The Klapzuba's Eleven

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1938

Production year

1938

Premiere

2 September 1938

Runtime

91 min

Category

film

Genre

comedy, sport

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Klapzubova XI.

Czech title

Klapzubova XI.

English title

The Klapzuba's Eleven

Summary

Ladislav Brom made this sports comedy in 1938, working from a script written by Karel Steklý – soon to become a successful director himself – which was based on Eduard Bass’ humorous and eponymous book. Similarly to the book, the film’s main attraction is a team of 11 gifted footballers – all sons of garage owner Klapzuba. In addition to delving into the temptations of going professional (and jeopardising family harmony), this easy-viewing movie also features a romantic flare-up involving centre forward Pepík Klapzuba (Jan Šebor) and pretty Eva (Hana Vítová). The parents are played in what was an internationally successful motion picture by Theodor Pištěk and Antonie Nedošinská, while other parts are assigned to equally prominent contemporary stars of the silver screen. The footballers were mostly played by non-actors and professional athletes. In its day the film attracted attention not just for its sporting theme, but also for its patriotic feel.

Synopsis

The owner of an auto-repair shop, Klapzuba, has eleven athletically talented sons. The former internationalist Hájek persuades them to form their own football team. The boys train hard and play their first successful match. Two of the brothers, Pepík and Jarda, go for a drive in the repaired automobile of banker Šlejhar. On the roadway they aid two young girls who have wrecked their car. Eva Bínová, the daughter of the president of the S. K. Meteor company, and her friend Helena would like to go to the week-end house. The young men fix the car and Pepík has his eyes fixed on Eva. Helena discovers in addition that according to the licence plate number of the car, Pepík is the banker's son. Helena's friend wants to make use of this connection and she stops by the actual banker's son, Professor Šlejhar. But the young professor understandably denies any connection with Eva. Thus the annoyed girl ends the short acquaintanceship. The brothers leave for a tour and spread the fame of our football at home and abroad. The builder Bína invites Pepík over and offers him a professional contract. Eva, who has grasped the accidental confusion of before, makes her peace with Pepík. The amateur football club The Klapzubas is not able to financially sustain itself and therefore its members are compelled to sign transfers to other clubs. In the evening before the European Cup the national team disintegrates due to the various injuries of the players. The Klapzuba eleven are once again reunited, returning to amateur football and forming the new and successful national team.

Note

Among other shots, used in the film, are shots from the World Cup match between Czechoslovakia and Brazil in Bordeaux in France (1938) and shots from: the match between Czechoslovakia and Bulgaria (1938), the match between Czechoslovakia and Wolverhampton Wanderers (England) and the match between Slávie and Genova (1938). Theodor Pištěk acts Krištof Klapzuba, but his auto-repair is named Kryštof´s.

Cast

Theodor Pištěk

majitel autosprávkárny Krištof Klapzuba

Antonie Nedošinská

Kamilka, Klapzubova žena

Fanda Mrázek

Jarda Klapzuba

Jan Šebor

Pepík Klapzuba, střední útočník

Jiří Vondrovič

Standa Klapzuba

Vilém Šťovík

Láďa Klapzuba

Josef Hampacher

Béďa Klapzuba

Raoul Schránil

Olda Klapzuba

Josef Zeman

Franta Klapzuba

Karel Fořt

Václav Klapzuba

František Kužel

Honza Klapzuba, brankář

bratři Ronkové

dvojčata Cyril a Metoděj Klapzubové

Jiří Steimar

stavitel Ing. J. Bína, předseda S. K. Meteoru

Hana Vítová

Eva, Bínova dcera

Jan S. Kolár

kapitán fotbalové asociace

Vilém Pfeiffer

mezinárodní agent Dostál

Jaroslav Marvan

fotbalový nadšenec Novák

Míla Svoboda

Bivoj, Novákův syn

Bláža Lubinská-Lustigová

Helena, Evina přítelkyně

Bedřich Veverka

redaktor Palička

Stanislav Neumann

profesor Šlejhar, syn bankéře

František Filipovský

funkcionář S. K. Meteoru

Jára Kohout

majitel benzinové pumpy Hájek, trenér a bývalý fotbalista

Ladislav Hemmer

hlasatel Běhounek

Vladimír Pospíšil-Born

sekretář fotbalové asociace

Gabriel Hart

klubovní lékař

Václav Mlčkovský

člen výboru fotbalové asociace

Julius Baťha

Bárta, host u Bínů

Karel Šott

ředitel kladenských železáren, host u Bínů

Taťána Kolárová

host u Bínů

Marta Školudová

Bártova žena, host u Bínů

R. A. Strejka

barman, kamarád Pepíka Klapzuby

Josef Kemr

mladý fotbalista

Bedřich Bozděch

divák na kopané

Fráňa Vodička

divák na kopané

Arnošt Mirský

divák na kopané

Josef Kotalík

zákazník u pumpy/divák na kopané

Ladislav Brom

druhý hlasatel

Marie Svobodová

komorná u Bínů

Crew and creators

Assistant Director

Josef Zezulka

Screenstory

Ladislav Brom

Based on

Eduard Bass (Klapzubova jedenáctka – povídka)

Director of Photography

Jan Stallich

Camera Operator

Jaromír Holpuch

Production Designer

Jan Zázvorka

Set Designer

František Nestler

Sound Designer

Stanislav Vondraš

Production Manager

Jan Gerstenberger

Cooperation

Antonín Frič (fotograf)

Music

Music Performed by

Orchestr F.O.K. (Music Conducted by Josef Dobeš)

Songs

Píseň Klapzubů /Auta, mota, vagon spací/

Song Composer Josef Dobeš
Writer of Lyrics Ladislav Brom
Singer mužský sborFanda MrázekJiří VondrovičRaoul SchránilJan ŠeborVilém ŠťovíkJosef HampacherJosef ZemanKarel FořtFrantišek Kuželbratři Ronkové

Ukolébavka z Harlemu /Harlem-Blues/

Song Composer František Svojík
Writer of Lyrics Ladislav Brom
Singer Míla Spazierová-Hezká

Krčma v Oděse /Tango/

Song Composer Josef Dobeš
Writer of Lyrics Ladislav Brom
Singer Míla Svoboda [dab]Oldřich KovářJaroslav Marvan [dab]

Mladá stráž /Pochod/

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

Production info

Original Title

Klapzubova XI.

Czech Title

Klapzubova XI.

English Title

The Klapzuba's Eleven

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

comedy, sport

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1938

Production Year

1938

Production specifications

date of censorship 08/1938
projection approval 3 October 1945 (konec povolení k promítání 3. 10. 1946)
projection approval 12 September 1946 (konec povolení k promítání 12. 9. 1947)

Premiere

premiere 2 September 1938 /suitable for youths/ (kina Letka /2 týdny/ a Metro /1½ týdne/, Praha)
renewed premiere 12 October 1945 /suitable for youths/
renewed premiere 9 July 1968 /suitable for youths/
renewed premiere 27 September 2018 /suitable for all ages without limit/

Distribution slogan

An older Czech film based on a literary masterpiece by Eduard Bass. (1968) / no caption (2018)

Production

Reiter

Copyright Holders

Národní filmový archiv

Distribution

Reiter (původní 1938), Státní půjčovna filmů (obnovená 1945), Ústřední půjčovna filmů (obnovená 1968), Národní filmový archiv (obnovená 2018)

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

91 min

Original length in metres

2 600 meters

Distribution carrier

35mm, DCP 2-D, BRD

Aspect ratio

1:1,37

Colour

black & white

Sound

sound

Sound system/format

Visatone

Versions

Czech

Dialogue languages

Czech, Hungarian

Subtitles languages

Czech

Opening/End credits languages

Czech

Awards

Vítěz

Event: Státní záruky Československé vlády na výrobu filmů

1938
Praha / Czechoslovakia
Reiter