The Limping Devil

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1968

Production year

1967—1968

Runtime

79 min

Director

Juraj Herz

Genre

music, comedy

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Kulhavý ďábel

Czech title

Kulhavý ďábel

English title

The Limping Devil

Summary

A musical comedy about a young man who finds himself in conflict with the Devil. Very loosely inspired by a novel of the same name by French author Alain-René Lesage, this bizarre but gripping tale from 1968 was directed by Juraj Herz, who also served as screenwriter and star. But the hero of the story is young Honza Novák (Václav Neckář), who is deeply in love with Zuzana (Jana Šulcová). The lecherous satyr Asmodej (Herz) tries in vain to persuade our naive protagonist that love is merely a foolish whim. The episodic tale plays with various historical eras and stylised period settings. But even during preproduction, Kulhavý ďábel (The Limping Devil) found itself falling victim to a new tighter regime introduced by the censor. Sadly, this had a profound impact on the final outcome. In 1968, Herz found solace by bringing to cinemas a far more uncompromising and personal triumph, namely Spalovač mrtvol (The Cremator).

Synopsis

A baleful limping man walks through Prague. He is Asmodeus, the fiend of lustfulness, entertaining himself by putting together by magic couples of lovers. He only fails at the swimming pool. Zuzana, the good-looking blonde, ignores the men whom the devil foists off onto her. She loves Honza and the boy shares her feelings. The fiend is annoyed by the couple and tries to provoke a row. He sends heavy rain to force them into a hotel and then warns Zuzana's father by phone, but the young lovers manage to get out in time. Then the obstinate Asmodeus takes Honza in his sleep to the Institute for Emotional Disorders, where he shows him the ugly sides of love - hysteria, voyeurism, fetishism, suicide attempts... He also tries to lure Honza with the passionate nurse Kateřina but Honza only wants Zuzana. Honza again finds himself in a dream where Asmodeus shows him around the different historical periods where pure and faithful love was only rewarded with cruelty. The fiend brings Zuzana together with Rudolf, the charming elderly senior consultant doctor, in an attempt to make the youth jealous. Honza resists and wakes up from the dream. The fiend sets fire to the house where Zuzana lives. The enamoured youth throws himself into the fire and saves the girl. Honza and Zuzana are at their wedding. They are both happy and the disappointed devil leaves. Rudolf meets the newlyweds in front of the town hall registry office and Zuzana gladly lets him kiss her.

Photos

Unit Production Manager

Eva Hrubá, Jordan Balurov, Jaromír Lukáš

Cooperation

Ivana Skabranská (klapka), Karel Ješátko (fotograf)

Music

Music Composed by

Jan Klusák

Music Performed by

FISYO (Music Conducted by František Belfín), Orchestr Karla Krautgartnera (Music Conducted by Josef Vobruba), Lidový soubor bratří Lakatošových, skupina Mefisto, Traditional Jazz Studio

Songwriter

Jaromír Klempíř

Writer of Lyrics

Jiří Štaidl

Singer

Václav Neckář, Yvonne Přenosilová, Oľga Šalagová [dab], Marta Kubišová, Jana Šulcová [dab], Helena Vondráčková, Juraj Herz [dab], Karel Štědrý

Choreographer

Luboš Ogoun, Pavel Šmok

Production info

Original Title

Kulhavý ďábel

Czech Title

Kulhavý ďábel

English Title

The Limping Devil

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

music, comedy

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1968

Production Year

1967—1968

Production specifications

literary Screenplay approved 30 March 1967
technical Screenplay approved 15 July 1967
start of filming 27 July 1967
end of filming 18 January 1968
the first film copy approved 9 April 1968
projection approval 16 May 1968

Premiere

premiere 12 September 1968 /unsuitable for youths/ (kina 64 U Hradeb /1 týden/, Klub /1 týden od 10. 10./ a Městská knihovna /1 týden od 10. 10./, Praha)
premiere 12 September 1968 /unsuitable for youths/ (celostátní)

Production

Filmové studio Barrandov

Copyright Holders

Státní fond kinematografie

Studio

Barrandov

Distribution

Ústřední půjčovna filmů

Creative Group

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

Sales

Národní filmový archiv, Obchodní oddělení

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

79 min

Original length in metres

2 236 meters

Distribution carrier

16mm, 35mm

Aspect ratio

1:1,66, 1:2,35

Colour

colour

Sound

sound

Sound system/format

mono

Versions

Czech

Dialogue languages

Czech

Subtitles languages

without subtitles

Opening/End credits languages

Czech

The Limping Devil

Country

Copyright

Production year

Runtime

Director

Category

Genre

Typology

Original title

Czech title

English title

Summary

Synopsis

Photos

Cast

Jaroslav Neduha

Josef Bartoš

Petr Prouza

JUDr. Otakar Rödr

Václav Soldát

Zdeněk Šmidrkal

J. Horák

P. Tins

J. Ungár

Jiřina Jandová

Eva Řepíková

H. Bohatová

L. Geussová

D. Hůlková

E. Janoušková

Zuzana Dubská

Jindřich Poledňa

Rudolf Veselý

L. Jirotka

K. Zintl

František Kopal

Ota Jahn

Václav Šimeček

Milan Vobliza

Hana Bažantová

Soňa Zborníková

O. Hiršalová

A. Hůlková

L. Kymlová

M. Pirnerová

Karel Klement

Crew and creators

Director

Second Unit Director

Assistant Director

Continuity

Screenstory

Screenplay

Shooting Script

Dramaturg

Director of Photography

Second Unit Photography

Camera Operator

Production Designer

Set Designer

Costume Designer

Costumes

Make-Up Artist

Film Editor

Assistant Film Editor

Sound Designer

Special Effects

Production Manager

Unit Production Manager

Cooperation

Music

Music Composed by

Music Performed by

Songwriter

Writer of Lyrics

Singer

Choreographer

Production info

Original Title