How Life Smells Good to Poets
Country
CzechoslovakiaCopyright
1987Production year
1986—1987Premiere
1 June 1988Runtime
102 minDirector
Dušan KleinCategory
filmGenre
comedyTypology
featuretheatrical distributionlongOriginal title
Jak básníkům chutná životCzech title
Jak básníkům chutná životEnglish title
How Life Smells Good to PoetsWorking title
Jak básníkům voní životSummary
The third part of the “Poets pentalogy” was created by director Dušan Klein and screenwriter Ladislav Pecháček in 1987. Following Jak svět přichází o básníky (How the World Loses Poets) (1982) and Jak básníci přicházejí o iluze (How Poets Lose Their Illusions) (1984), popular hero Šimon Šafránek (Pavel Kříž), an idealistic dreamer, returned to the big screen. After successfully completing his studies, Štěpán takes a job as a doctor at the internal department of the district hospital in his native Hradiště. However, due to his aversion to privileged patients he gets into a conflict with the senior doctor and ends up as a general practitioner in the remote Bezdíkov. Alongside problems with administration and a range of singular patients, the young man meets a new love, a music teacher to whom he gives the nickname Little Whistle (Eva Vejmělková)... The hero’s friend Kendy has also graduated; after studying to be a director at FAMU he becomes an assistant TV director. Kendy and a crew come to make a series in his and Štěpán’s hometown. Vendulka “The Comforter” is a clerk at the Ministry of Health. A third friend whom he knew from Prague student dorms in the previous episode – the African Mireček – has embarked on a lucrative career and visits Czechoslovakia as part of an international delegation. The group enjoy a few glasses at the Moravian wine cellar of their pal Venoš... Šimon must compete for Little Whistle’s affections with her dull fiancé Hájek (Rostislav Kuba). As previously, his poetic approach clashes with the pragmatic attitude of his rival. Characters from previous parts are supplemented with new ones in the form of Jana Hlaváčová (as Tonička, an optimistic nurse in Bezdíkov) and Rudolf Hrušínský (Little Whistle’s bohemian father). Following Pavel Kříž’s emigration to Canada it appeared that the Poets series was at an end. In 1993, however, Dušan Klein made another follow-up entitled Konec básníků v Čechách (The End of Poets in Bohemia), in which the virtuous hero encounters the new post-1989 situation as he looks for work. He was also able therefore to proceed to the final part of the pentalogy, Jak básníci neztrácejí naději (Poets Never Lose Hope) (2003).
Synopsis
After the graduation ceremony in the Karolinum, ceremonial hall of the Charles University, Štěpán, Honza,Venoš, Mireček, and Vendulka become doctors. Štěpán starts at the internal medicine department of the hospital in his home town of Hradiště. His jovial colleague, Milan, is enjoying many willing partners on the sofa in his doctor's room. He introduces him to the restraint senior consultant and other colleagues. Everybody is afraid of the dominant, corpulent cleaning lady. The diligent Štěpán makes only the minor mistakes typical of beginners. But one mistake is disastrous. He places an "ordinary" patient, Mrs. Hubáčková, in the room, where the senior consultant places her favoured patients. He meets Mrs. Hubáčková's charming daughter, Alenka, but the vengeful senior consultant transfers him to the local department in Bezdíkov. There is a talkative, always optimistic nurse, Tonička, a consulting room full of patients and loads of administration, because a number of patients merely need a stamp for various permits. Štěpán, as a village doctor, also has to visit patients at home. The ambulance-man, Písařík, is always complaining and then he fails to concentrate and often causes accidents. Štěpán meets Alena, who plays flute in the castle window, during an unexpected stop. Štěpán's mother gets gallstone colic but, although she is proud of her son, she refuses to be treated by him. In Hradiště, Štěpán meets his friend Kendy, who is now a member of a film crew. Czechoslovakia is visited by a foreign delegation that also includes the black, Mireček, his former fellow student from Africa. Štěpán rounds up Vendulka at the ministry, along with Honza at the Motol hospital in Prague and, together with Mireček, they get drunk in Moravia at a wine cellar belonging to Venoš. Kendy helps Štěpán with a notice board in the waiting room. His colleague, a film architect, creates a setting that leaves the control commission breathless. Alena, called by Štěpán's Whistle, endures his wooing. Her fiancé, the chippy teacher, Hájek, created a graph of their future – wedding, holiday, first child. Štěpán invites the Whistle for a picnic of eggs that he received from his grateful patients. But before she arrives, Kendy, along with girls from the film crew, break into his flat and eat most of the feast. Then Štěpán is called in by his juicy former schoolmate, Hrdličková. But she is not ill; she only wants to seduce him. The young doctor escapes the persistent woman on the eaves. Unfortunately, he jumps down in front of the Whistle and Hájek, who are on an evening walk. Štěpán's favourite teacher, Ječmen, becomes his patient when he gets a heart attack at his cottage in Bezdíkov. Štěpán, in love, visits the Whistle at the castle and there in a historic field bed, they finally come together. The womanizer, Milan, is transferred to Bezdíkov, but Štěpán does not want to go back to the hospital. He found an ad offering a doctor's job and a flat and sets off for there, along with the Whistle.
Note
The film is a follow up to the successful film How the World Loses Poets (1982) and it´s a free follow up How Poets Lose Their Illusions (1984), after which still follow two films about the fate of the main characters: The End of Poets in Bohemia... (1993) and How Poets Never Lose Hope (2004). The stories are continuously commented upon and supplemented by short animation sequences.
Photos
Cast
Pavel Kříž
MUDr. Štěpán Šafránek
David Matásek
asistent režie Kendy
Eva Vejmělková
Voice by Zlata Adamovská
učitelka Alena zvaná Píšťalka
Jana Hlaváčová
zdravotní sestra Tonička
Rudolf Hrušínský
Hubáček, Alenin otec
Blažena Holišová
průvodkyně Hubáčková, Alenina matka
Karel Roden
MUDr. Jan Antoš
Václav Svoboda
MUDr. Václav Pastyřík
Joseph Dielle
MUDr. Numira Cassa Thombe zvaný Mireček
Eva Jeníčková
Vendulka, pracovnice ministerstva
Pavel Zedníček
řidič sanitky Písařík
Josef Somr
profesor Ječmen
Rostislav Kuba
učitel Libor Hájek, Alenin snoubenec
Tomáš Töpfer
MUDr. Milan Sahulák
Věra Vlčková
primářka zvaná Obočenka
Míla Myslíková
švadlena Šafránková, Štěpánova matka
František Filipovský
důchodce Valerián Adolf
Josef Větrovec
ředitel Obvodního ústavu národního zdraví
Alice Chrtková
herečka Iveta
Kateřina Rajmontová
MUDr. Tupá
Alena Karešová
vrchní sestra
Barbora Štěpánová
Bedřiška Hrdličková
Zita Kabátová
sousedka Zelená
Jiří Hálek
redaktor Hrdlička
Monika Hladová
Václavova manželka
Marcela Martínková
zdravotní sestra Božena
Jana Andresíková
Bobina z krčního
Vlasta Jelínková
babička Hníková
Hugo Kaminský
Hník
Jan Kostroun
Voice by Zdeněk Žák
MUDr. Klíma
Věra Koktová
referentka z ministerstva
Luďa Marešová
referentka z ministerstva
Zuzana Talpová
Voice by Eva Klepáčová
referentka z ministerstva
Isabela Siegelová
zdravotní sestra Milena
Jan Schmid
pacient Eisenmenger
Stanislav Zindulka
Lorenc
Věra Mezerová
Lorencova žena
Z. Tothová
Lorencova dcera
J. Nedvědová
Lorencova dcera
Jiřina Jelenská
předsedkyně na přednášce o obezitě
Jiří Kodet
režisér Pergl
Iveta Höschlová
maskérka
Václav Helliman
kameraman
Naďa Kubásková
členka televizního štábu
Z. Krejčová
skriptka televizního štábu
Pavel Melounek
produkční televizního štábu
Gregorij Dymič
rekvizitář
Soňa Novotná
klapka
Stanislav Krbec
vrchní osvětlovač
Boris Halmi
filmový architekt
P. Fišerová
kostymérka
Jiřina Bílá
pacientka v čekárně
Stanislav Aubrecht
herec Roman
Valentina Thielová
protekční pacientka
Eva Vidlařová
uklízečka Kiliánová
Zdeněk Blažek
promotor
Jana Robenková
babka
Vlastimila Vlková
babka
Miroslava Hozová
Ječmenova žena
Ondřej Vetchý
prodejce aut Karabec
Anna Wetlinská
televizní reportérka
Pavel Želízko
kůžičkář/dubl za Pavla Zedníčka
Jitka Asterová
turistka na zámku
Taťana Puttová
Vostrčilová, zákaznice paní Šafránkové
Alena Knotková
zákaznice paní Šafránkové
I. Horáková
zákaznice paní Šafránkové
Antonín Hardt
děkan
Milan Vyskočil
rektor
Eduard Pavlíček
příslušník VB
Karel Hovorka
příslušník VB
Miloslav Štibich
turista se salámem
Hedvika Šustová
členka televizního štábu
O. Bergerová
členka televizního štábu
Jaroslav Tomsa
pacient
Y. Baban
delegát
K. Delan
delegát
Pavel Štoll
fotograf
Dušan Klein
nosič na nádraží
Ladislav Pecháček
nosič na nádraží
Radovan Urban
turista
Jiří Klenot
dubl za Pavla Kříže
J. Nečas
muzikant
F. Kostuřík
muzikant
Jiří Košík
muzikant
Dubbing
Karel Houska
hlas chirurga
Viktor Maurer
hlas gynekologa
Crew and creators
Director
Second Unit Director
Magdalena Mikešová
Assistant Director
Continuity
Screenstory
Screenplay
Shooting Script
Dramaturg
Director of Photography
Second Unit Photography
Production Designer
Assistent Production Designer
Art Director
Set Designer
Jiří Forst, Jan Huptych, Milan Šilha
Costume Designer
Costumes
Make-Up Artist
Film Editor
Assistant Film Editor
Sound Designer
Special Effects
Titles Designed by
Stunts
František Jákl, Jaroslav Klenot, Ladislav Lahoda, Dimo Lipitkovský, Pavel Myslík, Ladislav Vloššák, Pavel Želízko
Production Manager
Unit Production Manager
Ivo Pitrák, Olga Zelenská
Unit Production Manager
Drahomíra Čížková
Cooperation
Lenka Křivánková (klapka), Vladimír Souček (fotograf)
Music
Music Composed by
Selected Music
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Abeceda), Robert Schumann
Music Performed by
FISYO (Music Conducted by Štěpán Koníček)
Songs
V tom
Song Composer Zdeněk Marat
Writer of Lyrics Zdeněk Borovec
Singer Karel ČernochIveta Bartošová
Proč mám jít studovat
Song Composer Zdeněk Marat
Writer of Lyrics Ladislav Pecháček
Singer Václav SvobodaBacily
To musím zvládnout sám
Song Composer Jiří Zmožek
Writer of Lyrics Zdeněk Rytíř
Singer Karel Gott
Prázdná náruč
Song Composer Pavel VětrovecKarel Gott
Writer of Lyrics Pavel Kopta
Singer Karel Gott
U muziky su já chlap
Singer sbor
Production info
Original Title
Jak básníkům chutná život
Czech Title
Jak básníkům chutná život
English Title
How Life Smells Good to Poets
Working Title
Jak básníkům voní život
Category
film
Typology
featuretheatrical distribution
Genre
comedy
Origin country
Czechoslovakia
Copyright
1987
Production Year
1986—1987
Production specifications
literary Screenplay approved 5 June 1986
start of filming 1 August 1986
technical Screenplay approved 12 September 1986
end of filming 22 May 1987
projection approval 9 June 1987
Premiere
premiere 1 June 1988 /suitable for youths/
Production
Copyright Holders
Distribution
Creative Group
2. dramaturgicko-výrobní skupina, Josef Císař (vedoucí 2. dramaturgicko-výrobní skupiny)
Technical info
Duration typology
feature film
Duration in minutes
102 min
Original length in metres
2 878 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: 10. festival české a slovenské filmové veselohry Nové Město nad Metují
1988
Nové Město nad Metují / Czechoslovakia
Pavel Kříž
Vítěz
Festival: 15. festival zdravotnických filmů Podbořany
1988
Podbořany / Czechoslovakia
Josef Vaniš
Vítěz
Festival: 26. festival českých a slovenských filmů Brno
1988
Brno / Czechoslovakia
Vítěz
Festival: 10. festival české a slovenské filmové veselohry Nové Město nad Metují
1988
Nové Město nad Metují / Czechoslovakia
Ladislav Pecháček
Vítěz
Festival: 15. festival zdravotnických filmů Podbořany
1988
Podbořany / Czechoslovakia
Pavel Kříž
Vítěz
Festival: 10. festival české a slovenské filmové veselohry Nové Město nad Metují
1988
Nové Město nad Metují / Czechoslovakia
Dušan Klein
Vítěz
Festival: 15. festival zdravotnických filmů Podbořany
1988
Podbořany / Czechoslovakia
Vítěz
Festival: 10. festival české a slovenské filmové veselohry Nové Město nad Metují
1988
Nové Město nad Metují / Czechoslovakia
Dušan Klein
Vítěz
Event: Prémie Českého literárního fondu
1988
Praha / Czechoslovakia
Ladislav Pecháček
