Station Master

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1941

Production year

1941

Premiere

12 April 1941

Runtime

88 min

Director

Jan Sviták

Category

film

Genre

comedy

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Přednosta stanice

Czech title

Přednosta stanice

English title

Station Master

Parallel title

Der Stationsvorstand

Summary

In 1941, actor Vlasta Burian added to his filmography with this comedy about infamous free-riding passenger Ťopka, who ends up having to change his identity in order to avoid being caught. Ťopka dresses himself up as the stern head of his local village train station, hoping to fool the railways general inspector Kokrhel (Jaroslav Marvan). Among his farcical exploits, Ťopka tries to help the inspector’s charming wife Julia (Zita Kabátová) to escape the amorous advances of infatuated landlord Pěnkava. Burian also sings the film’s title song – the actor, and later also director at the Divadlo Vlasty Buriana theatre, began to take big screen roles after 1933. The much-loved Přednosta stanice (Station Master) is the last film from the varied career of director Jan Sviták. In May 1945, under mysterious circumstances, he was lynched by a mob of fanatical patriots.

Synopsis

Ťopka, the distinctive sandwich-board man, is able to apply himself to any situation. The truck in which he sleeps is one day coupled to a train which takes Kokrhel, the general inspector of the railways, on an inspection tour of the area. The discovery of a stowaway causes an unplanned stop at the station in Mokré nad Soupravou. Ťopka runs away and Kokrhel orders that he be found and punished. The local station master Jelen is unfortunately absent, having left for a choir rehearsal. The charming Mrs Jelen therefore warmly welcomes Ťopka as he appears in her husband's uniform and passes himself off as the station master. Kokrhel is extremely taken with the young woman and, in the light of her smile, he wholly overlooks the station master's total incompetence. He decides to fulfil Jelen's request for a transfer nearer the capital. When the real station master shows up, Kokrhel starts behaving in an unpleasantly businesslike fashion. Ťopka reminds him, however, that in flirting with the young lady, he had forgotten his duties and now he must carry out his promise.

Film online

Cast

Vlasta Burian

černý pasažér Karel Ťopka

Antonín Zacpal

přednosta stanice Anatol Jelen

Zita Kabátová

Julie Jelenová, přednostova žena

Jaroslav Marvan

generální inspektor drah Jiří Kokrhel

Čeněk Šlégl

statkář Arnošt Pěnkava

Růžena Šlemrová

Olga Pěnkavová, statkářova žena

Václav Trégl

skladník na nádraží Venda Pivoda

Theodor Pištěk

restauratér Hejhal

Marie Norrová

Pepička, služka v restauraci u Hejhala

Darja Hajská

kuchařka Růženka, Pivodova snoubenka

František Černý

tlustý strážník

Karel Postranecký

revizor-kontrolor Šajn

Jaroslav Hradčanský

vlakvedoucí Kanár

Bolek Prchal

městský zřízenec

Emanuel Kovařík

posunovač Franta

Ada Dohnal

Karel, řidič u Pěnkavy

Marie Hodrová

žena s buchtami v okně

Karel Veverka

zpěvák s plnovousem

Dalibor Pták

vysoký zpěvák

Vojta Merten

tlustý zpěvák

Alois Dvorský

zpěvák bez knírku

F. X. Mlejnek

zpěvák-kněz

Milan Sviták

kluk na kole pod chůdami

Crew and creators

Director

Jan Sviták

Assistant Director

Ivo Novák

Director of Photography

Jaroslav Tuzar

Production Designer

Bohumil Heš

Set Designer

Ina Žáková

Film Editor

Antonín Zelenka

Sound Designer

Antonín Rambousek

Production Manager

Otakar Sedláček, Ladislav Brom (ředitel výroby)

Unit Production Manager

Miloš Mastník

Consultant

vrchní rada Zdeněk Martínek (železnice), Miroslav Haller (jazykový poradce)

Cooperation

Antonín Frič (fotograf)

Music

Music Composed by

Jára Beneš

Selected Music

Giuseppe Verdi (Rigoletto)

Music Performed by

Orchestr F.O.K. (Music Conducted by Jára Beneš), Dechový orchestr Václava Thiera (Music Conducted by Josef Dobeš), Jára Beneš /telegrafní klíč/

Songs

Přednosta stanice (pochod)

Song Composer Jára Beneš
Writer of Lyrics Ladislav Brom
Singer Vlasta Burian

Pod okny na housle starý tulák hrál /Starý tulák/ (slow-fox)

Song Composer Jára Beneš
Writer of Lyrics Ladislav Brom
Singer Karel Veverka [dab]Dalibor Pták [dab]Vojta Merten [dab]Alois Dvorský [dab]F. X. Mlejnek [dab]Václav Švec [dab]mužský sbor

Production info

Original Title

Přednosta stanice

Czech Title

Přednosta stanice

English Title

Station Master

Parallel Title

Der Stationsvorstand

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

comedy

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1941

Production Year

1941

Production specifications

start of filming 20 February 1941
end of filming 03/1941
date of censorship 4 April 1941 (kulturně-výchovný)

Premiere

premiere 12 April 1941 /suitable for youths/ (kina Blaník /3 týdny/ a Lucerna /3 týdny/, Praha)

Production

Brom

Copyright Holders

Národní filmový archiv

Distribution

Brom

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

88 min

Original length in metres

2 610 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, German

Awards

Vítěz

Event: Televizní anketa diváků o nejpopulárnější českou filmovou komedii století – anketa České televize a Týdeníku Televize Volíme veselohru století

1998
Praha / Czech Republic