Mr Racek Is Late

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1950

Production year

1950

Premiere

22 December 1950

Runtime

85 min

Director

Josef Mach

Category

film

Genre

comedy

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Racek má zpoždění

Czech title

Racek má zpoždění

English title

Mr Racek Is Late

Synopsis

Baker Jan Racek is a very hard-working and sensible man. His great passion is pigeon-keeping and also, for many years, Růženka. They are going to get married but Racek is busy waiting for the pigeons' return and misses the wedding. The engaged couple is already getting a little older so the otherwise kind Růženka gets very angry at this and gives Racek an ultimatum - it's going to be her or the pigeons. Racek also has problems in his company Těspeč. He is protecting the slacker Kutílek for the sake of an old friendship and does the work for both of them. In addition, he still hasn't done any voluntary work in the Kladno mines since in his free time he helps out as a cook in the pub owned by his mother. After he gets pinned onto the notice board as a "disabled person" Racek becomes offended and takes a leave from work. He goes to Kladno to fetch a breeding pigeon and while looking for its owner finds himself inside the mine and accidentally goes down into the pit. When he discovers he won't get out of there so easily he joins the work. The unusual physical strain exhausts him entirely but he feels really happy in the end. He decides to join the voluntary work in the mine for a longer period. Růženka lets him keep breeding the pigeons after they're married and the lazybones Kutílek is fired from Těspeč.

Cast

Vladimír Řepa

pekař Jan Racek

Rudolf Deyl ml.

pekař Kutílek

Lída Vostrčilová

Růžena Juklíčková, Rackova snoubenka

Antonín Šůra

Jirka Souhrada, Rackův synovec

Stanislava Seimlová

Věrka Bártová, Jirkova přítelkyně

Jaroslav Zrotal

horník a holubář Alois Karásek

Robert Vrchota

horník a pekař Vašek Holub

Marie Nademlejnská

hostinská, Rackova maminka

Bohuš Hradil

předseda závodní rady

Otto Čermák

topič Karel Bárta, Věrčin otec

Eman Fiala

listonoš Václav

Ota Motyčka

návštěvník hospody

Gabriela Bártlová-Buddeusová

návštěvníkova manželka

Viktor Očásek

vrátný Brynda

Darja Hajská

žena s dětmi v hospodě

Otakar Brousek

pekař Karel

Karel Hovorka

pekař Tonda

Vladimír Hlavatý

pekař Frantík

Jan W. Speerger

hráč karet

Josef Hořánek

hráč karet

Viktor Nejedlý

hráč karet

Lubomír Lipský

pekař z černé pekárny

František Komenda

Pavel Salaba

E. Dlouhý

Crew and creators

Director

Josef Mach

Assistant Director

Oldřich Lipský

Director of Photography

Jan Roth

Second Unit Photography

Josef Pechar

Production Designer

Alois Mecera

Set Designer

Josef Calta, František Krýzl

Make-Up Artist

Rudolf Hammer

Film Editor

Jan Chaloupek

Production Manager

Ladislav Hanuš, Josef Beran (vedoucí výrobního štábu)

Unit Production Manager

Vratislav Innemann

Unit Production Manager

Věra Kršková

Cooperation

Karel Hrdlička (vrchní osvětlovač), Karel Šebík (fotograf), Josef Kříž

Music

Music Composed by

Jiří Šust

Music Performed by

FISYO (Music Conducted by Otakar Pařík)

Songs

Chceme píseň o jaru zpívat

Singer sbor

Aj lúčka, lúčka zelená

Singer sbor

Production info

Original Title

Racek má zpoždění

Czech Title

Racek má zpoždění

English Title

Mr Racek Is Late

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

comedy

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1950

Production Year

1950

Production specifications

start of filming 15 March 1950
end of filming 6 May 1950
the first film copy approved 06/1950
date of censorship 8 November 1950 (konec povolení k promítání 8. 11. 1955)
withdrawal from distribution 31 July 1976

Premiere

premiere 22 December 1950 /suitable for youths/ (kina Blaník /3 týdny/, Lucerna /1 týden/, Oko /1 týden/, Alfa /3 týdny od 29. 12./, Arbes /1 týden od 5. 1. 1951/, Aero /1 týden od 12. 1. 1951/ a Revoluce /1 týden od 12. 1. 1951/, Praha)

Copyright Holders

Národní filmový archiv

Studio

Hostivař

Creative Group

I. tvůrčí kolektiv Otakara Vávry, Otakar Vávra (vedoucí I. tvůrčího kolektivu)

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

85 min

Original length in metres

2 422 meters

Distribution carrier

16mm, 35mm

Aspect ratio

1:1,37

Colour

black & white

Sound

sound

Sound system/format

mono

Versions

Czech

Dialogue languages

Czech

Subtitles languages

without subtitles

Opening/End credits languages

Czech