For a Friend

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1940

Production year

1940

Premiere

31 January 1941

Runtime

82 min

Category

film

Genre

melodrama

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Pro kamaráda

Czech title

Pro kamaráda

English title

For a Friend

Parallel title

Für den Kameraden

Synopsis

Miner Václav Pešek is about to be married to Marie. His frivolous friend Jan Dlabal, also a former beau of Maria, arrives in town. Marie still loves him and allows herself to be persuaded to go with him to Prague and become his wife. Pešek is deeply hurt at her betrayal. Dlabal works as a cab driver and he commits an offence for which he is sent to prison. Marie is left alone with her little daughter and she returns to her home town. When Dlabal is released from prison, he is a new man. He works as a miner and throws himself into the hardest tasks. He is an exemplary husband and father, and the miners accept him as one of the crowd. Only Pešek cannot forgive him and even speaks of revenge. One day the two of them are working in a particularly dangerous section of the mine. Suddenly the timber supports give way and crush Dlabal's hand. Pešek realises that, if he ran away now, he would be sentencing Dlabal to death, and his hatred evaporates. He cuts off the crushed hand, takes his friend to a safe place and thus saves his life.

Cast

Theodor Pištěk

hostinský Josef Dlabal

Ladislav Boháč

řidič Jan, Dlabalův syn

Jaroslav Vojta

havíř Antonín Topinka

Hana Vítová

Marie, Topinkova dcera, později Dlabalová

Jan Pivec

havíř Václav Pešek

Anna Letenská

teta Pavla

Rudolf Hrušínský

havíř Jindra Coufal, Tynčin chlapec

Eman Fiala

havíř Dušek

Vladimír Šmeral

havíř Karel Novák

Marie Norrová

Anička, Novákova žena

Jiří Steimar

primář nemocnice

Věra Horníková

Emilka, dcera Marie

Václav Trégl

opilý host v baru

Slávka Rosenbergová

šatnářka v baru

Karel Máj

vrchní v baru

Vlasta Podrabská

tanečnice v baru

Josef Kemr

číšník v baru

Míla Spazierová-Hezká

zpěvačka Jiřinka

Hermína Vojtová

Černá, žena havíře

Jitka Dušková

Emilka, dcera Dlabalových

Bolek Prchal

závodní

Lumír Blahník

jeden ze tří králů

Jiří Blahník

jeden ze tří králů

Jindřich Fiala

flašinetář/havíř

Rudolf Hrušínský st.

šichtař na dole

Antonín Šolc

havíř penzista

František Filipovský

advokátní koncipient

Orchestr Prokopa Korejse

havířská kapela

Crew and creators

Assistant Director

František Urbánek

Based on

Ladislav Jílek (Pro kamaráda – rozhlasová hra)

Director of Photography

Julius Vegricht

Production Designer

Bohumil Heš, Jan Zázvorka

Set Designer

Ina Žáková

Film Editor

Marie Bourová

Sound Designer

Emanuel Formánek

Production Manager

Václav Dražil, Karel Feix (ředitel výroby)

Consultant

Miroslav Rutte (jazykový poradce)

Cooperation

Antonín Frič (fotograf)

Music

Music Composed by

Josef Stelibský

Music Performed by

Orchestr F.O.K. (Music Conducted by Josef Stelibský), Dechový orchestr Jana Milinovského (Music Conducted by Josef Stelibský), Orchestr Jaroslava Maliny (Music Conducted by Jaroslav Malina), Orchestr Prokopa Korejse (Music Conducted by Prokop Korejs)

Songs

Má milá

Song Composer Josef Stelibský
Writer of Lyrics Jaroslav Mottl
Singer Setleři

Možná, že ne, časem se zapomene

Song Composer Josef Stelibský
Writer of Lyrics Jaroslav Mottl
Singer Bajo trio

Hledám ke svému stínu stín

Song Composer Josef Stelibský
Writer of Lyrics Jaroslav Mottl
Singer Míla Spazierová-Hezká

Já to dneska platím /Hrajte mi tu mou/

Song Composer Josef Stelibský
Writer of Lyrics Jaroslav Mottl

My tři králové jdeme k vám

Singer Jiří BlahníkLumír Blahník

Příbramák

Song Composer Josef Stelibský

Production info

Original Title

Pro kamaráda

Czech Title

Pro kamaráda

English Title

For a Friend

Parallel Title

Für den Kameraden

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

melodrama

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1940

Production Year

1940

Production specifications

start of filming 17 October 1940
end of filming 11/1940
date of censorship 24 January 1941 (kulturně-výchovný)
projection approval 06/1945 (konec povolení k promítání 13. 6. 1944)

Premiere

premiere 31 January 1941 /unsuitable for youths/ (kina Adrie /2 týdny/ a Kapitol /3 týdny/, Praha)
renewed premiere 6 July 1945 /unsuitable for youths/

Production

Nationalfilm

Copyright Holders

Národní filmový archiv

Distribution

Nationalfilm (původní 1941), Státní půjčovna filmů (obnovená 1945)

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

82 min

Original length in metres

2 330 meters

Distribution carrier

35mm

Aspect ratio

1:1,37

Colour

black & white

Sound

sound

Sound system/format

Visatone

Versions

Czech

Dialogue languages

Czech

Subtitles languages

without subtitles

Opening/End credits languages

Czech, German