Zdeněk Stepanek Collection (4DVD) - DVD

The Merry Wives of Kutna Hora, 1938, 90 min.
The year is 1590, and Kutná Hora is a rich and important town where silver is mined and coins are minted. The mine's profits are being diminished by greedy fraudsters eager to make a quick gain. Austerity measures are hitting the miners the hardest. A knight, Mikuláš Dačický, arrives in town. He is an educated poet, a great reveller, and a lover of women. Under the pretext of producing a large quantity of silver, an alchemist named Wolfram is swindling money from the councillors. Mikuláš urges the honest folk to drive out the newcomers and thieves. The councillors, fearing for the virtue of their wives, seize the opportunity and accuse Mikuláš of witchcraft.
Starring: Zdeněk Štěpánek, Ladislav Pešek, Václav Vydra, František Smolík, Jiřina Šejbalová, Elena Hálková, Hana Vítová, Adina Mandlová

The Magic House, 1939, 102 min.
Vilém Balvín finds an unconscious girl in the middle of a forest. He brings her to the house where three generations of his family live. No one suspects that she is Marie, the spoiled daughter of an industrialist, who is the sole survivor of a plane crash and is now suffering from amnesia. Vilém, who has a war injury, is in love with Marie but hides his feelings. A tender romance blossoms between Marie and his younger brother, Martin. Together, they search for the girl's past. The turning point comes when Marie's memory returns.
Starring: Adina Mandlová, Růžena Nasková, Leopolda Dostalová, Terezie Brzková, Zdeněk Štěpánek, Eduard Kohout, Světla Svozilová

The Mischievous Bachelor, 1946, 92 min.
A Czech Renaissance comedy, depicting a tale from 16th-century Rakovník, based on the short stories of Zikmund Winter. The conceited and foolish townsfolk of Rakovník summoned a bachelor from Prague and his students to their dilapidated local school, hoping to enhance the prestige of their newly designated royal town. However, the young bachelor, Jan, faces many troubles stemming from the misunderstandings of the Rakovník citizens.
Starring: Zdeněk Štěpánek, Vlasta Matulová, Otomar Korbelář, František Smolík, Jaroslav Marvan, Saša Rašilov, Zdeňka Baldová, Eman Fiala

For the Last Time Today, 1958, 93 min.
The story of five men, at first glance a cheerful group from a cosy wine bar run by the ruthless and coldly calculating owner, Kroc. They come from different social classes and professions. The film's story catches them at that imperceptible and dangerous moment when a few drinks to lift their spirits turn into an avalanche of endless drinking, which overwhelms each of them, degrading them both socially and personally.
Starring: Zdeněk Štěpánek, Vladimír Ráž, Vladimír Menšík, Antonie Hegerlíková, Eva Očenášová, Luděk Munzar, Vlastimil Brodský