Everyone remembers Libuše Šafránková as Cinderella but did you know that she starred in other excellent fairy-tales as well?
If you want to know more about the life of this unforgettable Czech actress, read Libuše Šafránková, the immortal Cinderella. She excelled in leading as well as supporting roles in many movies but this time, I would like to tell you more about some of the fairy-tales Šafránková starred in. Hard to say whether she was fortunate to be cast in good fairy-tales or they were good thanks to her, probably a little bit of both.
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Fairy Tales with Libuše Šafránková
Three Wishes for Cinderella (Tři oříšky pro Popelku, 1973)
Three Wishes for Cinderella (Three Nuts for Cinderella would be the literal translation from Czech) is without any doubt Šafránková’s most famous fairy tale and the movie that she’s famous for outside of the Czech Republic.
This visually beautiful Czech-German movie tells the story of a young girl whose wit and skills ultimately get her into the palace. What makes this story better than other tales of Cinderella is the fact that this Popelka isn’t a fragile girl crying for help but a strong young lady who’s not afraid to face challenges. The leading role of Cinderella literally catapulted the career of Libuše Šafránková, who almost instantly became one of the most acclaimed Czech actresses and the undisputed nr. 1 among the Czech princesses to this day.
This fairy-tale has become popular all over Europe and the USA. Although the original movie was released in Czech, some of the characters (king, queen, stepmother) had to be dubbed as they were played by German actors. This fairy tale starring Libuše Šafránková was also mentioned in 3 Czech Fairy-tales to Watch at Christmas.
Interesting trivia: Pavel Trávníček who starrs as the prince has had a strong South-Moravian accent, so the film-makers decided to dub his voice.
Where to watch it: here (English), here (German)
The Little Mermaid (Malá mořská víla, 1976)
It’s the tale you know, the youngest daughter of the king of seas falls in love with a prince and she gives up her voice in order to be with him. However, this fairy tale is special for two reasons. First, it’s very true to Hans Christian Andersen’s original and second, Libuše Šafránková plays a supporting princess role while it’s her younger sister Miroslava who was cast as lead character.
Where to watch it: here
The Prince and the Evening Star (Princ a Večernice, 1978)
Prince Velen takes charge of the kingdom and his three sisters while his father’s away and he marries the girls off to the Master of the Wind, the Sun and the Moon. He then meets the beautiful Evening Star who gets imprisoned by the Master of the Storm. The prince sets off to rescue her and on the way he must overcome many obstacles and discover himself.
This was another princess role for Šafránková who’s notably more mature than in her Cinderella role and incredibly charming.
Where to watch it: here (Europe) or here (US)
Salt Over Gold (Der Salzprinz, Sůl nad zlato, 1982)
In this fairy tale produced by West Germany and Czechoslovakia, Libuše Šafránková is princess Maruška who meets the mysterious prince Milivoj, son of the king of the Underworld. Maruška is forced into exile after telling her father she likes him like she likes salt and she’s told to return when salt is as precious as gold and gemstones. The king of the Underworld, who sees humans as heartless creatures, curses the human kingdom and turns all salt into gold. The human king soon discovers that all the gold in the world doesn’t compensate for not being able to salt his food but it’s up to Maruška to find a cure…
Where to watch it: here
The Third Prince (Třetí princ, 1983)
Prince Jaroslav sets off to a faraway kingdom to meet the princess he fell in love with after seeing her picture. He leaves his twin brother and parents behind and decides to fulfill three impossible tasks to not only get his bride but also to rescue his older brother who went missing in the chase of the same princess several years earlier.
This fairy tale is the second occasion on which Libuše Šafránková and Pavel Trávníček met on the set as prince and princess. This balladic, mysterious and somewhat dark tale is less famous than Cinderella’s story but a favorite of many nevertheless.
Where to watch it: here
The Immortal Aunt (Nesmrtelná teta, 1993)
Reason and Luck discuss the sleeping simpleton Matěj and decide to change his fate. In this fairy-tale, Libuše Šafránková starrs in her supporting role of Luck who watches over a villager who finds his way into the castle and falls in love with a princess but must cross paths with the malicious witch Envy.
Where to watch it: here
Kitty Mama (Micimutr, 2011)
A boy in the human world is worried about his sad dog. The princess of the fairy-tale land is to be sacrificed to the dragon when a brave villager rescues her. A proud prince takes credit and is about to take the princess as well when the good witch Micimutr decides to connect both worlds to set things right.
Libuše Šafránková starring as the witty witch Micimutr.
Where to watch it: here
