| How to Wake a Princess | |
| Director: | Václav Vorlíček |
| Screenplay: | Bohumila Zelenková |
| Cinematography: | Frantisek Uldrich |
| Editing: | Miroslav Hájek |
| Music: | Karel Svoboda |
| Studio: | Barrandov Studios |
| Distributor: | Ústřední půjčovna filmů |
| Runtime: | 83 minutes |
| Country: | Czechoslovakia |
| Language: | Czech |
How to Wake a Princess is a 1977 Czechoslovak fantasy film directed by Václav Vorlíček. It is based on the fairy tale Sleeping Beauty, in the versions collected by Charles Perrault and the Brothers Grimm.
Witch Melánie, Queen Eliska's evil and envious sister, casts a terrible curse on her newborn niece. At the age of 17, Princess Ruzenka is asked in marriage by the arrogant and vain Prince Jirí, although she is in love with Jaroslav, the prince's younger brother. One day Melánie succeed to trick the princess into prickling herself with a thorny bouquet of roses, and the curse comes true. Ruzenka falls asleep and the whole court with her. Jaroslav will therefore have to overcome various obstacles helped by his faithful servant Matej, to enter the castle covered in thorns. The young man finally manages to reawaken the princess with a kiss.
Marie Horáková and Oldřich Velen had all their lines dubbed by Naďa Konvalinková and Lubor Tokos respectively.
The exteriors were filmed at the Pernštejn, Křivoklát and Roštejn Castles (Ruzenka's castle, close-ups of Ruzenka's castle and Jaroslav's castle respectively), and at the ruins of Orlík Castle near Humpolc (Melánie's house).[1] The fight with the bear was filmed at Konopiště.