A Leap in the Dark
Country
CzechoslovakiaCopyright
1964Production year
1963—1964Premiere
28 August 1964Runtime
91 minDirector
Vladislav DelongCategory
filmGenre
dramaTypology
featuretheatrical distributionlongOriginal title
Skok do tmyCzech title
Skok do tmyEnglish title
A Leap in the DarkWorking title
Spojení přerušenoSynopsis
The terror unleashed in Bohemia and Moravia following the assassination of the Acting Reichsprotector Heydrich, has hit the whole Czech resistance hard and almost destroyed it. With the aim of re-establishing broken communications with the resistance and helping it to resume the fight, three parachutists are sent from Moscow: Štěpán, Karel and Honza. All of them land without injury at the designated spot, from where they are supposed to continue by train. They have bad luck almost as soon as they are back in their homeland. A railway worker who recognizes Karel as a former schoolmate betrays them. Honza pays for the betrayal with his life. Štěpán and Karel continue on their way to Prague, where after long and hopeless wanderings they find shelter and the hope of link-up with the resistance. They are helped by a Doctor Gruber, but when they are receiving instructions in a hospital they are clearly overheard by a waiting patient. Karel, who continues to be tormented by a sense of guilt at Honza's death, since he had failed to kill the cowardly schoolmate in time, shoots at the patient. This draws the attention of German soldiers and in the following struggle he dies. The wounded man on the hospital bed simply quietly repeats, "I know nothing", in front of the Gestapo. Like Karel's, his death is pointless. Only Štěpán is left to fulfil orders and establish communication with the resistance.
Photos
Cast
Martin Růžek
Štěpán Hradecký
Jaroslav Mareš
Karel Vrána vlastním jménem Vacek
Radoslav Brzobohatý
Honza
Václav Voska
MUDr. Gruber
Miroslav Macháček
Eda Hertl
Květoslava Houdlová
Voice by Alena Kreuzmannová
Hertlova žena
Marie Tomášová
Zdena, Kalábova žena
Vlastimil Hašek
odbojář Petr Vosecký
Eva Sirotková
Voseckého žena
Josef Větrovec
odbojář Malík
Zdeněk Řehoř
železničář Moučka
Alena Hesounová
Moučkova žena
Věra Bublíková
výčepní Marie Uhrová
Slávka Budínová
udavačka Kirchmaierová
Vladimír Hlavatý
domovník
Ivo Palec
Kaláb
Karel Hlušička
železniční strážný Pinkas
Norbert Chotaš
důstojník wehrmachtu
Emil Kadeřávek
pilot
Miroslav Kalný
německý voják
Václav Kaňkovský
výběrčí plynu
Lubomír Kostelka
postřelený pacient
Vítězslav Černý
muž v hospodě
Ladislav Křiváček
mladý dělník v tramvaji
Míla Myslíková
sousedka Malásková
Jindřich Narenta
gestapák ve vlaku
Jarmila Navrátilová
ošetřovatelka
Jan Pohan
ruský navigátor
Ervín Zolar
gestapák v nemocnici
Pavel Spálený
železničář Loukotka
Ivo Foustka
důstojník wehrmachtu
Zdeněk Novotný
gestapák v civilu
Karel Plzák
gestapák v civilu
František Hájek
trafikant
Jana Hrdličková-Poláková
mladá průvodčí
Miloslav Janovský
primář
Jan Kouba
průvodčí
Marian Cingroš
harmonikář
Václav Podhorský
brusič
Josef Skrčený
dělník před továrnou
Otakar Sochor
muž v koženém kabátě
Commentary
Dubbing
Václav Lohniský
hlas kněze, znějící z kostela
Crew and creators
Director
Second Unit Director
Assistant Director
Continuity
Screenstory
Screenplay
Shooting Script
Director of Photography
Second Unit Photography
Camera Operator
Vladimír Zajíc
Production Designer
Assistent Production Designer
Set Designer
Viktor Fixl, Jan Drvota, Karel Kočí
Costume Designer
Costumes
Make-Up Artist
Film Editor
Assistant Film Editor
Sound Designer
Ladislav Hausdorf, Bohumír Brunclík (zvukové efekty)
Special Effects
Production Manager
Unit Production Manager
Vladislav Špidra, Jiří Zika, Artur Stacha
Unit Production Manager
Jindřich Dvořák, Vít Pešina
Consultant
Cooperation
Jaroslav Chlasták (fotograf), Ivana Mikolášová
Music
Music Composed by
Music Performed by
FISYO (Music Conducted by Štěpán Koníček)
Songs
Babička Mary
Song Composer Jaroslav Ježek
Writer of Lyrics Jiří VoskovecJan Werich
Singer sbor
Možná, že jo, možná, že ne
Singer sbor
Nemelem, nemelem
Singer sbor
Production info
Original Title
Skok do tmy
Czech Title
Skok do tmy
English Title
A Leap in the Dark
Working Title
Spojení přerušeno
Category
film
Typology
featuretheatrical distribution
Genre
drama
Origin country
Czechoslovakia
Copyright
1964
Production Year
1963—1964
Production specifications
literary Screenplay approved 3 July 1963
technical Screenplay approved 3 September 1963
start of filming 12 October 1963
end of filming 29 January 1964
projection approval 6 May 1964
Premiere
premiere 21 August 1964 /suitable for youths/ (kino Lucerna /2 týdny/, Praha)
premiere 28 August 1964 /suitable for youths/ (celostátní)
Production
Copyright Holders
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
91 min
Original length in metres
2 580 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
Subtitles languages
without subtitles
Opening/End credits languages
Czech
