czech sound film". Contemporary critics mostly praised the movie with 'Filmov pehled' writing "The impression with which I left the theatre was unforgettable and rivetting." In France 'Hebdo-Film' wrote "Karl Anton has used all the means of expression offered by modern cinematographic techniques, but his personality has always allowed him to avoid the traps set by convention and sentimentality."
Restoration
Only the French version survived to this day. From the Czech version only the beginning with Karel Haler singing 'Hradany krsn' survived. The French version was digitally restored and released on DVD in 2016 by 'Nrodn filmov archiv'. It was screened at MoMA in 2017 and San Francisco Silent Film Festival and Phoenix Cinema, London in 2019.
References
Bibliography
* Bro, Jaroslav & Frda, Myrtil. 'Historie eskoslovenskho filmu v obrazech 1930 1945', Orbis, Prague, 1966.
Buy Tonka of the Gallows now from Amazon
<-- Return to movies from 1930