You Are a Widow, Sir 1971

Comedy

Runtime

97 mins

Language

Czech

Directed by

Ladislav Smoljak

Made by

Filmové studio Barrandov

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You Are a Widow, Sir Plot Summary

Read the complete plot summary and ending explained for You Are a Widow, Sir (1971). From turning points to emotional moments, uncover what really happened and why it matters.

In the near future, Rosebud IV, Jiří Sovák the king of a fictional European kingdom, decides to disband his army after an accident leaves his cousin badly injured. This bold, unsettling move shakes the confidence of the army generals, who fear losing their influence and quietly plot to remove him through a carefully staged scheme that blends politics with theatre.

At the clinic of the renowned Professor Sommer, plans come to life to create a lifelike duplicate of Evelyna Kelettiová, Iva Janžurová. The conspirators intend to implant the brain of the condemned killer Ms Stubová, Helena Růžičková, into this new body. The aim is chillingly precise: use the double to carry out the assassination while the king remains unaware, especially since the king is the actress’s admirer.

Meanwhile, an army officer named Bobo Jan Libíček—whose blunder led to the earlier injury—is released and begins to seek his future. He turns to his friend, the famed astrologer Stuart Hample Jiří Hrzán, to read his horoscope. The prophecy unfolds in a wildly tangled sequence: Hample will be killed, Bobo will save his life, Hample will become a widower, and finally he will marry his dream love, the young actress Molly Adamsová Olga Schoberová, who is dating Major Steiner, one of the conspirators.

Rosebud IV also consults Hample and learns that an assassination attempt is being planned against him. He tasks his officers—General Otis and Major Steiner Eduard Cupák—to investigate, unaware that they themselves are orchestrating the plot. The conspirators decide that Hample has become too dangerous and must be silenced.

The tension escalates as Hample is murdered, and while his death should be tucked away, a bungled autopsy exchange transforms the situation: the brain of Stuart Hample ends up inside Evelyna Kelettiová’s duplicate due to a mishap with the brain of Ms Stubová. This unintended brain swap detonates a chain reaction of mistaken identities, coincidences, and shifting loyalties, giving rise to a sprawling web of confusions and assassinations that keep the narrative in a precarious, unpredictable orbit.

You Are a Widow, Sir Timeline

Follow the complete movie timeline of You Are a Widow, Sir (1971) with every major event in chronological order. Great for understanding complex plots and story progression.

King disbands the army

In the near future, King Rosebud IV disbands his army after a serious accident injuring his cousin. The move unsettles the generals who fear losing power and prestige. They begin to hatch a plan to remove him without overt confrontation.

Rosebud IV Royal Court

Generals plot assassination

The army generals decide to eliminate the king in a covert way. General Otis and Major Steiner emerge as the primary conspirators behind the scheme. Their intrigue aims to subvert the throne without open rebellion.

Royal Army Headquarters

Clone plan at Sommer Clinic

At Professor Sommer's clinic, a duplicate of actress Evelyna Kelletti is created from veal. The conspirators intend to implant the brain of the sadistic Ms Stub into this clone to carry out the king's elimination. The bizarre experiment reflects the lengths to which the plot will go.

Professor Sommer's Clinic

Bobo seeks future via horoscope

Officer Bobo, recently released from the army, seeks guidance about his future and asks the renowned astrologer Stuart Hample to read his horoscope. The reading promises more mystery than clarity, hinting at fates rather than certainties. Bobo eagerly awaits what the stars might reveal.

Bobo's Residence

Hample's fortune foretells twists

Hample's horoscope predicts a sequence of strange events: he will be killed, then saved by Bobo. It also foresees that Hample will become a widower and eventually marry Molly, who is the girlfriend of Major Steiner. The forecast plants seeds of intertwined destinies.

Stuart Hample's Study

King learns of assassination plan

King Rosebud IV uses Hample's services and learns that an assassination attempt is being planned against him. He orders his officers to investigate, unaware that Otis and Steiner are the ones orchestrating the plot. The king's caution sets the stage for deeper deception.

Royal Court

Otis and Steiner investigate

Otis and Steiner are tasked with uncovering the threat, but they continue with their covert agenda. They promptly decide that Hample is too dangerous and must be eliminated, turning suspicion toward the astrologer. The investigation gears toward mutual destruction rather than truth-seeking.

Army Intelligence Offices

Hample is murdered

Stuart Hample is murdered, removing a potential obstacle and shifting the balance of power. His brain is destined for archival storage, a fate that foreshadows the strange scientific turn of events to come. The murder leaves unresolved questions in its wake.

Hample's Residence

Brain mis-swaps during autopsy

During the autopsy, a mistake is made with Ms Stub's brain, and Hample's brain ends up inside Evelyna Kelletti's clone. The swap creates an uncanny hybrid and corrupts the intended purpose of the clone. This error becomes the seed of a cascade of misfortunes.

Autopsy Lab

Chaos from the brain swap

With Hample's brain now living inside Evelyna's duplicate, a whirlwind of confusions and assassinations begins. Characters misinterpret loyalties and intentions, triggering unpredictable reactions. The line between ally and foe blurs as events spiral.

Various locations in Rosebud IV

Romance and loyalties tangled

Molly, Steiner's girlfriend, becomes entangled in the shifting loyalties spurred by the brain swap and the conspiracies. Relationships are strained as secret motives collide with public plots. The personal ties heighten the stakes of every decision.

Rosebud IV City

Cascade of confusions begins

The plot devolves into a cascade of confusions, misunderstandings, and assassinations. The initial intents of the conspirators are overshadowed by unintended consequences and shifting alliances. The story pivots toward an unpredictable, chaotic aftermath.

Rosebud IV

You Are a Widow, Sir Characters

Explore all characters from You Are a Widow, Sir (1971). Get detailed profiles with their roles, arcs, and key relationships explained.

King Rosebud IV (Jiří Sovák)

A young monarch whose decision to disband the army triggers a covert attempt on his life. His leadership is marked by a mix of charisma and risk-taking, drawing allies and enemies alike into a complex power play.

👑 Monarchy 🧭 Power 🤝 Loyalty

Omar Otis, General

A high-ranking general implicated in the conspiracy to assassinate the king. He embodies the tension between military duty and personal ambition, orchestrating moves from behind the scenes.

🗡️ Military 🧭 Strategy 🧩 Intrigue

Major Robert Steiner

A military officer who collaborates with others to remove the king, while also entangling himself in the political drama surrounding the astrologer's prophecies and personal relationships.

🎖️ Military 🧭 Plotting 🧩 Scheming

Stuart Hample, Astrologer

A renowned astrologer whose unsettling predictions set off a chain of events. His warnings and readings drive decisions, and his fate becomes tightly linked to the fate of others.

🔮 Prophecy 🪐 Fate 🧠 Insight

Bobo

An army officer whose mistake led to the king’s injury, and who now seeks clarity about his future amid the conspiracies and misdirections.

🧭 Self-discovery 🧩 Quest 🥽 Consequences

Evelyna Kelettiová (Evelyna Kellettiová)

A famed actress whose body becomes the container for another’s brain due to a botched autopsy mix-up. She becomes the focal point of admiration and danger, intertwining romance with political peril.

🎭 Fame 🧬 Identity 💔 Romance

Fanny Stubová

A sadistic murderer whose brain is intended for the duplicate Evelyna, but whose plans are overshadowed by a cascade of unintended consequences.

🗡️ Violence 🧩 Villain 🌀 Chaos

Professor Somr

A renowned physician who owns the sanatorium and whose expertise becomes a pivotal element in the cloning-and-brain-implant storyline.

🧪 Science 🏥 Medical mystery 🧭 Influence

Mary Otisová

A key supporting character whose relationship to Evelyna and the broader political plot provides emotional grounding amid the intrigue.

❤️ Relationships 🗺️ Social ties 🧭 Loyalty

Molly Adamsová

A young actress connected to Evelyna’s circle, whose romantic entanglements intersect with the conspirators’ plans.

🎭 Romance 🧩 Interference 🕊️ Innocence

Gerta, Otisová's Friend

A character connected to the court and personal networks, offering perspectives that reveal the social dynamics at play.

👥 Social ties 🧭 Court life 💬 Gossip

Kelettiho tajemník

The secretary to Keletti, a figure who moves through the palace with information and influence, often in the background of larger plots.

🗂️ Bureaucracy 🗝️ Access 🧭 Power

You Are a Widow, Sir Settings

Learn where and when You Are a Widow, Sir (1971) takes place. Explore the film’s settings, era, and how they shape the narrative.

Time period

Near future

The events occur in the near future, where monarchies still hold sway but are entangled with cutting-edge medical technology. Political games and assassination plots unfold against a backdrop of scientific advancements, including cloning-like duplications and brain transplants. The timeline blends traditional royal intrigue with speculative biotech.

Location

Rosebud IV, Clinic of Professor Sommer

The story unfolds on Rosebud IV, a fictional European kingdom set in the near future. The royal court and its institutions sit alongside advanced (and ethically gray) medical science. Key scenes take place in the king’s palace and in the clinic of the celebrated Professor Sommer, where high-stakes scheming collides with experimental procedures.

🏰 Monarchy 🧬 Bioengineering 🗺️ Fictional setting

You Are a Widow, Sir Themes

Discover the main themes in You Are a Widow, Sir (1971). Analyze the deeper meanings, emotional layers, and social commentary behind the film.

🧬

Body & Mind

The plot centers on a brain transplant gone awry, creating a clash between identity and embodiment. The clone of Evelyna Kelettiová, housing Ms Stub’s brain by mistake, forces characters to confront what makes a person who they are. The movie uses this premise to explore autonomy, ethics, and the fragility of selfhood.

🏰

Power & Paranoia

A fragile monarchy becomes the playground for conspirators who manipulate events to control Rosebud IV. Generals, officers, and politicians maneuver through deception, aiming to shape the king’s fate. The tension arises from hidden agendas, loyalty tests, and the constant threat of treachery.

🎭

Comedy of Errors

The narrative abounds with mistaken identities, duplications, and a web of misunderstandings. The absurdity of medical and political machinations creates a satirical tone that undercuts danger with farce. The result is a witty, escalating series of mishaps that critique power and fame.

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You Are a Widow, Sir Spoiler-Free Summary

Discover the spoiler-free summary of You Are a Widow, Sir (1971). Get a concise overview without any spoilers.

In a fictional European kingdom ruled by the eccentric King Rosebud IV, an unexpected royal decision sends shockwaves through the military establishment. After a soldier’s mishap leaves the king’s cousin injured, the monarch chooses to disband the army entirely, a move that unsettle the generals and threatens to upend the kingdom’s established order. What begins as a political statement soon becomes the catalyst for a scheme where ambition and desperation collide.

The conspirators, operating from the shadows, turn to the unconventional expertise of Professor Sommer. Their plan involves science fiction technology, political intrigue, and theatrical deception. At the center of their design lies a lifelike duplicate of actress Evelyna Kelettiová, a woman the king admires. The generals intend to weaponize this doppelgänger, embedding it with a sinister purpose that could reshape the kingdom’s future.

Enter Bobo, an army officer whose earlier blunder triggered the royal incident. Seeking direction, he turns to his friend Stuart Hample, a celebrity astrologer whose prophecies carry weight in the royal court. But the stars predict a convoluted future, one where death and salvation intertwine in unexpected ways. As the astrologer reads the fates, he unknowingly places himself in the crossfire between the conspirators and their ambitions.

The kingdom trembles on the edge of chaos, where courtroom politics, scientific ambition, and celestial predictions all converge. With mistaken identities lurking and shifting loyalties at every turn, the question becomes not just who will survive, but whose mind will ultimately determine the outcome.

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