Idiot from Xeenemünde

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1962

Production year

1961—1962

Premiere

1 February 1963

Runtime

43 min

Category

film

Genre

slapstick, satire, tragicomedy

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionmedium

Original title

Blbec z Xeenemünde

Czech title

Blbec z Xeenemünde

English title

Idiot from Xeenemünde

Synopsis

The preeminent German engineer Habicht works on a project to develop a rocket weapon. He cannot find a way to guide the rockets. Apart from that, he also has personal worries. His sixteen-year old son Bruno has almost miraculous abilities in mathematics, but otherwise is simple-minded. He makes "swallows" of his father's plans for the secret weapon but at the same time tells his father about his gross errors in his calculations. Bruno's teacher dies in her house in a mysterious explosion. Habicht substitutes her with a young man who finds out that Bruno has a small launching pad in his room and extinguishes all those he does not like. After the conflict with Bruno, it is clear to the young teacher that this time, it is his turn to die. He tells Habicht about his suspicion and spends the night at his girlfriend's place. That evening, the school is destroyed by explosion and the next morning, the teacher is arrested as the perpetrator of the assassinations. Major Schwarz believes his testimony about Bruno and tries to force Bruno to reveal the rockets' guidance system. When he fails in this and when Bruno begins to bombard both the SS headquarters and his own car, he shoots the young idiot without mercy. Soon afterwards, the Allies begin bombing the town heavily.

Note

Idiot from Xeenemünde was distributed along with the film Tarzan´s Death.

Cast

Václav Sloup

Bruno Habicht

Jan Pivec

major wehrmachtu Schwarz

Rudolf Hrušínský

inženýr Hans Habicht, Brunův otec

Slávka Budínová

Hilda Habichtová, Brunova matka

Jana Štěpánková

učitelova milá

Rudolf Pellar

gestapák Karl Heinzler

Viktor Maurer

gestapák

Zdena Hadrbolcová

služebná Líza

Jan Pohan

příslušník SS

Jan Teplý

důstojník wehrmachtu

Jiří Bělohoubek

gestapák

Josef Koza

strážný SS

Hlavsa

strážný SS

Oleg Reif

pobočník

Crew and creators

Second Unit Director

Tomáš Svoboda

Assistant Director

Dagmar Nováková, René Mattes

Based on

Josef Nesvadba (Blbec z Xeenemünde – povídka ze sbírky Einsteinův mozek)

Shooting Script

Jaroslav Balík

Director of Photography

Josef Hanuš

Second Unit Photography

Ladislav Chroust

Camera Operator

Jiří Pospíšil

Production Designer

Bohuslav Kulič

Assistent Production Designer

Oldřich Okáč

Set Designer

Jan Drvota, Libor Speychal, Václav Štědronský

Costume Designer

Theodor Pištěk ml.

Sound Designer

Miloslav Hůrka, Bohumír Brunclík (zvukové efekty)

Special Effects

Trikový ateliér FSB

Production Manager

František Milič

Unit Production Manager

Václav Havlík, Eva Kučerová

Unit Production Manager

Eva Langerová

Music

Music Composed by

Evžen Illín

Selected Music

Bernhard Flies (Ukolébavka /Schlafe, mein Prinzchen/)

Music Performed by

Orchestr Karla Krautgartnera (Music Conducted by Karel Krautgartner), FISYO (Music Conducted by František Belfín)

Songs

Jednomu stačí úsměv k štěstí

Song Composer Evžen Illín
Writer of Lyrics Pavel Kopta
Singer Jan Tříska

Production info

Original Title

Blbec z Xeenemünde

Czech Title

Blbec z Xeenemünde

English Title

Idiot from Xeenemünde

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

slapstick, satire, tragicomedy

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1962

Production Year

1961—1962

Production specifications

literary Screenplay approved 20 April 1961
start of filming 22 November 1961
end of filming 23 May 1962
projection approval 23 October 1962

Premiere

preview 18 January 1963 (kino Sevastopol /1 týden/, Praha)
premiere 25 January 1963 /unsuitable for youths/ (kina Pasáž /3 týdny/, Arbes /1 týden/, Bystrica /1 týden/, Kyjev /1 týden/, Mír /1 týden/, Revoluce /1 týden/, Cíl /1 týden od 1. 2./, Oko /1 týden od 1. 2./, Radost /1 týden od 1. 2./, Eden /1 týden od 8. 2./, Odboj /1 týden od 8. 2./, Sokolovo /1 týden od 8. 2./ a Dukla /1 týden od 15. 2./, Praha)
premiere 1 February 1963 /unsuitable for youths/ (celostátní)

Distribution slogan

no caption

Copyright Holders

Národní filmový archiv

Studio

Barrandov

Creative Group

Tvůrčí skupina Novotný – Kubala, Bedřich Kubala (vedoucí dramaturg tvůrčí skupiny), Ladislav Novotný (vedoucí výroby tvůrčí skupiny)

Technical info

Duration typology

medium length film

Duration in minutes

43 min

Original length in metres

1 221 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