1930 – 13th segment: Our Old Imperial and Royal Field Marshal (Náš starý c. k. polní maršálek)

In this series we present 100 songs which have gone down in the history of Czechoslovakia and the Czech Republic. They became widely popular, were played during important time periods or won the hit parade of the year. We continue with the year 1930.

1930

The global population exceeded 2 billion.

The first automatic traffic light started working on Wenceslas Square in Prague.

Uruguay hosted the first World Cup in history and the event was won by the home team.

Throughout the 1920s, operetta remained dependent on live performances in professional theaters. It was played either by traveling acting companies or by enthusiastic and hardworking amateurs. However, with the 1930s, new and unexpected partners came to the operetta’s aid, thanks to the growth of radio and sound film. This alliance with the operetta, which enjoyed great popularity in Czechoslovakia, paid off. Before long it was clear that what was so enjoyable on the stage could be equally appealing in films and on radio programs; and of course the opposite. This was when the first Czech audio comedy debuted in the cinemas. It was based on the original film about a doppelgänger of the highest ranking officer in the old Austrian army.

'The Imperial and Royal Field Marshal'

The film was The Imperial and Royal Field Marshal. It not only showcased the excellent performance of one of the most popular Czech comedians, Vlasta Burian, in the title role; it also featured a song written by composer Járy Beneš that remains popular to this day. The song was so successful that an entire operetta, with the same name, was written about the Imperial and Royal Field Marshal.

J. Beneš/Tobias- Mírovský- Špilar: Náš starý c. k. polní maršálek