Playing with the Devil

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1956

Production year

1956

Premiere

26 April 1957

Runtime

96 min

Director

Josef Mach

Category

film

Genre

fairytale

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Hrátky s čertem

Czech title

Hrátky s čertem

English title

Playing with the Devil

Summary

Writer Jan Drda made a screenplay adaptation of his fairytale play that tells the story of a devil and a woman, Káča, who are eager to marry. Josef Mach, who subsequently directed the feature film given the name Hrátky s čertem (1956), participated in turning the script into the screenplay. The protagonist of the merry narration is jolly ex-soldier Martin Kabát. He ventures into hell to rescue Princess Dišperanda and her maid Káča from the clutches of devils. It turns out that both of the women in seeking marriage have made a pact with the devil to acquire the husbands they long for. Fortunately, benevolent angel Theofil sides with Good against Beelzebub and his horned servants... Josef Bek stars as Martin, Eva Klepáčová as Káča and Alena Vránová portrays Dišperanda. The role of highwayman Sarka Farka is unforgettably delivered by Jaroslav Vojta.

Synopsis

The veteran soldier Martin does not frighten easily. He is not scared of the robber Sarka Farka, neither is he afraid of the devils in the Devil's Mill. In the forest he meets the hermit Školastykus, whose religious manners don't quite appeal to him. The Princes are arriving at the Royal Castle to court Princess Dišperanda who would gladly marry someone, but she doesn't like any of the noble suitors. Her maid Káča also longs for a wedding so the two girls sign a bond with the devil in exchange for his promise of handsome bridegrooms. Káča gives the two bonds to Martin by accident but Martin loses them that evening to the devilish Doctor Solfernus. The unfortunate Martin then sets off to Hell to get the bonds back, and to his surprise meets Káča there. He reaches Beelzebub, gets hold of the bonds and quickly tears them up. Angel Theofil saves Martin and Káča from the devils' rage, and they both make it back to Earth safely. The Princess finds a handsome bridegroom by herself - the huntsman Hubert. And Káča? Martin is going to find it hard to rid of her now.

Film online

Cast

Josef Bek

vysloužilý dragoun Martin Kabát

Eva Klepáčová

služka Káča

Alena Vránová

princezna Dišperanda

František Smolík

poustevník Školastykus

Jaroslav Vojta

loupežník Sarka Farka

Stanislav Neumann

čert Omnimor

František Filipovský

čert Karborund

Josef Vinklář

mladý čert – myslivec Lucius

Ladislav Pešek

Belzebub, pán pekla

Vladimír Ráž

kníže pekelné Solfernus

Rudolf Deyl ml.

pobočník pána pekla Belial

Antonín Šůra

anděl Theofil

Josef Mixa

myslivec Hubert

Helena Kefurtová

nahá dívka se závojem

Jiřina Bílá

zjevení selky s jídlem

Ismenia Lehárová

orientální tanečnice

Jarmila Navrátilová

šlechtična

František Černý

dvořan – vojenský hodnostář

Alois Dvorský

bázlivý čert

Eman Fiala

komorník

Oskar Hák

kuchtík

František Holar

čert-vrátný

Ota Motyčka

šlechtic

Václav Trégl

strážný na věži zámku

Lubomír Bryg

nápadník princ Isidor

Miloš Nesvadba

nápadník princ Romuald

Rudolf Princ

komorník

Martin Raus

šlechtic

Josef Steigl

šlechtic

Anita Janová

šlechtična

František Liška

Marcela Tatýrková

polonahá víla

Elena Tanasco

tanečnice v písmenu O

Crew and creators

Director

Josef Mach

Second Unit Director

Stanislav Černý

Assistant Director

Anna Pokorná, Věra Filipová

Based on

Jan Drda (Hrátky s čertem – divadelní hra)

Screenplay

Jan Drda, Josef Mach

Director of Photography

Jan Stallich

Second Unit Photography

Bohumil Hába

Camera Operator

Karel Holub

Production Designer

Karel Škvor, Milan Nejedlý

Art Director

Josef Lada, Vladimír Dvořák, František Pavlík (umělecký malíř)

Set Designer

František Suchý, Jaroslava Vilímková

Costume Designer

Karel Postřehovský

Make-Up Artist

Gustav Hrdlička

Sound Designer

Adolf Böhm

Production Manager

Bohuslav Kubásek

Unit Production Manager

Hubert Novotný

Music

Music Composed by

Jiří Srnka

Songs

Chceš-li holka vědět

Singer Josef Bek

V borovém na skále háji

Singer Josef Vinklář

V tej hořejší hospodě muzika pěkně hraje

Singer Eva Klepáčová

Locations

bez exteriérů

Production info

Original Title

Hrátky s čertem

Czech Title

Hrátky s čertem

English Title

Playing with the Devil

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

fairytale

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1956

Production Year

1956

Production specifications

projection approval 30 December 1956

Premiere

premiere 26 April 1957 /unsuitable for youths/ (kina Lucerna /10 týdnů/, Svornost /1 týden/, Bystrica /1 týden od 3. 5./, Oko /1 týden od 10. 5./, Mír /1 týden od 17. 5./, Revoluce /1 týden od 24. 5./, Aero /1 týden od 31. 5./, Arbes /1 týden od 7. 6./, Vzlet /1 týden od 14. 6./, Dukla /1 týden od 21. 6./ a Radost /1 týden od 28. 6./, Praha)

Copyright Holders

Národní filmový archiv

Studio

Barrandov

Creative Group

Tvůrčí skupina Feix – Daniel, František Daniel (vedoucí dramaturg tvůrčí skupiny), Karel Feix (vedoucí výroby tvůrčí skupiny)

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

96 min

Original length in metres

2 740 meters

Distribution carrier

16mm, 35mm

Aspect ratio

1:1,37

Colour

colour

Sound

sound

Sound system/format

mono

Versions

Czech

Dialogue languages

Czech

Subtitles languages

without subtitles

Opening/End credits languages

Czech