Escape from the Shadow

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1958

Production year

1958

Premiere

6 March 1959

Runtime

94 min

Category

film

Genre

drama

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Útěk ze stínu

Czech title

Útěk ze stínu

English title

Escape from the Shadow

Working title

Noční služba / Všechny zvony světa

Synopsis

Marta Koutová longs to become a pianist. But when her father's pharmacy is taken over by the state her dream dissolves. Her embittered father doesn't wish her to receive a scholarship. Kout takes it hard that he lost his pharmacy and wants to secure Marta's future by marrying her to the rich Karel. But Marta meets draughtsman Jirka and marries him against her father's will. Jirka studies and works at the same time and has no time for his wife so the young marriage goes into deep crisis several months after the wedding. The crisis becomes even deeper when Jirka has to take a job outside Prague after finishing his studies. Marta is lonely and moves back with her father and even meets with Karel a few times. Jirka finds out about this and asks Marta to meet him. However, Kout comes to this meeting instead of her, telling Jirka without Marta's consent that his daughter doesn't want to see him any more. Marta passively accepts Karel's attention but after a weekend spent together in Karlovy Vary she gets to know his bad side. She runs back to Jirka whom she still loves but he refuses her. In despair, Marta tries to kill herself. Later on in the hospital the couple finally reconcile and the father stops interfering with their love.

Cast

František Smolík

lékárník Kout

Ludmila Vendlová

prodavačka Marta, Koutova dcera

Stanislav Remunda

kreslič Jirka Kučera, Martin muž

Josef Bek

Ing. Karel Kadlec, vedoucí autoopravny

Renata Olárová

lékárnice Věra, Martina přítelkyně

Milena Asmanová

herečka Jiřina

Jaroslava Adamová

Irena, Karlova sekretářka

Růžena Lysenková

Marie, Martina švagrová

Oldřich Vykypěl

Jožka, Martin švagr

Světla Svozilová

Věřina matka

Václav Kaňkovský

vedoucí prodejny hudebních nástrojů

Josef Kemr

Kadavý, kupec auta

Oldřich Hoblík

inženýr na stavbě

Jindřich Narenta

kupec klavíru

Bedřich Veverka

vrchní číšník v kavárně

Adolf Komeda

tanečník ve vinárně

Pavla Maršálková

zákaznice v hudebních nástrojích

F. Andres

Crew and creators

Second Unit Director

Jiří Mikeťuk

Assistant Director

Alena Svozilová (2), Otakar Fuka

Screenstory

Jaroslav Klíma

Shooting Script

Jiří Sequens

Director of Photography

Alois Jiráček

Production Designer

Karel Lier

Assistent Production Designer

Jan Oliva

Costume Designer

Libuše Hozová

Make-Up Artist

Rudolf Hammer

Film Editor

Jan Chaloupek

Sound Designer

Dobroslav Šrámek

Special Effects

Trikový ateliér FSB

Production Manager

Zdeněk Oves

Unit Production Manager

Josef Císař

Music

Music Composed by

Miloš Vacek

Selected Music

Josef Suk (Radúz a Mahulena /lyrická suita/)

Music Performed by

FISYO (Music Conducted by Štěpán Koníček)

Production info

Original Title

Útěk ze stínu

Czech Title

Útěk ze stínu

English Title

Escape from the Shadow

Working Title

Noční služba / Všechny zvony světa

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

drama

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1958

Production Year

1958

Production specifications

literary Screenplay approved 26 February 1958
technical Screenplay approved 25 June 1958
start of filming 7 July 1958
end of filming 22 October 1958
projection approval 13 January 1959
withdrawal from distribution 1 June 1976

Premiere

preview 27 February 1959 (kino Sevastopol /1 týdenú, Praha)
premiere 6 March 1959 /unsuitable for youths/ (kina Lucerna /4 týdny/, Dukla /1 týden/, Flora /1 týden/, Kyjev /1 týden/, Mír /1 týden/, Revoluce /1 týden/, Vzlet /1 týden/ a Arbes /1 týden od 13. 3./, Praha)
renewed premiere 21 May 1971 /unsuitable for youths/

Copyright Holders

Národní filmový archiv

Distribution

Ústřední půjčovna filmů (původní 1959 a obnovená 1971)

Creative Group

Tvůrčí skupina Šmída – Kunc, František Břetislav Kunc (vedoucí dramaturg tvůrčí skupiny), Bohumil Šmída (vedoucí výroby tvůrčí skupiny)

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

94 min

Original length in metres

2 669 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: 1. mezinárodní filmový festival Moskva

1959
Moskva / Union of Soviet Socialist Republics

Vítěz

Festival: 1. festival českých a slovenských filmů Banská Bystrica

1959
Banská Bystrica / Czechoslovakia