Little Bobeš in Town

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1962

Production year

1961—1962

Premiere

16 November 1962

Runtime

80 min

Category

film

Genre

children

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Malý Bobeš ve městě

Czech title

Malý Bobeš ve městě

English title

Little Bobeš in Town

Working title

Malý Bobeš II. díl

Summary

The sequel to the 1961 film Malý Bobeš (Little Bobeš), this 1962 film is also directed by Jan Valášek. Previously, the protagonist of the children’s book from author Josef Věromír Pleva was forced, along with his family, to abandon his idyllic village life. Now, in an urban world full of social injustices, the young son from this poor family dreams of simply receiving a hot dog under the Christmas tree – while his parents battle to merely eke out a living. But on the city’s edge, there is little work to be found in pre-WWII Czechoslovakia. As with the original, this sequel lays a heavy contemporary layer of communist ideology upon the source novel. Once again, Jiří Lukeš assumes the lead role, whilst his heroic parents are again portrayed by Dana Medřická and Radovan Lukavský. Notable actors also appear in other grown-up roles: actor Miloš Nedbal plays a factory owner; Eduard Kohout returns to the screen as a magician; and Miroslav Macháček portrays the teacher.

Synopsis

After the injury in the forest, father Janouš cannot find a job in the village and the whole family thus moves to the town, where Janouš begins to work in the dairy, delivering milk. Little Bobeš does not like the town, especially when he, unintentionally, makes trouble for his father at work. He becomes reconciled with the new life only when he goes to the first grade at school. The teacher is a nice and kind man. Bobeš likes to learn and, in school, he also finds friends. The Janouš family soon finds itself in financial trouble and has to move outside the town, to the settlement on the periphery by the brick-yard. Janouš eventually finds a new job in a furniture-making factory and Bobeš finds a new girlfriend, Maruška. A magician arrives in town but Bobeš does not have the required ten-heller piece to attend the performance. Wandering through a small forest, he spots his father and his colleagues and overhears them discussing a strike. He reveals what he has heard to his grandfather, who gives him the desired ten-heller in exchange for silence. Bobeš, however, gives them to Maruška, who was the only other one in the class who did not have the money for the entrance fee. But the teacher takes Bobeš along to the performance, too. During the dispute between the workers and the owner of the factory, Bobeš's father is arrested. The day of his release from prison is the most beautiful moment for Bobeš; the father and the son understand each other well.

Note

The author of the illustrations used in the picture was Ivo Houf.

Cast

Jiří Lukeš

Josef Janouš, zvaný Bobeš

Tomáš Hádl

Honzík, Bobšův kamarád

Karla Svobodová

Maruška Vejmolová

Kateřina Trávníčková

Miládka, Bobšova spolužačka

Michal Prokop

Juránek, Bobšův spolužák

Dana Medřická

Bobšova matka

Radovan Lukavský

Josef, Bobšův otec

Mária Sýkorová

Bobšova babička

Stanislav Neumann

Bobšův dědeček

Miroslav Macháček

učitel Šabacký

Jiří Holý

opilec Vejmola, Maruščin otec

Hana Kreihanslová

Anna Vejmolová, Maruščina matka

Ferdinand Krůta

krejčí Jakubec, Honzíkův otec

Eduard Kohout

kouzelník Karafa

Jaroslav Kepka

kouzelníkův vyvolávač

Miloš Nedbal

továrník Rajmond Daxner

Bohuš Záhorský

ředitel školy

Slávka Budínová

oficiálová, matka Miládky

Emilie Hráská

cukrová babka

Antonín Fröhlich

Franta

Josef Chvalina

správce mlékárny

Věra Jašková

Siluška

Josef Kozák

muž s buřinkou u vozu

Zdeněk Kutil

strážník

Zuzana Stivínová

služka Žofka

Jaroslav Zrotal

mistr v továrně

Miloš Willig

Vondráček

Jiřina Bílá

žena u vozu

Zdeněk Erben

muž upozorňující na policistu

Alina Jelínková

asistentka kouzelníka

Ladislav Kazda

muž zastavující koně

Jaroslav Randáček

polykač ohně

Viktor Riebauer

tlustý cukrář

Pavel Robin

muž u vozu

Crew and creators

Second Unit Director

Bohumil Kouba

Assistant Director

Irena Klausová, Mojmír Ticháček

Based on

J. V. Pleva (Malý Bobeš – kniha)

Shooting Script

Jan Valášek

Director of Photography

Ivan V. Frič

Second Unit Photography

Miroslav Sinkule

Camera Operator

Miroslav Mašek

Production Designer

Boris Moravec

Assistent Production Designer

Jan Kňákal

Art Director

Ivo Houf

Set Designer

Miroslav Fára, Václav Kozel, František Straka

Costume Designer

Fernand Vácha

Assistant Film Editor

Diana Heringová

Sound Designer

Ladislav Hausdorf, Bohumír Brunclík (zvukové efekty)

Production Manager

Eliška Nejedlá

Unit Production Manager

Vladislav Špidra, Josef Pitrák

Cooperation

Jana Těžká (klapka), Jitka Bylinská (fotografka)

Music

Music Composed by

Emil Ludvík

Music Performed by

FISYO (Music Conducted by Štěpán Koníček)

Production info

Original Title

Malý Bobeš ve městě

Czech Title

Malý Bobeš ve městě

English Title

Little Bobeš in Town

Working Title

Malý Bobeš II. díl

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

children

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1962

Production Year

1961—1962

Production specifications

literary Screenplay approved 11 January 1961
start of filming 22 January 1961
technical Screenplay approved 16 December 1961
end of filming 25 June 1962
projection approval 6 August 1962

Premiere

premiere 16 November 1962 /suitable for youths/ (celostátní)
premiere 25 January 1963 /suitable for youths/ (kino Dalibor /1 týden/, Praha)

Copyright Holders

Národní filmový archiv

Studio

Hostivař

Creative Group

Tvůrčí skupina Švabík – Procházka, Jan Procházka (vedoucí dramaturg tvůrčí skupiny), Erich Švabík (vedoucí výroby tvůrčí skupiny)

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

80 min

Original length in metres

2 270 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