The Accordion

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1937

Production year

1937

Premiere

16 April 1937

Runtime

89 min

Category

film

Genre

social

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Harmonika

Czech title

Harmonika

English title

The Accordion

Protectorate parallel title

Harmonika

Synopsis

Vorlíček and Pač, owners of a coal mine, stop the mining of coal. They have insufficient funds and they believe the coal reserves to be exhausted. Many miners lose their jobs and suffer privations. One of the unemployed miners is Pavelka. His son Pepík, who is an excellent accordionist, keeps his family's head above water. He and his girlfriend Emča play and sing in the courtyards of apartment houses. One day, however, they lose these modest earnings when the old thief Bulín smashes Pepík's accordion. Engineer Soldán, who is a silent partner of the mine owners', believes that there are further deposits of coal in the mine. After futile attempts to obtain the money for the re-starting of extraction, he convinces the miners to take on the work without claims to wages. The miners agree, but they demand at least food for themselves and their families. By accident Pepík succeeds in procuring canned goods that should have been destroyed. He brings them to the mine where during dynamite work he suffers a serious injury. The owners of the mine, who fear that Soldán, on the evidence of certain documents, may reveal their former fraud, try to avert the miners from starting the job. But Soldán and several miners find the first chunk of coal and the mine is saved. Pepík recovers and from the reformed Bulín he receives a new accordion.

Cast

Jaroslav Vojta

dělník Pavelka

Hermína Vojtová

Pavelkova žena

Ladislav Pešek

Pepík, syn Pavelkových

Věra Petáková

Pepíkova sestra

Theodor Pištěk

stavitel Soldán

Zdeňka Baldová

Soldánova žena

Eva Gerová

Věra, dcera Soldánových

Jiří Koldovský

důlní inženýr Karel, Věřin bratr

Lenka Podhajská

květinářka Emča Hájová

Václav Trégl

Emčin dědeček

Jindřich Plachta

starý zloděj Bořivoj Bulín

Fanda Mrázek

Franta, Bulínův syn

František Kreuzmann

Ferdl, Frantův kumpán

Raoul Schránil

ředitel baru Müller

Adina Mandlová

Elsa, Müllerova přítelkyně

Ferenc Futurista

podnikatel Vorlíček

Jaroslav Marvan

podnikatel Pač

František Filipovský

Soldánův přítel

Ladislav Hemmer

finančník

Siola Zelenka

kasař

Betty Kysilková

Bulínova sousedka

Alois Peterka

řidič nákladního vozu

Bedřich Vrbský

policejní komisař

Alois Dvorský

vetešník

Vladimír Hlavatý

mluvčí dělníků

Jindřich Láznička

bankovní sluha u Pače a Vorlíčka

Richard Záhorský

nosič reklam

Břetislav Hrstka

majitel továrny na konzervy

František Černý

agent s konzervami

F. X. Mlejnek

šofér nákladního auta

Dušan Gerši

dělník

Crew and creators

Assistant Director

Eduard Šimáček, Gina Hašler

Screenstory

Jan Libora

Director of Photography

Ferdinand Pečenka

Production Designer

Alois Mecera

Film Editor

Jan Kohout

Sound Designer

Josef Zora

Production Manager

Jan Reiter

Cooperation

Antonín Frič (fotograf)

Music

Music Composed by

Josef Dobeš

Music Performed by

Pražský symfonický orchestr (Music Conducted by Josef Dobeš)

Songs

Harmonika (tango)

Song Composer Josef Dobeš
Writer of Lyrics Ladislav Brom
Singer Lenka PodhajskáLadislav Pešek

Máminy oči

Song Composer Josef Dobeš
Writer of Lyrics Ladislav Brom
Singer Ladislav Pešekdětský sbor

Pochod mládí

Song Composer Josef Dobeš
Writer of Lyrics Ladislav Brom
Singer sbor

Milovala jsem jednoho zloděje (valčík)

Song Composer Josef Dobeš
Writer of Lyrics Ladislav Brom
Singer Betty KysilkováLenka Podhajská

Production info

Original Title

Harmonika

Czech Title

Harmonika

English Title

The Accordion

Protectorate Parallel Title

Harmonika

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

social

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1937

Production Year

1937

Production specifications

start of filming 20 February 1937
end of filming 5 March 1937
date of censorship 04/1937
date of censorship 12/1939
date of censorship 26 March 1943 (konec povolení k promítání 30. 6. 1943)
withdrawal from distribution 18 May 1945
date of censorship 26 September 1945 (neschváleno do distribuce)

Premiere

premiere 16 April 1937 /unsuitable for youths/ (kina Fénix /1 týden/ a Hollywood /2 týdny/, Praha)

Production

Reiter

Copyright Holders

Národní filmový archiv

Distribution

Reiter

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

89 min

Original length in metres

2 543 meters

Distribution carrier

35mm

Aspect ratio

1:1,37

Colour

black & white

Sound

sound

Sound system/format

Tobis – Klang

Versions

Czech

Dialogue languages

Czech

Subtitles languages

without subtitles

Opening/End credits languages

Czech

Awards

Vítěz

Event: Státní záruky Československé vlády na výrobu filmů

1937
Praha / Czechoslovakia
Reiter-film

Vítěz

Event: Odměny ministra průmyslu, obchodu a živností

1937
Praha / Czechoslovakia

Vítěz

Event: Soutěž Filmového studia na původní filmové drama

1936
Praha / Czechoslovakia
Jan Libora