Closing Time
Country
CzechoslovakiaCopyright
1960Production year
1960Premiere
21 April 1961Runtime
95 minDirector
Otakar VávraCategory
filmGenre
drama, socialTypology
featuretheatrical distributionlongOriginal title
Policejní hodinaCzech title
Policejní hodinaEnglish title
Closing TimeSynopsis
Mrs Fišer works in the kitchen of the all-night café U Benešovských. Her two daughters, Julie and Žofka, earn a living at the factory, her son Franta is a baker but he does not like his job. Mr Fišer is a drunkard and when he starts destroying their impoverished home, the entire family throw him out. Franta meets Růžena at a dance, marries her and finds a job as a bricklayer. Julie aims higher. She is seeing the son of a brothel proprietress, Karel Horáček, whom she marries after a time and becomes a "fine lady". Žofka is in love with the shop assistant Rudolf but he leaves her when the girl becomes pregnant. Pressured by her mother, Žofka marries the spineless waiter and police informer Bureš. The plain clothes policemen meet in the night café. They are ready for action. They have received news that the socialists are preparing a strike. The strike erupts in the factory where Růžena works. Růžena joins the strike, even though Franta is against it. In a struggle with the police she is wounded and loses her job. They are struck by poverty but Mrs Fišer helps them out. Franta matures politically, he becomes a socialist and participates in a workers' demonstration. He is arrested during the demonstration and Růžena is left on her own. She is, however, resolved to fight like Franta for a better life for her children.
Note
The film was made on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the foundation of the Czechoslovak Communist Party.
Photos
Cast
Marie Vášová
služka Fišerová
Valentina Thielová
Julie, starší dcera Fišerové
Miriam Hynková
Žofka, mladší dcera Fišerové
Jiří Vala
pekař Franta, syn Fišerové
Marie Tomášová
dělnice Růžena, Frantova žena
Josef Bek
pekař-tenčíř Pepík Foltýn
Václav Voska
číšník a policejní konfident Petr
Jiřina Šejbalová
majitelka nevěstince Horáčková
Rudolf Hrušínský
Karel, syn Horáčkové
Světla Amortová
služka Albína
František Šlégr
kavárník Benešovský
Vlasta Fialová
číšnice Emilka
Josef Beyvl
nadstrážník Kverka
Oldřich Lukeš
typograf Vajgar
Bedřich Vrbský
pantatínek Václav Žandalín, majitel pekárny
Josef Vinklář
příručí Rudolf Werner, Žofčin milý
Jiří Kostka
opilec Fišer, manžel služky Fišerové
Hana Hegerová
prostitutka Vanda
Václav Lohniský
pekař
Jan Tříska
pekař Venca
Karel Pavlík
tajný policista Jeníček Buben
Eman Fiala
slepý hudebník
Josef Hlinomaz
hostinský
Anna Kratochvílová
tlustá prostitutka Erika
Věra Uzelacová
prostitutka Mici
Eva Vlachová
prostitutka Leopolda
Boleslava Svobodová
prostitutka Aranka
Emil Rohan
dělník
Josef Koza
dělník
Zuzana Stivínová
recitující dívka
Otto Šimánek
pekař
Jaroslav Cmíral
pekař
Jiří Chmelař
pekař
Jiří Bělohoubek
tajný
Stanislav Bareš
mladší dělník
Karel Linc
voják
Jarmila Stibůrková
Crew and creators
Director
Second Unit Director
Assistant Director
Continuity
Based on
Géza Včelička (Policejní hodina – román)
Screenplay
Shooting Script
Director of Photography
Second Unit Photography
Camera Operator
Production Designer
Assistent Production Designer
Set Designer
Eva Slívová
Costume Designer
Costumes
Make-Up Artist
Film Editor
Assistant Film Editor
Sound Designer
Production Manager
Unit Production Manager
Jaroslav Merunka, Ludmila Venclíková
Unit Production Manager
Tatiana Gucalová
Cooperation
Jindřich Panáček (fotograf)
Music
Music Composed by
Music Performed by
FISYO (Music Conducted by František Belfín)
Songs
Život vojenský
Vždyť jsme jen jednou na světě
My jsme ta veselá pára
Zahrajte mi sólo
Vilemina /parafráze písně Na hranicích města německého/
Když jsem šel včera od zámku
Nesedávej mezi květy
Singer Hana Hegerová
Na blízku za městem
Vězení, ach vězení
Singer Václav Voska
Internacionála
Song Composer Pierre Degeyter
Writer of Lyrics Antonín MacekJosef Skalák
Singer sbor
Pepi, ta koza nedojí
Když jsem šel jednou po rynku
Singer Eman Fiala
Production info
Original Title
Policejní hodina
Czech Title
Policejní hodina
English Title
Closing Time
Category
film
Typology
featuretheatrical distribution
Genre
drama, social
Origin country
Czechoslovakia
Copyright
1960
Production Year
1960
Production specifications
literary Screenplay approved 14 May 1958
technical Screenplay approved 10 November 1959
start of filming 1 March 1960
end of filming 27 October 1960
projection approval 21 November 1960
Premiere
preview 14 April 1961 (kino Sevastopol /1 týden/, Praha)
premiere 21 April 1961 /unsuitable for youths/ (kina Jalta /3 týdny/, Flora /1 týden/, Kyjev /1 týden od 28. 4./, Dukla /½ týdne od 28. 4./ a Ořechovka /½ týdne od 2. 5./, Praha)
premiere 21 April 1961 /unsuitable for youths/ (celostátní)
Production
Copyright Holders
Studio
Distribution
Creative Group
Tvůrčí skupina Šebor – Bor, Vladimír Bor (vedoucí dramaturg tvůrčí skupiny), Jiří Šebor (vedoucí výroby tvůrčí skupiny)
Technical info
Duration typology
feature film
Duration in minutes
95 min
Original length in metres
2 712 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: 3. festival českých a slovenských filmů Ostrava
1961
Ostrava / Czechoslovakia
