Prague - The Sad City (1968)

Prague, Czechoslovakia. Footage shot in the ’Prague Spring of freedom’, shortly before the Russian invasion is seen with a sombre but ’safe’ commentary. At Prague Airport we see a plane coming to a halt on the tarmac and people disembarking. Street scenes in Prague show people milling about, trams going by, people sitting at a pavement cafe, a man sells newspapers, another man looks in a food shop window, people eat ice-cream and sausages in the street. C/Us of statues of King Wenceslas and a saint holding a crucifix. People walk along Charles Bridge; sentries in dark glasses are seen at the castle gates. Various shots of the cathedral; people going inside. Several shots of the part of the city beside the river, a man and boy throw stones in the water. Several shots of Prague castle and cathedral; the 14th century Karlstein Castle; Konopiste Castle (former home of Archduke Franz Ferdinand), statues in the grounds and peacocks, some with tails spread. North of the city we see the ’Bohemian Paradise’ - forests and rocky countryside; three women walk about and look at a large lake. More shots of the city. At an open-air cafe we see Olinka Berova (“a bright young film star“ according to commentator) sipping wine; this beautiful blonde beckons us to go with her and wanders around some lovely gardens in the city, rows across a lake before the Valdstein (?sp) Palace, walks around the city, over the Charles Bridge and beside the river. We see an old, ornate clock with moving figures on the side of a building; Olinka walks through the cloisters of a former monastery, now a museum, and across the courtyard, then wanders around looking at Prague Castle and the cathedral. She goes inside the cathedral and we see several stained-glass windows, then comes out through the castle gates and walks off down a long flight of steps leading back to the main city, turns and waves at us and skips off. Cuts exist - see separate record. FILM ID: A VIDEO FROM BRITISH PATHÉ. EXPLORE OUR ONLINE CHANNEL, BRITISH PATHÉ TV. IT’S FULL OF GREAT DOCUMENTARIES, FASCINATING INTERVIEWS, AND CLASSIC MOVIES. FOR LICENSING ENQUIRIES VISIT British Pathé also represents the Reuters historical collection, which includes more than 136,000 items from the news agencies Gaumont Graphic (1910-1932), Empire News Bulletin (1926-1930), British Paramount (1931-1957), and Gaumont British (1934-1959), as well as Visnews content from 1957 to the end of 1984. All footage can be viewed on the British Pathé website.