The Hen and the Sexton (Czech: Slepice a kostelník) is a 1951 Czechoslovak comedy film directed by Oldřich Lipský and Jan Strejček.
Contents
Plot
In the village of Lužánky in Moravian Slovakia live a "progressive" peasant, Toněk Pěknica, and his "backward" wife, Tereza. Tonek is in favor of establishing an agricultural cooperative (kolkhoz), while Tereza is against it. The village is also home to a rich and greedy Voznica, who hates the collective farm movement. He wants to prevent the creation and successful work of the cooperative.
The members of the cooperative are working hard to increase their harvest, installing a new irrigation system and preparing the fields for plowing. Voznick convinces the local naive and greedy clerk, Kodýtek, to help him sabotage the farmers' efforts.
He begins to distribute leaflets, involving Tonek's son Vincek. At the end of the film, everything is revealed, Kodýtek is convinced of the benefits of cooperatives, and even Tereza recognizes this. The village cheerfully celebrates the harvest festival.
Cast
Vlasta Burian as Josef Kodýtek, the sexton
Otomar Korbelář as Tonek Pěknica
Jiřina Štěpničková as Tereza, wife of Tonek Pěknica
Vladimír Řepa as Voznica
Eduard Muroň as Vincek, son of Pěknica
Stanislava Seimlová as Karolina, daughter of Pěknica
Josef Bek as national security officer
Lubomír Lipský as Šárl, Voznica's son
Josef Kemr as Smíšek
Josef Toman as Mr. Řeřábek
Bohumil Švarc as Jaroš Řeřábek
Eman Fiala as Spáčil
Bohumil Machník as parson
Josef Hlinomaz as Šárl's friend