Following Zločin v dívčí škole (The Crime at the Girls’ School, 1965), director Jiří Menzel returned to his collaboration with novelist Josef Škvorecký. But prior to this 1968 motion picture, he had become famous for creating Ostře sledované vlaky (Closely Watched Trains, 1966) and the stylish Rozmarné léto (Capricious Summer, 1967), a bittersweet comedy based on a novel by Vladislav Vančura. The story of Zločin v šantánu (Crime in the Night-Club), played out according to a screenplay Menzel devised with Škvorecký, takes place in the timeless atmosphere of an elegant cabaret. The star turn at the venue is the beautiful singer Clara Regina (Eva Pilarová). A minister who is smitten with the performer gifts her pearl necklace, but it is stolen by her husband, a magician. He blames the theft on shy assistant Pepíček (Jiří Suchý), who, along with defence lawyer (Jiří Šlitr), falls victim to blind justice in an unfair world full of intrigue… The form of this outwardly noncommittal crime musical, featuring the songs of Šlitr and Suchý, is influenced by the dark atmosphere that pervaded society after the Prague Spring efforts at reform were crushed in August 1968: the two convicts, performed by this duo from Prague’s Semafor theatre, can now do nothing but sing.
The charming singer Clara Regina has many admirers. Even the minister of justice fights for her favour, especially enchanted by Clara's lullaby. The singer is also secretly loved by assistant Pepíček Janáček. Clara's successes with men are watched with displeasure by her jealous husband, Ikaro Volante. The minister sends a bouquet and a pearl necklace to the singer. The juggler Piterman steals the pearls but frames Pepíček. At court, Pepíček is defended by the inexperienced lawyer Vilém Bojanovský. During the process, it turns out that the pearls are fake. The minister denies this, but, just to make sure, has the juggler eliminated when the next investigation leads to him. Pepíček is accused of Piterman's murder. When the defender with the help of his colleague Stella proves Pepíček innocent, the public prosecutor orders the defender arrested as well. Vilém has an alibi, but the minister who can prove it denies everything. The two men, Pepíček and Vilém, are sentenced and imprisoned in one cell. In the backyard of the prison, gallows are built. The desperate Clara entreats for them with the minister who promises to help only if she sings his favourite lullaby to him. He, however, sends a special agent after the messenger carrying the letter granting the two prisoners pardon. Pepíček and Vilém, standing under the gallows, say their last wish - to sing a song. They sing until everybody at the place of execution falls asleep, but the messenger with the promised pardon is still not coming...
zpěvačka Klára Králová uměleckým jménem Clara Regina
zřízenec Pepíček Janáček
JUDr. Vilém Bojanovský
Vilémova pomocnice Stella
ministr spravedlnosti
eskamotér Piterman
vrhač nožů Bobby Akurát
detektiv
farář
skákač Ikaro Volante, manžel Clary
Gub, agent pro zvláštní úkoly
státní žalobce
soudce
inspicient
rektor
ceremoniář
posel
profesor
režisér/fízl
Viktor/promovanec František Husák
kulisák
číšník/promovanec
fotograf
přísedící
přísedící
zapisovatelka
artistka Lilly
hasič
promovanec
fízl
fízl
fízl
fízl
fízl
fízl
novinář
novinář
novinář
starý profesor
porotce
porotce
porotce
porotce
klaun
fotograf
baletka
promotor
ceremoniář
policajt
muž v černém
muž v černém
muž v černém
dívka
květinářka
fotograf
vazoun
vazoun
vazoun
vazoun/dubl za Jiřího Šlitra
vazoun
vedoucí hudebník
hudebník
hudebník
hudebník
hudebník
hudebník
policajt
promovanec
stařenka v obecenstvu u soudu
dubl za Vlastimila Brodského
dubl za Jiřího Grossmanna
hlas
Miroslav Fára, Karel Kočí, Václav Podhorský
Richard Němec, Artur Stacha
Z. Čajkinová
Jitka Faktorová (klapka), Josef Janoušek (fotograf), Miloš Schmiedberger (fotograf)
FISYO (Music Conducted by Štěpán Koníček), Orchestr divadla Semafor, Milan Dvořák
Song Composer Jiří Šlitr
Writer of Lyrics Jiří Suchý
Singer Jiří ŠlitrEva Pilarová
Song Composer Jiří Šlitr
Writer of Lyrics Jiří Suchý
Singer Jiří SuchýJiří Šlitr
Song Composer Jiří Šlitr
Writer of Lyrics Jiří Suchý
Singer Eva Pilarová
Song Composer Jiří Šlitr
Writer of Lyrics Jiří Suchý
Singer Jiří SuchýJiří ŠlitrEva Pilarová
Song Composer Jiří Šlitr
Writer of Lyrics Jiří Suchý
Singer Jiří Šlitr
Song Composer Jiří Šlitr
Writer of Lyrics Jiří Suchý
Singer Eva PilarováJiří Šlitr
Song Composer Jiří Šlitr
Writer of Lyrics Jiří Suchý
Singer Eva Pilarová
Song Composer Jiří Šlitr
Writer of Lyrics Jiří Suchý
Singer Jiří SuchýJiří Šlitr
Song Composer Jiří Šlitr
Writer of Lyrics Jiří Suchý
Singer Jiří Suchý
Song Composer Jiří Šlitr
Writer of Lyrics Jiří Suchý
Singer Eva Pilarová
Singer dětský sbor
Song Composer Jaroslav Ježek
Zločin v šantánu
Zločin v šantánu
Crime in the Night-Club
film
featuretheatrical distribution
music, comedy
Czechoslovakia
1968
1968
literary Screenplay approved 29 November 1967
technical Screenplay approved 2 February 1968
start of filming 18 April 1968
end of filming 5 July 1968
the first film copy approved 20 September 1968
projection approval 26 September 1968
withdrawal from distribution 14 December 1972
festival premiere 10 October 1968 (19. filmový festival pracujících – podzim ´68 /kino Sevastopol, Praha/)
premiere 10 October 1968 /unsuitable for youths/ (kino Sevastopol /5 týdnů/, Praha)
premiere 20 December 1968 /unsuitable for youths/ (celostátní)
Tvůrčí skupina Šebor – Bor, Vladimír Bor (vedoucí dramaturg tvůrčí skupiny), Jiří Šebor (vedoucí výroby tvůrčí skupiny)
feature film
83 min
2 354 meters
16mm, 35mm
1:1,37
black & white
sound
mono
Czech
Czech
without subtitles
Czech