The Giraffe in the Window

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1968

Production year

1967—1968

Premiere

22 November 1968

Runtime

73 min

Category

film

Genre

children

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Žirafa v okně

Czech title

Žirafa v okně

English title

The Giraffe in the Window

Working title

Vězeň / Hledá se Jirka

Summary

As a detective story for children Žirafa v okně (The Giraffe in the Window, 1968) tells the story of a kidnapped boy who thanks to his bravery manages to escape from the clutches of brutal thieves. Criminals Švarc and Čihák have just robbed a jewellery store when they come across little Jirka whom they have kidnapped by mistake in a stolen car. The boy is held captive in a cottage in the woods, while being watched over by Číhák’s 18-year-old daughter Milena. He has no idea of his whereabouts but manages to draw the view from the window and then smuggles the drawing out of the cottage thanks to the absentmindedness of his captors. The vigilant police launch an investigation with a predictably successful outcome… The film was coproduced by Krátký Film Praha and Studio Gottwaldov (now Zlín). Martin Meisner played the part of the vigorous Jirka, while the remaining cast included some interesting future prospects. Twenty-two year-old Hana Brejchová, best known for her role in Miloš Forman’s Lásky jedné plavovlásky (Loves of a Blonde, 1965), played the role of Milena. Radoslav Brzobohatý portrayed the malevolent Čihák.

Synopsis

Thieves Švarc and Čihák are interrupted in their robbery of a jeweller's store. In order to disappear as quickly as possible, they jump into the nearest car and leave, finding on the way that a little boy named Jirka, son of the car's owner, is with them. They take him to a cottage where Čihák's eighteen-year old daughter Milena attends to him. Jirka first treats Milena with hostility, but as days pass, the "prisoner" and the "guard" become close. Milena cooks for the boy and takes care of him, but nothing can intimidate the dauntless Jirka and he seeks for the first opportunity to escape. He draws a picture of a tree he can see from the window of the cottage and slips it under the wing of Švarc's motorcycle. The drawing falls out in the forest and is found by a gamekeeper, who hands it over to the local police station. Jirka's drawing reminds the policemen of a giraffe, but it is the only lead they have. They go around the cottages in the place where the picture was found, eventually succeeding in finding the cottage of Čihák. In Milena's and both thieves' absence, Jirka searches through the cottage and discovers a case with jewellery and diamonds in an old clock. Švarc and Čihák want to kill the boy and escape across the border. Jirka manages to run away with the case. The thieves pursue him, but already have policemen at their heels. Švarc and Čihák are arrested and Jirka is saved.

Cast

Radoslav Brzobohatý

zloděj Švarc

Steva Maršálek

zloděj Čihák, Milenin otec

Miloslav Holub

kapitán VB Malíček

Ladislav Trojan

poručík VB Rákos

Václav Beránek

poručík VB

Zdeněk Hradilák

strážmistr VB

Miroslav Moravec

Jirkův otec

Stanislav Tříska

majitel aerovky

Radim Cvrček

muž táhnoucí dítě

Milan Šimek

muž hlásící loupež

Martin Masner

Jirka Skalský

Crew and creators

Second Unit Director

Zdeněk Zydroň

Assistant Director

Vlasta Sklenářová

Director of Photography

Karel Kopecký

Second Unit Photography

Arne Parduba

Production Designer

Zdeněk Rozkopal

Costume Designer

Naďa Škapová

Sound Designer

Radomír Koutek

Production Manager

Dušan Schaffer

Unit Production Manager

Vojtěch Kunčík

Consultant

npor. Oldřich Mišurec

Music

Music Composed by

Harry Macourek

Music Performed by

FISYO (Music Conducted by Štěpán Koníček)

Songs

Jste tou dámou, co mou duši ničí

Song Composer Harry Macourek
Singer Jiří ŠtědroňMartin Masner

Production info

Original Title

Žirafa v okně

Czech Title

Žirafa v okně

English Title

The Giraffe in the Window

Working Title

Vězeň / Hledá se Jirka

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

children

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1968

Production Year

1967—1968

Production specifications

literary Screenplay approved 06/1967
technical Screenplay approved 10/1967
start of filming 16 November 1967
end of filming 15 May 1968
projection approval 18 August 1968

Premiere

premiere 22 November 1968 /suitable for youths/ (celostátní)
premiere 27 February 1969 /suitable for youths/ (kina Mír /1 týden/ a Radost /1 týden/, Praha)

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

73 min

Original length in metres

2 056 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: 7. národní přehlídka filmů pro děti a mládež Gottwaldov

1969
Zlín / Czechoslovakia

Vítěz

Festival: 4. mezinárodní festival dětských filmů Teherán

1969
Teherán / Iran