The Last Lap

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1962

Production year

1962

Premiere

26 April 1963

Runtime

64 min

Category

film

Genre

narrative

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Poslední etapa

Czech title

Poslední etapa

English title

The Last Lap

Synopsis

In the second last lap of the Race for Peace, the young racing cyclist Jan Vojta is swept along with the French racer Castel and joins him in the lead. He wants to race through his home village ahead of everybody, but the inexperienced racer loses pace and finds himself in last place. The other cyclists are upset with him because he helped Castel win by joining him in getting clear of the pack. Castel is the race favourite, together with the Czech cyclist Bavor. Jan is embarrassed about his mistake and keeps away from the entire Czech team, but the cyclists are aware of his youth and forgive him. After the start of the last lap the situation at the track keeps changing. Castel is unable to finish the race after his bike breaks down. Five cyclists try to get clear of the pack: Danish, English, Polish and two Czech racers, Bavor and Jan. Two kilometres before the finish the two Czechs pull ahead of their rivals. Bavor is about to become the absolute winner of the race, but when they enter Prague he falls and breaks his racing bike. Jan generously offers him his bike, and finally also reaches the finish carrying Bavor's bike on his shoulder.

Cast

Jaroslav Satoranský

závodník Jan Vojta

Pierre Richard (2)

francouzský závodník Pierre Castel

Jiří Holý

závodník Jáchym

Bohuslav Čvančara

závodník Bavor

Jiří Císler

závodník Stach

Ján Mistrík

závodník Medák

Luděk Eliáš

trenér Kolda

Vilém Besser

MUDr. Hazuka

Karel Kabíček

technik Mlčoch

Paul Leclér

francouzský trenér

Bernard Bauronne

Fleuri, člen francouzského doprovodu

Anne-Marie Haudebourg

francouzská novinářka Legrandová

Hans-Dieter Schlegel

německý novinář Brinke

Arnošt Navrátil

český novinář Kalina

Jan Matýsek

Vojtův otec

Jana Walterová

Věra, Vojtova přítelkyně

Alena Bradáčová

Věřina kamarádka

Miloslav Holman (2)

reportér

Otakar Dadák

Pepík Beneš, Fleuriho přítel

Eva Matalová

Benešova žena

Ludvík Vízner

polský závodník Jelecki

Evžen Šulženko

sovětský závodník Fadějev

Stanislav Ložkov

sovětský závodník Jegor

Jaroslav Hartl

anglický závodník Taylor

Ladislav Lakomý

řidič novinářského vozu

Gracián Chládek

řidič doprovodného vozu

Evžen Žák

sovětský trenér

František Zrnovský

recepční hotelu

Zdeněk Zrnéčko

dánský cyklista

Hans Witt

Max Töpke

Jan Sulanský

Crew and creators

Second Unit Director

Milada Mikešová

Assistant Director

Magda Číhalová, Eliška Kolaříková

Screenstory

Ota Pavel

Shooting Script

Miroslav Ondráček

Director of Photography

Jan Novák

Camera Operator

Bohumil Paris

Production Designer

Vladimír Labský

Assistent Production Designer

Marta Kaplerová, Jan Kňákal

Set Designer

Miloš Osvald, Jiří Rulík

Film Editor

Jan Kohout

Assistant Film Editor

Jarmila Müllerová

Sound Designer

František Šindelář, Bohumír Brunclík (zvukové efekty)

Production Manager

Jaroslav Jílovec

Unit Production Manager

Jaroslav Koucký, Jan Kadlec

Unit Production Manager

Libuše Pavlíková

Consultant

Alois Szekuj, Zdeněk Paul

Cooperation

Milada Krůtová (klapka), členové Cyklistické základny v Brně, Organizační výbor Závodu míru

Music

Music Composed by

Ladislav Simon

Music Performed by

FISYO (Music Conducted by František Belfín)

Production info

Original Title

Poslední etapa

Czech Title

Poslední etapa

English Title

The Last Lap

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

narrative

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1962

Production Year

1962

Production specifications

literary Screenplay approved 08/1960
technical Screenplay approved 12 February 1962
start of filming 2 May 1962
end of filming 14 October 1962
projection approval 30 November 1962

Premiere

premiere 26 April 1963 /suitable for youths/ (kino Paříž /2 týdny/, Praha)
premiere 26 April 1963 /suitable for youths/ (celostátní)

Copyright Holders

Národní filmový archiv

Studio

Hostivař

Creative Group

Tvůrčí skupina Feix – Brož, Miloš Brož (vedoucí dramaturg tvůrčí skupiny), Karel Feix (vedoucí výroby tvůrčí skupiny)

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

64 min

Original length in metres

1 813 meters

Distribution carrier

16mm, 35mm

Aspect ratio

1:1,37

Colour

black & white

Sound

sound

Sound system/format

mono

Versions

Czech

Dialogue languages

Czech, German, French, Russian

Subtitles languages

Czech

Opening/End credits languages

Czech