Hubert, the Smart Boy
Country
CzechoslovakiaCopyright
1984Production year
1983—1984Premiere
1 June 1985Runtime
86 minDirector
Ivo NovákCategory
filmGenre
comedyTypology
featuretheatrical distributionlongOriginal title
Fešák HubertCzech title
Fešák HubertEnglish title
Hubert, the Smart BoySummary
The experienced screenwriter and director Ivo Novák added to the number of films in the 1980s that returned to the era of the First Czechoslovak Republic in a light-hearted fashion. Like Anděl s ďáblem v těle (Angel Devil, 1983) and its sequel Anděl svádí ďbla (Angel Seduces Devil, 1987), Fešák Hubert (Hubert, the Smart Boy) is crowd-pleasing entertainment that relies on the attractive evocation of the “good old days.” The titular protagonist of this film, which was released in the cinemas in 1985, is Hubert Hrabě, known as Fešák (Smart Boy), a Žižkov dandy who is always skirting the edge of the law. Like every likeable rogue, he has a worthy adversary – Police Inspector Mourek, who has long been trying in vain to put him behind bars. However, this defender of justice, who is constantly trying to outsmart his “own” criminal, ends up becoming the victim of his own zeal while hunting forgers that are as good as any in Europe, as Hubert, the smart boy, sets a trap for Mourek. He becomes a popular prototype of a criminal who, in his own peculiar way, punishes injustice on his own “turf.” Hubert’s world is the Prague district of Žižkov and the filmmakers do a wonderful job of recreating this milieu through costumes and locations. Set in the lean years of the Great Depression, the story happily avoids any forced modernisation with its sparkling retro atmosphere. In the style of the American film The Sting (1973) and freely inspired by the Threepenny Opera, Novák and his screenwriter Pavel Hanuš create an old-fashioned idyll in which a dude with Švejk-like qualities must always prevail over a chronically amoral “nobility.” The mainstay of this concept is the man in the title role – Karel Heřmánek, who was then 37 years old (and who appeared in the aforementioned Angel films by Václav Matějka). In the role of Hubert, the much-loved actor created one of his most popular characters. Petr Kostka is a successful foil in the role of Inspector Mourek, and a number of well-known actors and actresses played smaller roles as the distinctive denizens of Žižkov.
Synopsis
The fop Hubert Hrabě nicknamed Adonis, from the Prague downtown lower-class neighborhood of Žižkov, shares a flat with the short mortician Eman Wurm and the hotel Nepraš sleazy doorman, Karel Myšička. He does not work, earning his living in various ways. He has an established "alibi office"; he can gatecrash any wedding as an unknown relative and thus get food and booze for his friends. Inspector Mourek from the police headquarters is after him, but Adonis is very careful. The private detective Špirk asks Hubert to help him follow the philandering young wife of Kropas, the director of the Union Bank. Hubert finds out during the enterprise that Mrs Kropas has become a victim of the moneylender Lón. He punishes Lón in a peculiar way and moreover rips him off at the same time. The vengeful Mourek forces the mortician Eman to report on Adonis, but Eman confesses to Hubert. Mourek casts around two famed counterfeiters wanted all over Europe. Adonis seemingly lets himself be forced by Mourek to collaborate but in fact sets a trap for the unpleasant policeman. He tells him that the counterfeiters can be found in the Žižkov hotel Nepraš. Mourek arrives there with a police escort and indeed arrests two men. It turns out later that one of them is the banker Kropas and the other one is Franz, the valet of Baroness Bramberg, who successfully passes himself off as a schizophrenic. Mourek faces big disgrace. He is punished and transferred as far as to the East of the republic, to the Sub-Carpathian Mukachevo. He wants to catch Adonis before his departure, but fails. Friends transport Adonis in a coffin to a safe place.
Note
The part of the valet Franc was initially assigned to Jiří Sovák. When he withdrew due to illness, the part was taken over by Lubomír Lipský.
Photos
Cast
Karel Heřmánek
žižkovský frajer Hubert Hrabě zvaný Fešák
Petr Kostka
policejní inspektor Mourek
Pavel Zedníček
funebrák Eman Wurm
Pavel Nový
hotelový portýr Karel Myšička zvaný Kadlouš
Zora Ulla Keslerová
Voice by Eva Hudečková
Růža Nejedlová, Hubertova dívka
Jan Teplý
policista Holendr
Otto Lackovič
policista Skákal
Josef Somr
Franta Pašek, majitel zápasnické arény
Evelyna Steimarová
Pašková, Frantova manželka
Jiří Holý
ředitel banky Union rada Bohumil Kropas
Jana Šulcová
Kropasova manželka Irma
Lubomír Kostelka
soukromý detektiv Láďa Špirk
Lubomír Lipský
komorník Franc
Laďka Kozderková
masérka Madlenka Čuříková, Emanova milá
Josef Patočka
děda Pašek
Nelly Gaierová
baronka Bramberková
Viktor Maurer
lichvář Osvald Lón
Vlastimil Fišar
komisař, Mourkův nadřízený
Václav Sloup
zloděj Eda
Vladimír Hrabánek
řezník Hrych
Vlastimil Zavřel
ženich Karel Čerepatka
Renata Honzovičová
nevěsta Helenka Sojková
Miriam Kantorková
sousedka Merenda
Míla Myslíková
matka ženicha Čerepatky
Rudolf Vodrážka
otec ženicha
Jiří Lír
strýc na svatbě
Dáša Neblechová
teta na svatbě
Olga Michálková
matka nevěsty
Karel Bělohradský
otec nevěsty
Věra Kalendová
bytná Růži
Stanislav Litera
Pepík
Jan Kreidl
kluk
Jitka Zelenohorská
zvědavá žena s kukátkem
Jiří Krytinář
Ferda-Sirky-Evropa
Karel Hábl
milenec paní Kropasové
Vladimír Hrubý
skořápkář
Zdeněk Srstka
zápasník Švarc
Lenka Machoninová
služka
Jan Kotva
kamelot
Václav Kotva
kamelot
Jan Cmíral
číšník
Taťana Puttová
kuchařka
Pavla Severinová
šenkýřka
Zdeněk Skalický
flašinetář
Emilie Zíchová
hudebnice
Eugen Jegorov
hudebník
J. Hošek
hudebník
Vladimír Klusák
hudebník
Zbyněk Malý
hudebník
Karel Rottenberg
hudebník
Jaromír Vogel
hudebník
Jaroslav Klenot
opilec
Karel Engel
zápasník
Arnošt Böhm
zápasník
Ladislav Lahoda
zápasník
Květoslav Štora
zápasník
Rudolf Strejček
rozhodčí
František Jákl
číšník
Ladislav Krečmer
chodec kupující noviny
Jiří Klenot
rváč
Jiří Kraus
rváč
František Stupka
rváč
Jaroslav Šanda
rváč
František Bláha (2)
svědek
Bohumil Koška
svědek
Ladislav Kocourek
tajný
Zbyněk Krákora
tajný
Mirko Musil
tajný
Vít Pešina
tajný
Petr Sekanina
tajný
Jaroslav Tomsa
tajný
Petr Drozda
uniformovaný policajt
Jindřich Sejk
uniformovaný policajt
Jaromír Kučera
homosexuál
Jan Šváb
homosexuál
Václav Burkert
policajt
Pavel Cajzl
policajt
Vladimír Koutek
policajt
Vladimír Pospíšil
policajt
Oldřich Semerák
policajt
Jaroslav Špáňa
policajt
Karel Vávrovec
policajt
Vlastimila Vlková
sousedka
Slávka Hamouzová
svatební host
Josef Pechanec
dubl za Lubomíra Kostelku
Crew and creators
Director
Second Unit Director
Assistant Director
Continuity
Screenstory
Screenplay
Shooting Script
Dramaturg
Director of Photography
Second Unit Photography
Camera Operator
Production Designer
Assistent Production Designer
Set Designer
Lubor Červa, Jan Hodný, Jaroslav Česal, Bohumil Kadlec, Jan Klíma, Jiří Libánský
Costume Designer
Costumes
Make-Up Artist
František Čížek, Miroslav Buhr, František Kléma, Vlasta Hájková
Film Editor
Assistant Film Editor
Sound Designer
Production Manager
Unit Production Manager
Václav Dobeš, Zdeňka Černá, Václav Petr
Unit Production Manager
Jana Hauserová
Cooperation
Zuzana Hojková (klapka), Alena Červená (fotografka)
Music
Music Composed by
Music Performed by
Petr Hapka, FISYO (Music Conducted by Mario Klemens)
Songs
Frajerů je kolem nás jak kvítí
Song Composer Petr Hapka
Writer of Lyrics Michal Horáček
Singer Laďka Kozderková
Za tou naší garáží
Song Composer Jaroslav Jankovec
Writer of Lyrics Alois Aust
Singer Jarka Budil
Dájo, nevolej
Song Composer Vladimír Eddy Fořt
Writer of Lyrics Vladimír Eddy Fořt
Singer mužský sbor
Niagára
Song Composer Eduard Ingriš
Writer of Lyrics Eduard Ingriš
Singer mužský sbor
Hej šup námořníci
Song Composer Vladimír Eddy Fořt
Writer of Lyrics Vladimír Eddy Fořt
Singer mužský sbor
Já jsem viděl hezkou holku
Song Composer Jára Beneš
Writer of Lyrics Karel TobisVáclav ŠpilarVáclav Mírovský
Singer Karel HeřmánekLaďka Kozderkovásbor
Santa Lucia
Song Composer lidová italská píseň
Singer Lubomír Lipský
Tichá putyka
Song Composer Jiří Eliáš
Writer of Lyrics T. R. Field
Singer Lubomír Lipský
Production info
Original Title
Fešák Hubert
Czech Title
Fešák Hubert
English Title
Hubert, the Smart Boy
Category
film
Typology
featuretheatrical distribution
Genre
comedy
Origin country
Czechoslovakia
Copyright
1984
Production Year
1983—1984
Production specifications
literary Screenplay approved 8 June 1983
start of filming 1 August 1983
technical Screenplay approved 27 September 1983
end of filming 12 June 1984
projection approval 22 June 1984
Premiere
premiere 1 June 1985 /suitable for youths/
Production
Copyright Holders
Distribution
Creative Group
1. dramaturgicko-výrobní skupina, Jiří Blažek (vedoucí 1. dramaturgicko-výrobní skupiny)
Technical info
Duration typology
feature film
Duration in minutes
86 min
Original length in metres
2 457 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: 7. festival české a slovenské filmové veselohry Nové Město nad Metují
1985
Nové Město nad Metují / Czechoslovakia
Ivo Novák
