House at the Terminus

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1957

Production year

1957

Premiere

20 December 1957

Runtime

98 min

Category

film

Genre

drama, psychological

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Tam na konečné

Czech title

Tam na konečné

English title

House at the Terminus

Working title

Tichá ulice / Blízko u nebe / Smyčka

Synopsis

Tenants of the house Na Smyčce, next to the tram terminal, are living their everyday lives. The student Olina is becoming close with Martinec, who recently started subletting at the Kovandas, a childless married couple. An old lady, Mrs Malá, is looking after little Hanička after her daughter's death, for the girl's father is a drunk, incapable of looking after the child. Maruna, whose husband is in prison, is reserved and not very friendly. Olina is happy with Martinec until she becomes pregnant. Then it becomes clear that Martinec is a superficial man, trying to persuade Olina that she should have an abortion. But she comes to her senses at the last moment and decides to become a single mother. Martinec moves out. Mrs Malá dies suddenly. The Kovanda couple gladly takes Hanička to live with them. They have to let her stay with her father Pešta for a short while. But after he loses her Hanička comes back to the Kovandas. On New Year's Eve, tenants are wishing each others all the best. Olina spends the evening with the deserted Maruna. Around midnight, Pešta brings Hanička a doll he promised her long ago. But the stop has been moved, and Pešta has to take a tram back. Through the frosty window of the tram he looks at the house Na Smyčce in which people live in joy and in sorrow.

Cast

Eva Očenášová

Voice by Alena Kreuzmannová
studentka Olina

Vladimír Ráž

magistr farmacie Karel Martinec

Martin Růžek

pekař Pešta, opilec

Karla Svobodová

Hanička, Peštova dcera

Marie Brožová

Kovandová, Martincova domácí

Vladimír Hlavatý

František Kovanda, Martincův domácí

Jana Dítětová

ošetřovatelka Maruna

Anna Melíšková

Voice by Olga Scheinpflugová
domovnice Malá, Haniččina babička

Josef Kemr

sazeč Brzobohatý

Hana Hegerová

Voice by Jiřina Petrovická
Zuzana, sestra Oliny

Petr Haničinec

letec, Marunin nápadník

Jaroslav Rozsíval

staršina SNB

Radovan Lukavský

poručík SNB

Stella Zázvorková

matka ztraceného chlapce Ferdíka

Karel Krautgartner

hudebník, klarinetista

Adolf Šmíd

hudebník, trumpetista

Antonín Julina

hudebník, kytarista

Luděk Hulan

hudebník, basista

Ivan Dominák

hudebník, hráč na bicí

Dubbing

Bohuš Hradil

hlas lektora

Josef Bláha

hlas tramvajového dělníka

Crew and creators

Second Unit Director

Štěpán Skalský

Assistant Director

Lenka Němečková

Shooting Script

Ján Kadár, Elmar Klos

Director of Photography

Rudolf Stahl ml.

Production Designer

Oldřich Bosák

Assistent Production Designer

Bohumil Nový

Set Designer

Karel Kočí

Costume Designer

Karel Postřehovský

Assistant Film Editor

Libuše Vaněčková

Sound Designer

Milan R. Novotný, Josef Barták (střih zvuku), Bohumír Brunclík (zvukové efekty)

Production Manager

Gustav Rohan

Unit Production Manager

Antonín Kubový

Unit Production Manager

Jan Blažík

Cooperation

Josef Vebr (vrchní osvětlovač), Jiří Širc (fotograf), Jindřich Panáček (fotograf)

Music

Music Composed by

Zdeněk Liška

Selected Music

Jacques Offenbach (Orfeus v podsvětí)

Music Performed by

FISYO (Music Conducted by František Belfín), Orchestr Karla Krautgartnera (Music Conducted by Karel Krautgartner), Jiří Ropek /varhany/

Songs

Čert ví proč

Song Composer Karel Krautgartner

Production info

Original Title

Tam na konečné

Czech Title

Tam na konečné

English Title

House at the Terminus

Working Title

Tichá ulice / Blízko u nebe / Smyčka

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

drama, psychological

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1957

Production Year

1957

Production specifications

projection approval 20 November 1957
withdrawal from distribution 30 June 1971

Premiere

preview 13 December 1957 (kino Sevastopol /1 týden/, Praha)
premiere 20 December 1957 /unsuitable for youths/ (kina Moskva /4 týdny/, Svornost /1 týden/ a Flora /1 týden od 27. 12./, Praha)

Copyright Holders

Národní filmový archiv

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

98 min

Original length in metres

2 783 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