Karel and I

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1942

Production year

1942

Premiere

4 December 1942

Runtime

94 min

Category

film

Genre

comedy

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Karel a já

Czech title

Karel a já

English title

Karel and I

Protectorate parallel title

Karl und ich

Working title

Oldřich a Božena

Synopsis

Lucie Jandová is made to cancel her wedding because the groom did not show up. The thing is, the groom, the son of industrialist Oldřich Ficek, drank too much and he spent the night before the wedding in the droshky of Mr. Šourek's, who tried in vain to convey the young man home. The cabdriver came in the morning to discuss the matter at the police station, and in the meantime the freshly awakened passenger had taken off after his bride with the droshky and the faithful horse Karel. Lucie, however, was extremely offended and Oldřich decided that he was going to marry the first girl he met. Karel found the way home himself and so the young man became acquainted with Šourek's daughter Boženka. She, the same as industrialist Ficek and Mrs. Jandová, endows him with the moniker 'good-for-nothing' who is not capable of making his own living. The swaggering young man wagers that he will endure a month of hard work. Boženka's hand in marriage and the horse with the droshky will be the prize. Oldřich begins to work in earnest in a brickyard, which frightens old Šourek because Karel the horse is his best friend. And Boženka has problems with her beau, the chimney-sweep Vašek. Lucie regains interest in her manly-looking fiancé. Both couples meet on an outing, but several squabbles still occur before they all again mutually agree. Oldřich has won the bet, but Boženka marries Vašek and droshky driver Šourek keeps his beloved horse.

Cast

Jindřich Plachta

drožkář Šourek

Jana Dítětová

Boženka, drožkářova dcera

Jaroslav Vojta

továrník Ficek

Jiří Dohnal

Oldřich, továrníkův syn

Růžena Nasková

Jarmila Jandová, matka Lucie

Hana Vítová

Lucie Jandová

Jaroslav Marvan

cihlářský dělník Tonda Fafejta

Ladislav Pešek

kominík Vašek

Světla Svozilová

Klára, sestra Jarmily Jandové

Gustav Hilmar

majitel cihelny

Eman Fiala

rybář

František Paul

řidič u Ficků František

Milada Smolíková

domovnice Říhová

Vladimír Řepa

vrchní policejní inspektor

Antonín Zacpal

host na zásnubách

Josef Loskot

vrátný v baru

Marie Hrdličková

komorná u paní Jandové

Karel Němec

strážník

Jaroslav Orlický

strážmistr

Kamil Blahovec

kůň Karel

kůň Karel

Crew and creators

Screenstory

Miroslav Cikán

Director of Photography

Julius Vegricht

Production Designer

Ferdinand Fiala

Set Designer

Oldřich Novotný

Film Editor

Marie Bourová

Sound Designer

Stanislav Vondraš

Production Manager

Václav Dražil, Karel Feix (ředitel výroby)

Consultant

Alois Raušer (jazykový poradce)

Cooperation

Antonín Frič (fotograf), Karel Hájek (fotograf)

Music

Music Composed by

Josef Stelibský

Selected Music

Giuseppe Verdi (Rigoletto)

Music Performed by

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

Songs

Pro dívčí úsměv

Song Composer Josef Stelibský
Writer of Lyrics Jaroslav Mottl
Singer Jindřich Plachtaženský hlas

Ó, jak je měnivé

Song Composer Giuseppe Verdi
Singer Jindřich Plachta

Production info

Original Title

Karel a já

Czech Title

Karel a já

English Title

Karel and I

Protectorate Parallel Title

Karl und ich

Working Title

Oldřich a Božena

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

comedy

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1942

Production Year

1942

Production specifications

start of filming 3 June 1942
end of filming 07/1942
date of censorship 21 November 1942 (kulturně-výchovný)
date of censorship 1943 (predikát „uznáníhodný film“)
withdrawal from distribution 18 May 1945
date of censorship 2 July 1945 (konec povolení k promítání 2. 7. 1946)
date of censorship 13 June 1946 (konec povolení k promítání 31. 12. 1946)
withdrawal from distribution 29 May 1947

Premiere

premiere 4 December 1942 /suitable for youths/ (kina Adria /3 týdny/, Kapitol /3 týdny/ a Phönix /3 týdny/, Praha)
renewed premiere 20 July 1945 /suitable for youths/

Production

Nationalfilm

Copyright Holders

Národní filmový archiv

Laboratories

Pragfilm

Distribution

Nationalfilm (původní 1942), Státní půjčovna filmů (obnovená 1945)

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

94 min

Original length in metres

2 689 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