Helena Bušová

The Respectable Ladies of Pardubice

The bickering of envious mistresses, the criminal intentions of fraudsters and the love of two young people are at the center of events, in the middle of which unfolds the fate of the city executioner Jiří, who longs to break free from his destiny and become a proper burgher. He is not heard, but he manages to expose the iniquities and their culprits, reunites a hard-pressed couple in love and his undeniable merits for the city and eventually bring him luck.

Magical River

Leopold Kohák married a rich widow a long time ago and now has nothing to do compared to his energetic wife. He's growing old and troubled by the fact that he betrayed his first love Emča and his beloved river Sázava where he spent his childhood and youth. A visit from an old friend Lebeda brings it all back to him. After a nervous breakdown Leopold secretly visits his home instead of going to the spa. A wandering tramp suggest Leopold should bathe in the magical waters of the Sázava, and slowly his youth returns to him.

Capek's Tales

Five crime stories connected by the narration of police superintendent Bartosek.

Milování zakázáno

After many years, three friends are to meet in Prague. The magician Marek was in America and, together with his nephew Tonny, they are bringing back their hard-earned money to their homeland. The factory owner Brejcha lives alone. His wife and daughter drove him to bankruptcy and abandoned him. The eternal student Netušil arrives from the countryside with his loving wife, the owner of a greengrocer's shop, and his daughter Anča. In the meantime, the creditors have completely evicted Brejcha's villa. Marek mentioned in a letter that he would like to marry his nephew to Brejcha's daughter. Little did he know, in order to help Brejcha, he comes up with a plan. His wife and daughter will become Brejcha's family and the money received from Marek will help the bankrupt factory owner pay off all his debts.

Three Eggs in a Glass

Vincenc Babočka, an insignificant employee of the police station, plays detective in private, convinced of his exceptional abilities. However, a vacation in Karlovy Vary unexpectedly gives him the opportunity to prove what he is really capable of. He is mistakenly considered to be the international adventurer Leon Weber, who is being pursued by the police. He decides to take advantage of the confusion and expose Weber's accomplices, who are planning to steal diamonds belonging to the Maharaja of Yohir. According to Weber's plan, he meets the Maharaja disguised as General Naryshkin, but everything only works out until the real Weber appears in town...

Heave-Ho!

A Milk-Cannery baron, Jakub Simonides, is broken by the Canned Milk-Trust and, in his wanderings with a worker, Filip Kornet, he discovers he still owns a half-finished apartment-house. They rally the workers and complete the building for use as a collectivist dairy. The cooperative flourishes and after a chase/pursuit with the police, pratfalls, slapstick and various crashes, the workers buy out the Milk-Trust.

Fish out of Water

Ryba, the owner of a boat rental shop and ferryman, has lived his entire life in a house by the river, which often becomes fatal for swimmers and suicides. However, because Ryba saves many drowning people, he becomes a very popular figure in the entire region.

The House of the Five Squirrels

Josef Houbička, the owner of the U pěti veverek apartment building in Malostran, is a kind and forgiving good man who allows himself to be ruthlessly oppressed by his proud wife, Filoména, and secretly fixes her problems with the tenants. He lends rent money to two poor painters and bribes offended maids just to keep the house quiet. He would like to restore the old soap factory in the house, but Filoména promotes more profitable garages. And since neither of them wants to back down, Houbička eventually leaves the house after one of the arguments. He makes friends with the innkeeper Pulec, who runs the not-so-prosperous inn At the Leaky Jug...

Děvče za výkladem

Slávko nedej se!

Pharmacist Pavlovský has a modern and sporty son, Karel, also a pharmacist, whom he would like to marry. He therefore sends him to Kutná Hora to live with his friend Řep, who has a daughter of marriageable age. However, Miroslava is a girl strictly led by her conservative parents and therefore lacks any charm. Karel also meets his uncle Ambrož in the family, who lives a double life. He is a serious older man by day and secretly flees at night so that he can perform in the local theater.