Maybe it was true. Maybe it was just a fairy tale ... The fact is that without excessive budget, director Ludvík Ráza managed to shoot one of the jewels of Czech TV production. Similar to the later movie PÁNI KLUCI (literally "Boys the Masters", 1975) by director Vera Plivova-Simkova, the two-part film from 1971 is another successful adaptation of Mark Twain's literary work, which originated in the former Czechoslovakia. The creators had a lucky hand when they entrusted the role of young King Edward VI. To Roman Skamene (then 17-year-old). As a result, (nine-year-old) Edward gained adequate royal charisma. However, other acting performances are excellent as well, and the movie is pulled to a highly above-average level by great music (composed by the otherwise not very well-known Ladislav Simon). Although costumes - reportedly very rich - cannot stand out due to the black-and-white material (color television films were not yet standard at that time), it nevertheless contributed to the depiction of the gloomy, cruel atmosphere of England in the 16th century.
If I have to point out something, it is perhaps the fact that not all actors correspond to the age of the historical figures they portray. For example, Lord Hertford was only 47 years old (not in his sixties, as actor Vladimir Smeral), and Lady Jane Grey, who was as old as Edward, is performed by 20-year-old Nada Konvalinkova. The most impressive to me is the final scene, where the young king, who just escaped from the clutches of an executioner, gives a moral lesson to the entire royal court and rewards his friend Miles Hendon. BTW, the duo director Ráza - screenwriter Vogeltanz later collaborated on an impressive adaptation of Jules Verne's novel TAJEMSTVÍ OCELOVÉHO MESTA (The Secret of the Steel City, 1979), which is also highly recommended.
