An Unusual Class

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1964

Production year

1964

Premiere

30 April 1965

Runtime

88 min

Category

film

Genre

comedy

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Neobyčejná třída

Czech title

Neobyčejná třída

English title

An Unusual Class

Summary

Among the numerous movies made for children and young adults by Josef Pinkava in the 1960s was this 1964 comedy about an all-girl graduating class. The girls are in constant conflict with Křivka, their unfair teacher of Czech. Things escalate during a winter school trip to the Giant Mountains (Krkonoše), but they fare much better with the grumpy foreman in the engineering plant where they go for practical training. Graduation brings an end to the girls’ joys and woes. Real life awaits... As a light comedy this motion picture presents an idealised picture of student life in the contemporary era: the girls show a moral conscience in dropping their efforts at proving their teacher’s guilt, and pledge not to cheat during examinations. The film, starring Helga Čočková and Evelyna Steimarová as students, cannot compare to titles dealing with the same topics that were made during the Czechoslovak New Wave, such as Věra Chytilová’s short documentary Pytel blech (A Bag of Fleas, 1962) or Miloš Forman’s Černý Petr (Black Peter, 1963).

Synopsis

The last grade of the twelve-year secondary school is attended only by girls. At school, they have turned famous for the mischief they get into but their class-teacher Kotková likes them and watches both their joys and distresses with understanding. The girls' production training takes place in a vast machine-tool factory, where they sometimes have conflicts with the leading master, whom they nickname Grouch [Bručoun]. At school, the girls suspect the Czech language teacher Křivka of unjust marking. One day, a competition for the best class in school results is announced; the winners are going to go for a trip to the Giant Mountains. Eventually both the school-leaving classes go. In the mountains, the girls enjoy their winter revel until Křivka bans them from attending a carnival. Four students refuse to obey his ban. At the carnival, Křivka asks Drahuše, who's wearing a Gypsy mask, to dance and the girl, under the pretext of reading his palm, tells him about all his bad qualities. The offended Křivka fails to disguising her identity. After the students return from the mountains, time runs fast. The girls reconcile with Grouch, talk about love, pretend to have astonishing boyfriends and prepare for graduation. They also try to convict Křivka of injustice, but Drahuše eventually switches off the tape recorder, which was to deliver the needed proof. With the graduation, the jolly years are over and the girls, moved, say farewell both to the Grouch and Professor Kotková.

Cast

Helga Čočková

studentka Drahuše Chvojková

Natálie Maslovová

předsedkyně třídy Pavlína Janečková

Evelyna Steimarová

studentka Katka

Karel Urbánek

profesor češtiny Křivka

Vladimír Hlavatý

mistr v továrně Brouček zvaný Bručoun

Zora Rozsypalová

třídní profesorka Kotková

Halina Píchová

Miriam, studentka s drdolem

Daniela Pokorná

Maruš Dostálová, rozjedená studentka

Libuše Rafajová

brýlatá Marcela zvaná Markétka

Jarmila Rázlová

Jiřina, studentka z III. A

Helena Říhová

studentka Barbora, fotografka

Táňa Stará

studentka Zuzana

Eva Vodičková

vzorná studentka Andělka

Alexandra Gasnárková

studentka Štěpánka Havlíková

Marie Čtvrtníčková

studentka

Běla Hájková

studentka

Anna Hýbnerová

studentka

Anna Kašová

studentka

Lída Milevská

studentka

Karel Meister

ředitel školy zvaný Sokrates

Svatopluk Matyáš

profesor matematiky Houdek

Josef Zach

Kouřil

Alois Müller

Bedřich Havlík, otec Štěpánky

Milena Asmanová

Havlíkova žena

Josef Haukvic

Chvojka, otec Drahuše

Jitka Rákosníková

Chvojkova žena

Zdeněk Blažek

učitel Angličanů

Miloš Jahoda

Ivo Brandejs

Radim Cvrček

mladý dělník

Jaroslav Těšitel

student III. A

Jan Odl

student III. A

Jiří Havel

Katčin přítel

Ladislav Frej

stavař Tomáš Štrojsa

Orchestr Gustava Broma

orchestr na maturitním plese

Commentary

Crew and creators

Assistant Director

Marta Novotná, Radim Cvrček

Based on

Danielle Dušková (Neobyčejná třída – novela)

Director of Photography

Jiří Kolín

Production Designer

Jaroslav Krška

Set Designer

František Santarius, Vilém Janík

Costumes

K. Rusková

Sound Designer

František Strangmüller, Bohumír Brunclík (zvukové efekty)

Production Manager

Zdeněk Stibor

Unit Production Manager

Vojtěch Kunčík

Unit Production Manager

Věra Hábová

Cooperation

Emil Bártek (fotograf)

Music

Music Composed by

Evžen Illín

Music Performed by

FISYO (Music Conducted by František Belfín), Orchestr Gustava Broma (Music Conducted by Gustav Brom), Rytmická skupina Miroslava Kefurta

Songs

Svět je karneval

Song Composer Evžen Illín
Writer of Lyrics Zdeněk Borovec
Singer Eva PilarováWaldemar Matuška

Dobře, že tě lásko mám

Song Composer Evžen Illín
Writer of Lyrics Zdeněk Borovec
Singer Eva Pilarová

Včera neděle byla

Song Composer Jiří Šlitr
Writer of Lyrics Jiří Suchý
Singer dívčí sbor

Oliver Twist

Song Composer Karel Mareš
Writer of Lyrics Rostislav Černý
Singer Eva PilarováWaldemar Matuška

Jednoduchá píseň na dvou tónech

Singer Gustav BromJaromír Hnilička

Amare

Singer Helena Blehárová

Já jsem zamilovaná

Song Composer Jaromír Vomáčka
Writer of Lyrics Zdeněk Borovec
Singer Yvetta Simonová

Production info

Original Title

Neobyčejná třída

Czech Title

Neobyčejná třída

English Title

An Unusual Class

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

comedy

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1964

Production Year

1964

Production specifications

literary Screenplay approved 24 August 1963
technical Screenplay approved 15 January 1964
start of filming 15 February 1964
end of filming 16 July 1964
projection approval 9 November 1964

Premiere

preview 26 March 1965 (kino Sevastopol /2 týdny/, Praha)
premiere 9 April 1965 /suitable for youths/ (kina Lucerna /3 týdny/ a Ořechovka /1 týden od 23. 4./, Praha)
premiere 30 April 1965 /suitable for youths/ (celostátní)

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

88 min

Original length in metres

2 502 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

Exhibition: 5. celostátní přehlídka československých filmů pro děti a mládež Gottwaldov

1966
Zlín / Czechoslovakia
Josef Pinkava

Vítěz

Festival: 1. mezinárodní festival filmů pro děti a mládež Gottwaldov

1965
Zlín / Czechoslovakia

Vítěz

Festival: 1. mezinárodní festival filmů pro děti a mládež Gottwaldov

1965
Zlín / Czechoslovakia