The Adventure in the Golden Bay

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1955

Production year

1954—1955

Premiere

9 September 1955

Runtime

67 min

Category

film

Genre

children

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Dobrodružství na Zlaté zátoce

Czech title

Dobrodružství na Zlaté zátoce

English title

The Adventure in the Golden Bay

Summary

The name of Břetislav Pojar is closely connected with animated film. But this full-length live-action motion picture centred on a boy’s fishing adventures represents a gripping exception in Pojar’s filmography. As is also the case with his animated work, director-screenwriter Pojar sets out to engage a child (respectively, family) audience, with what is a 1955 adaptation of a Vladimír Pazourek short story. The little hero of the narrative is an orphaned country boy, Jirka (non-actor Ilja Černohorský), who stays aloof from his peers. Only through a chase for a “river queen” – a pike – does Jirka get more involved with his environment, something which opens up a way through to his ferryman grandfather (time-proven actor Vladimír Hlavatý). Alongside Pojar’s involvement in this film, also noteworthy is the contribution of Ladislav Helge, who as a screenwriter just starting out participated in writing the film and additionally served as an assistant director. Helge’s work with the child protagonists prepared him well for his own directing debut with a film called Škola otců (School for Fathers, 1957).

Synopsis

Orphan Jirka lives with his grandfather - the ferryman, in a secluded place by the river. He spends all of his free time by the water and even trains a carp to swim to him when he whistles. Jirka is a loner and sometimes shows off in front of the boys from the village. They repay him for his behaviour by making fun of him. One day, Jirka spots a pike in the river. He wants to catch it himself, but doesn't manage to. The second try doesn't succeed either. Jirka asks his grandpa to lend him the fishing rod to catch the pike, but his grandpa refuses. Jirka gets angry with the grandfather for this, and runs away to his uncle, who is a woodcutter in the nearby forest. He hears from his uncle how much his grandfather loves him, and how many things he does for him. Jirka understands that his behaviour and his bragging were stupid. And, when he sets off to fish the next day with his uncle's rod, he gladly accepts the help from the village boys. He also acknowledges that everyone has an equal credit in the catch.

Cast

Ilja Černohorský

Jiřík Horák

Vladimír Hlavatý

převozník a rybář Matouš, Jiříkův děda

Jarina Rejšková

Mařenka, Jiříkova kamarádka

L. H. Struna

dřevorubec Jakub

Zdeněk Hodr

rybář u přívozu

Karel Bohdal

Jirkův kamarád

Zdeněk Sedláček (3)

Jirkův kamarád

Karel Hruška (2)

Jirkův kamarád

T. Štindl

Jirkův kamarád

V. Štindl

Jirkův kamarád

Crew and creators

Assistant Director

Bohumil Brejcha, Ladislav Helge

Based on

Vladimír Pazourek (O zlé královně – povídka ze sbírky Na Zlaté zátoce)

Director of Photography

Jan Kališ

Production Designer

Jaroslav Krška

Set Designer

František Rieger

Film Editor

Jan Kohout

Assistant Film Editor

Jarmila Müllerová

Sound Designer

Jiří Pavlík

Production Manager

Jan Klement

Unit Production Manager

Jiří Hartman

Consultant

Sláva Štochl

Cooperation

Tibor Winkler (vrchní osvětlovač)

Music

Music Composed by

Miloš Vacek

Music Performed by

FISYO (Music Conducted by Jaromír Nohejl)

Production info

Original Title

Dobrodružství na Zlaté zátoce

Czech Title

Dobrodružství na Zlaté zátoce

English Title

The Adventure in the Golden Bay

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

children

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1955

Production Year

1954—1955

Production specifications

start of filming 19 August 1954
projection approval 07/1955

Premiere

preview 7 August 1955 (kina Lucerna a Arbes, Praha /do 8. 8./)
premiere 9 September 1955 /suitable for youths/ (kina Mladých /2 týdny/, Paříž /2 týdny/ a Vzlet /1 týden od 16. 9./, Praha)

Copyright Holders

Národní filmový archiv

Studio

Hostivař

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

67 min

Original length in metres

1 903 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

Awards

Vítěz

Festival: 2. mezinárodní festival dokumentárních a experimentálních filmů Montevideo

1956
Montevideo / Uruguay