The Portrait ( 1948 )

Overview

People are afraid of the usurer Chazaj and are convinced that he is the bearer of evil. One day Chazaj pays a visit to the poor artist Simon Jordán and asks him to paint his portrait. Simon agrees but as he progresses with the work his mind conjures up terrible thoughts and in the end he commits suicide. The portrait looks lifelike and Chazaj is content with the results. After Chazaj's death the picture changes hands and brings misfortune to all who own it. The last victim is the young painter Roman who buys Chazaj's portrait in a bazaar. He finds a treasure in the frame and begins to live well off it. The comfortable life suits him so well that he rejects his original artistic aims and becomes a painter of fashionable kitsch.

Top Cast

Otomar Krejča

Simon Jordán / Stepán Jordán

Luba Skořepová

Martina Jordánová

Vladimír Šmeral

Painter Roman

Ladislav Kulhánek

Professor Mikulás

Karel Dostal

Extortioner Chazaj

Rudolf Deyl

Jáchym

Felix le Breux

Marcel Bernard

Růžena Šlemrová

Mrs. Viktorová

Ludmila Píchová

Líza Viktorová

Emil Bolek

Bussinesman Viktor

František Holar

Mr. Zemblovský

Viktor Očásek

Merchant Image

Bohumil Machník

Homegrown

Vladimír Hlavatý

Jiří Těšík

Rudolf Hrušínský

Marie Nademlejnská

Břetislav Hrstka

Robert Morávek

Karel Hynek

Jan S. Kolár

Bohuslav Kupšovský

Arnošt Mirský

Marta Májová

Gabriel Hart

Milada Smolíková

Emanuel Hříbal

Bohumil Švarc

Arno Velecký

Blažena Slavíčková

Jan W. Speerger

Jaroslav Orlický

Antonín Soukup

Dagmar Toužimská

Zora Božinová

Ludmila Burešová