The End of the Road

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1959

Production year

1959

Premiere

11 March 1960

Runtime

77 min

Category

film

Genre

drama, crime

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Konec cesty

Czech title

Konec cesty

English title

The End of the Road

Synopsis

Josef Lachman is imprisoned after stealing state property. When he is released he finds work with a company building a dam. He visits his daughter Eva to pick up his things and a plan which will show him where a crate is hidden near the dam. The crate is secured by explosives, however. Josef asks the sapper Rokos for help. The crate contains English pounds; it was hidden during the War by the SS officer Mayer and, in return for help during his escape, he told Lachman where the crate was hidden. Josef does not know that the pounds are forgeries. Rokos blackmails Lachman and the latter asks Eva to flee the country with him. Eva finally agrees. She does not heed warning from her husband and goes to the foreign currency store to buy some things they need. She changes the pounds for purchase coupons with a middleman. Rokos' girlfriend Růžena also tries to exchange the pounds. Soon the banknotes are discovered to be forgeries. Růžena unwittingly attracts the attention of the police who are on Rokos' trail. Rokos is found dead, however; he has been murdered. Witness testimonies suggest that Lachman is the murderer. Lachman urges Eva to leave the country immediately. They meet at the station but the police are on to them. Lachman is finally arrested for Rokos' murder which, until the last moment, his daughter knew nothing about.

Cast

Martin Růžek

řidič Josef Lachman

Alena Vránová

Eva Kostková, Lachmanova dcera

Vladimír Ráž

úředník Jindřich Kostka, Evin manžel

Rudolf Deyl ml.

minér Karel Rokos

Eva Klepáčová

Růžena, Rokosova dívka

Josef Bek

kapitán Lukeš

Gustav Heverle

poručík Bouchal

Oldřich Vykypěl

nadporučík Novák

František Miška

poručík Hanák

Oldřich Lukeš

střelmistr

Soběslav Sejk

policejní úředník Popelka

Bohuš Záhorský

úředník věznice

Karel Pavlík

tunelář

František Hanus

pokladník Tuzexu

Jindřich Narenta

příslušník SNB

Miriam Kantorková

hezká žena na stavbě

Ota Motyčka

kadeřník Stárek

Miroslav Doležal

pomocník VB

Vladimír Hrubý

prodavač v Tuzexu

Antonín Šůra

dělník na stavbě

František Suk

pracovník Tuzexu

Karel Hovorka

překupník

Hynek Němec

dělník na stavbě Kaláb

Jaroslav Mareš

pohraničník

Crew and creators

Second Unit Director

František Matoušek

Screenstory

Bohumil Brejcha

Based on

Jiří Mareš (Za peníze všecko – povídka)

Shooting Script

Miroslav Cikán

Director of Photography

Václav Huňka

Second Unit Photography

Ladislav Vinklárek

Camera Operator

Emil Sirotek

Production Designer

Vladimír Labský

Assistent Production Designer

Aleš Voleman

Set Designer

Karel Kočí, Jaroslava Vilímková

Costume Designer

Lída Novotná

Film Editor

Antonín Zelenka

Sound Designer

Dobroslav Šrámek, Bohumír Brunclík (zvukové efekty)

Production Manager

Jaroslav Jílovec

Unit Production Manager

Miloš Stejskal, Jaroslav Koucký

Consultant

Karel Kalivoda

Music

Music Composed by

Štěpán Lucký

Music Performed by

FISYO (Music Conducted by František Belfín)

Production info

Original Title

Konec cesty

Czech Title

Konec cesty

English Title

The End of the Road

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

drama, crime

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1959

Production Year

1959

Production specifications

literary Screenplay approved 17 June 1959
technical Screenplay approved 22 July 1959
start of filming 27 July 1959
end of filming 30 October 1959
projection approval 10 December 1959

Premiere

preview 4 March 1960 (kino Sevastopol /1 týden/, Praha)
premiere 11 March 1960 /suitable for youths/ (kina Flora /1 týden/, Oko /1 týden/, Revoluce /1 týden/, Svornost /1 týden/, Pasáž /3 týdny od 18. 3./, Arbes /1 týden od 18. 3./ a Vzlet /1 týden od 25. 3./, Praha)

Copyright Holders

Národní filmový archiv

Studio

Hostivař

Creative Group

Tvůrčí skupina Brož – Ptáček, Miloš Brož (vedoucí dramaturg tvůrčí skupiny), Jaromír Ptáček (vedoucí dramaturg tvůrčí skupiny)

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

77 min

Original length in metres

2 204 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