Back to Explore
Once Upon a Time, There Was a King... poster

Once Upon a Time, There Was a King...

Byl jednou jeden král...

1955 · 1h 47m · Comedy, Family, Fantasy · Czechoslovakia

A selfish self-centered widowed ruler, barely tolerated by his subjects and called appropriately enough, 'King Myself, First' asks his three daughters to name the measure of their love for him. When one of them says, "more than salt", he banishes her from the kingdom. Not understanding what she meant the King assumes love can only be measured by precious metals or one's own talent, the 'correct' answers from his other two daughters. The arrogance of the King leads him to gather all the salt in the kingdom and destroy it. Of course, this backfires as he slowly learns the universal value of the substance, and of course, the essence of his daughter's reply. With the help of the wise and magical old 'herb woman', the King also learns what it means to be a true and wise ruler.

Directed by
Bořivoj Zeman
Written by
Jan Werich, Jiří Brdečka, Bořivoj Zeman
Story by
Jiří Brdečka, Oldřich Kautský, Jan Werich, Bořivoj Zeman
Starring
Jan Werich, Vlasta Burian, Irena Kačírková, Stella Májová
Watch on Amazon Prime Video
6.6Smart score

The TMDB rating, pulled toward the movie average (6.03) as if it had 82 extra average votes. Few votes means more pull.

TMDB8.0

35 TMDB votes · IMDb page

Rate what worked

0 of 5 rated
Story
Writing
Acting
Pacing
Rewatch
Rate 10 titles to unlock picks matched to your taste0 / 10
Saved in this browser only.

Where to watch

Amazon Prime Video
Subscription
Watch
Amazon Video
Buy · Rent
Rent

Where each service has it

Amazon Prime Video: available in 2 countries
Subscription · 2Guernsey, United Kingdom

Streaming data by JustWatch, via TMDB. Links open the JustWatch listing for United Kingdom.

Style & content

based on short storyfairy tale

Keywords from TMDB.

Connected through the crew

The Fabulous World of Jules Verne1958 · Writer Jiří BrdečkaThe Fabulous Baron Munchausen1962 · Writer Jiří BrdečkaWhen the Cat Comes1963 · Writer Jiří BrdečkaLemonade Joe1964 · Writer Jiří BrdečkaAdela Has Not Had Supper Yet1978 · Writer Jiří BrdečkaThe Emperor and the Golem1951 · Writer Jan Werich, Writer Jiří BrdečkaThe Mysterious Castle in the Carpathians1981 · Writer Jiří BrdečkaThe Three Veterans1984 · Writer Jiří BrdečkaDS-70 nevyjíždí1951 · Cinematographer Jan RothThe Proud Princess1952 · Writer Bořivoj Zeman, Director Bořivoj ZemanThe Princess with the Golden Star1959 · Cinematographer Jan RothSpringman and the SS1946 · Writer Jiří Brdečka, Director Jiří Brdečka

Browse lists

Best Family Movies on Amazon Prime VideoBest Fantasy Movies on Amazon Prime VideoBest Comedy Movies on Amazon Prime VideoBest Movies on Amazon Prime VideoBest Fantasy Movies of the 1950sBest Comedy Movies of the 1950sBest Family Movies of the 1950sBest Fantasy Movies of All TimeBest Comedy Movies of All TimeBest Family Movies of All Time