Angel Devil

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1983

Production year

1983

Premiere

1 February 1984

Runtime

99 min

Category

film

Genre

comedy

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Anděl s ďáblem v těle

Czech title

Anděl s ďáblem v těle

English title

Angel Devil

Summary

The director Václav Matějka also complied with contemporary notions of genre entertainment intended for the broadest possible audience in the 1980s. In 1983, he made Anděl s ďáblem v těle (Angel Devil), an erotic comedy set in a brothel in the First Czechoslovak Republic. Because this impressive film was a hit with the public, he shot a sequel entitled Anděl svádí ďábla (Angel Seduces Devil) five years later. The film, whose screenplay was co-written by Drahoslav Makovička, evokes the atmosphere of an upscale bordello with a clientele from the highest social circles. Renáta, whose angelic face hides a dark, greedily scheming soul, becomes the new girl at the Riviéra. In an environment that takes kindly to various machinations and swindles, thanks to her marriage to a naïve millionaire, she manages to take over the business, which had been run until then by an energetic and classy Madam. Audiences were drawn to the film, not just by the attractive milieu and titillating situations (which managed not to fall foul of the censors of that time). They also liked its “critical” vision of the First Republic, where politicians and industrialists decided on state affairs and on lucrative contracts in a brothel. In terms of audiences, the film’s nostalgic retro feel gained a new lease of life after 1989, when subjects such as abusing parliamentary immunity, corruption, party intrigues and skirmishes, and cronyism became topical subjects. More than just being a retroactively viewed political satire, however, Angel Devil also bears witness to the efforts of cinema during the “normalisation” era of Soviet entrenchment after the Warsaw Pact invasion to entertain viewers with well-crafted genre spectacles, using not only elegant costumes and décor, period details, and musical numbers, but also making use of an attractive cast. The standout performances come from the Slovak actress Zdena Studénková in the role of the beautiful and cunning Renáta, as well as from her compatriot Božidara Turzonovová as the Madam.

Synopsis

Inspector Bulis is promoted to regional vice squad inspector and promises to free Prague from all lecheries in three months. His colleague, constable Halík, is sceptical about his resolution. Bulis is even determined to bring order to the nightclub Riviera, a château frequented by gentlemen from high ranks. The nightspot is skilfully and nobly run by the elegant owner Ms Stolařová alias Madam. Her girls are beautiful and refined according to the likings of the guests. One day, Madam admits Renáta, a beautiful blond girl with an angel face. The very first evening, Renáta mesmerizes all the men present to the extent that they are willing to pay enormous amounts for spending the night with her. At night, the château is also visited by major Čekan from the Salvation Army with his sheep, asking for three hundred thousand Crowns for establishing a home for fallen girls - as he was advised by deputy Nikodým, builder Šulc and departmental boss Boura. The major threatens to come every night, and Madam makes up a plan to save her enterprise: she reports in an anonymous letter that Riviera is in fact a brothel. Inspector Bulis makes a raid on the place and arrests all its personnel and clients, among them a young banker, Justic, who fell in love with Renáta. Moreover, a big scandal is threatened because Bulis seizes the client book. But the powerful and wealthy clients solve everything. They steel the dangerous item, remove Bulis from his position and release the arrested. Justic marries Renáta who takes over the management of the Riviera. Madam becomes her subordinate and must witness how the club changes, the entertainment becomes vulgar and the girls must extort important business secrecies from the gentlemen. Renáta offers to let Major Čekan give a sermon at midnight to amuse the guests and Bulis, promoted to chief inspector, guards the guests' safety in the Riviera.

Film online

Cast

Zdena Studenková

Voice by Eva Hudečková
zpěvačka Renáta Vaňková

Božidara Turzonovová

Madam Gábi Stolařová

Karel Heřmánek

Bulis, okresní inspektor mravnostní policie

Miloš Kopecký

Boura, sekční šéf ministerstva financí

Radoslav Brzobohatý

stavitel René Šulc

Josef Vinklář

poslanec velkostatkář Rudolf Nikodým

Jiří Korn

zpěvák a konferenciér Artur

Hana Buštíková

tanečnice Miriam, Arturova žena

Susan Baker

tanečnice Suzi

Josef Větrovec

komisař First

Josef Somr

vrchní strážmistr Halík

Jan Hartl

bankéř Jiří Justic

Jana Gýrová

Věra, žena nostalgie

Daniela Vacková

Marie Luisa, básnířka

Hana Talpová

Ilonka, žena maďarská puszta

Jaroslava Kretschmerová

Rózinka, žena diblíček

Evelyna Steimarová

Elsa, žena-vamp

Zdeňka Sajfertová

Berta, žena-plamen

Jiří Císler

major Armády spásy Čekan

Jiří Kodet

prokurista dr. Jež

Jana Břežková

animírka Kety

Zora Ulla Keslerová

Kristýna, madona spacích vozů

Ljuba Krbová

animírka Lola

Marta Richterová

animírka Edita

Věra Tichánková

účetní Doušová

Renáta Doleželová

animírka Květinka

Marta Krampolová

animírka Lola

Jana Viščaková

animírka Án

Ferdinand Krůta

tajný Kadeček

Jiří Hálek

úředník

Dana Klossová

animírka Saly

Milada Vnuková

animírka Vrabeček

Vladimír Švabík

velkostatkář Báňa

Dana Bartůňková

Boženka, Bulisova žena

Stanislav Šimek

velkoobchodník s textilem

Jaroslav Tomsa

fešák-maďarský gróf

Karel Chromík

falešný hráč

Milan Riehs

ministerský předseda

Pavel Marek

mladý bankéř-sportovec

Karel Peyr

baron Ellner

Pavel Havránek

tajný Malík

Petr Pospíchal

tajný Sejrek

Petr Burian st.

tajný Poša

Dana Vlková

zpěvačka

Taťána Bártová

členka Armády spásy

Hana Brejchová

členka Armády spásy

Zdeňka Tichá

členka Armády spásy

Petr Jákl

fotograf/bankéř

Richard Rýda

fotograf-mim

Václav Stýblo

fotograf/drožkář

Eva Šteffková

animírka Pusinka

Zuzana Talpová

podporučice Armády spásy Smržová

Miloslav Homola

vrchní číšník

Monika Hladová

sekretářka u Justice

Pavel Jiras

architekt Pexider

Zuzana Skalická

sekretářka

Josef Šebek

kasař Wágner alias zástupce ministra vnitra

Taťána Čechovská

tajemnice ministra

Michaela Dolinová

děvče s vázou

Miloslava Ebrová

brunetka

Luděk Kopřiva

psychiatr MUDr. Malkáč

Hugo Lutovský

tajemník banky-mim

Jan Hartmann

choreograf

Rudolf Papežík

dozorce-mim

Karel Smrž

harmonikář

Jan Císař

hudebník Armády spásy

Vlasta Foretková

hudebnice Armády spásy

Zdeněk Kesler

hudebník Armády spásy

Jaroslav Materna

hudebník Armády spásy

Milan Příhonský

hudebník Armády spásy

Magda Scholzová

hudebnice Armády spásy

Ladislav Vacek

hudebník Armády spásy

Ilona Jirotková

germánská dívka

Libuše Kudláčková

germánská dívka

Petra Šáchová

germánská dívka

Dalibor Kapras

pozounér

Zdeněk Kopecký

pozounér

Jaroslav Lautner

pozounér

Jaromír Ondroušek

pozounér

Petr Smolík

pozounér

Jiří Zelenka

pozounér

Ondřej Ernyei

hudebník

Zdenek Fibrich

hudebník

Otakar Jirák

hudebník

Miroslav Klimeš

hudebník

Svatobor Macák

hudebník

Ivan Pospíšil

hudebník

Josef Rejman

hudebník

Aleš Sládek

hudebník

Luboš Zajíček

hudebník

Crew and creators

Second Unit Director

Jiří Kratochvíl

Assistant Director

Tomáš Urban

Continuity

Olga Hrčková

Shooting Script

Václav Matějka

Director of Photography

Jiří Macháně

Second Unit Photography

Jaroslav Brabec

Camera Operator

Ivan Šimůnek

Production Designer

Vladimír Labský

Assistent Production Designer

František Dvořák

Set Designer

Josef Dvořák, Jaroslav Chytrý, Petr Matouš, Zdena Suchomelová, Richard Staněk, Petr Průša

Costume Designer

Jarmila Konečná

Film Editor

Josef Valušiak

Assistant Film Editor

Jan Svoboda, Jana Šimonová

Sound Designer

Jiří Hora, Jiří Zobač

Production Manager

Jiří Beránek

Unit Production Manager

Vlasta Synkulová, Miroslav Dousek, Vladimíra Kopecká

Unit Production Manager

Rudolf Jelínek, Magdalena Mikešová

Music

Music Composed by

Jiří F. Svoboda

Danced by

Zdeňka Gabzdylová, Dagmar Vlčková, Jana Lojkásková, Eva Čechová, Naděžda Izakovičová, Nataša Lukaničová

Songs

Anděl s ďáblem v těle

Song Composer Jiří F. Svoboda
Writer of Lyrics Zdeněk Rytíř
Singer Hana BuštíkováLída NopováJiří KornDana Vlková

Jak to chodí v Monte Carlu

Song Composer Jiří F. Svoboda
Writer of Lyrics Zdeněk Rytíř
Singer Hana BuštíkováJiří Korn

Pojď k nám na karneval

Song Composer Jiří F. Svoboda
Writer of Lyrics Zdeněk Rytíř
Singer Jiří Kornženský sbor

Charlestone o bohatství a slávě /Nový trend/

Song Composer Jiří F. Svoboda
Writer of Lyrics Zdeněk Rytíř
Singer Hana BuštíkováJiří Korn

Tam já mám svůj budoár

Song Composer Jiří F. Svoboda
Writer of Lyrics Zdeněk Rytíř
Singer Zora Ulla Keslerová [dab]

Blondýnky něžné

Song Composer Oskar Nedbal
Writer of Lyrics Leo Stein
Singer Zdena Studenková [dab]Lída Nopová

Akáty bílé, žaluji vám

Song Composer František Blahník
Writer of Lyrics František Blahník
Singer sbor

Production info

Original Title

Anděl s ďáblem v těle

Czech Title

Anděl s ďáblem v těle

English Title

Angel Devil

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

comedy

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1983

Production Year

1983

Premiere

premiere 1 February 1984 /unsuitable for youths/

Creative Group

3. dramaturgicko-výrobní skupina, Václav Erben (vedoucí 3. dramaturgicko-výrobní skupiny)

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

99 min

Original length in metres

2 827 meters

Distribution carrier

16mm, 35mm

Aspect ratio

1:1,37

Colour

colour

Sound

sound

Sound system/format

mono

Versions

Czech

Dialogue languages

Czech

Subtitles languages

without subtitles

Opening/End credits languages

Czech

Awards

Vítěz

Festival: 22. festival československých filmů Banská Bystrica

1984
Banská Bystrica / Czechoslovakia
Božidara Turzonovová