Princ Bajaja

Princ Bajaja is a 1971 Czechoslovak fantasy film based on the fairy tale Prince Bajaja by Božena Němcová. The film was directed by Antonín Kachlík.^[1]

Princ Bajaja
Princ Bajaja
Directed by	Antonín Kachlík
Screenplay by	Antonín Kachlík Eva Košlerová
Story by	Božena Němcová
Based on	Prince Bajaja by Božena Němcová
Produced by	Eliška Nejedlá
Starring	Ivan Palúch Magda Vašáryová František Velecký Gustav Opočenský
Edited by	Jaromír Janáček
Music by	Vladimír Sommer
Production company	Filmové Studio Barrandov
Release date	December 17, 1971 (1971-12-17) (Czechoslovakia)
Running time	81 minutes
Country	Czechoslovakia
Language	Czech

Plot

After the death of his parents, the young Prince Bajaja sets out to find his fortune. On his journey, he rescues an enchanted horse, who later comes to his aid. Disguised as a mute gardener, he gets acquainted with Princess Slavěna, who is to be sacrificed to a three-headed dragon on her 18th birthday. Her father, the king, is looking for a suitor for the princess, but no one is prepared to fight the dragon, except Bajaja, who receives magical armor from the enchanted horse. Despite being hurt, Bajaja defeats the dragon, but an evil knight takes credit for the deed.

Cast

• Ivan Palúch - Prince Bajaja (Voiced by: Petr Štěpánek)
• Magda Vašáryová - Princess Slavěna
• František Velecký - The black knight (Voiced by: Petr Čepek)
• Gustav Opočenský - The King
• Petr Štěpánek – voice of the enchanted horse

Production

"In the opening credits Eva Košlerová is presented as the author of the script. She covered up the authorship of the actual author František Pavlíček banned by the Communist regime for political reasons.", as noted on the Národní filmový archive entry of the film.^[2]

Legacy

The film remains one of Antonín Kachlík's best-known productions.^[3]