Six Black-Haired Girls
Country
CzechoslovakiaCopyright
1969Production year
1969Premiere
31 October 1969Runtime
86 minDirector
Ladislav RychmanCategory
filmGenre
detective, comedyTypology
featuretheatrical distributionlongOriginal title
Šest černých dívek aneb Proč zmizel Zajíc?Czech title
Šest černých dívek aneb Proč zmizel Zajíc?English title
Six Black-Haired GirlsWorking title
Šest černých dívekSummary
Author Josef Škvorecký had several of his works adapted into films during the 1960s. Viewer anticipation was greatest for the adaptations of his detective stories, primarily those featuring the “sad” lieutenant Borůvka: besides appearing in director Jiří Menzel’s Zločin v dívčí škole (The Crime at the Girl’s School, 1965), the Czech version of G. K. Chesterton’s Father Brown also turns up in this 1969 detective comedy from director Ladislav Rychman. Borůvka refuses to investigate the theft of a rare magical 11th century publication, because his professional expertise is in homicide. But the subsequent disappearance of Professor Zajíc, who was working to decipher the manuscript, moves the lieutenant to enter the depths of the archives and learn of the strange practices of those who work within it. This light-hearted film once again sees Lubomír Lipský in the role of Borůvka. Singer and occasional actress Olga Blechová plays one of the six library archive workers.
Synopsis
Detective Lieutenant Borůvka is called to the State Scientific Library to investigate the loss of a precious manuscript, the Infernal Psalter of the Occult Sciences by Master Peregrinus from the eleventh century, written in a secret script which has only recently been deciphered by senior lecturer Zajíc. Chaos is reigning in the labyrinth of passages and halls of the former monastery where the library is housed. In order to save space the director of the library Dubový has introduced a peculiar system. The books are arranged in the bookcases according to height and six girls dressed in black, the library assistants, are quite happy to cut volumes down to size in case of need. Borůvka refuses the case, since he is specialist in murders. He has to return to the investigation, however, when senior lecturer Zajíc disappears. The desperate Borůvka finds it difficult to get his bearings in the strange case and begins to fear for his own sanity when one of the girls, Koniášová, appears in two different places at once. But then the lieutenant finds a secret entrance to the cellar spaces and here he discovers the psalter, hidden by the girls. At the same time he finds Zajíc, abducted by the girls who want him to translate the recipe for a love potion. There are two Koniášovás, a mother and daughter so alike as to be indistinguishable. But only the mother gets a man - she marries senior lecturer Zajíc.
Photos
Cast
Lubomír Lipský
poručík Borůvka
Zdeněk Řehoř
ředitel knihovny Milan Dubový
Josef Chvalina
docent Václav Zajíc
František Peterka
dr. Jaromír Libera
Vladimír Menšík
vrátný v knihovně
Václav Trégl
profesor Tejliběnovský
Josef Kemr
kustod
Miroslav Trpák
dr. Ocel, studijní poradce
Helena Růžičková
ošetřovatelka Ema Krkavcová
Iva Janžurová
sekretářka Dáša Andělová
Marcela Mlacovská
praktikanta Růžena Koniášová/vrchní sestra Květa Koniášová
Zuzana Šavrdová
praktikantka Čachtická
Olga Blechová
praktikantka Herodesová
Dana Klossová
praktikantka Jidášová
Stanislava Koutská
praktikantka Lomikarová
Ivana Mudrová
praktikantka Babinská
Karel Linc
masér Majdloch
Eva Svobodová
příbuzná na svatbě
Jiří Krytinář
trpasličí knihovník
Lola Skrbková
stará knihovnice
Vítězslav Černý
truhlář
Eugen Jegorov
truhlář
Bedřich Šetena
výpravčí Sodoma
Vilém Lipský
úředník
Luisa Kollingerová
primářka
Zbyněk Vaňous
lékárník
Yvonne Kodoňová
dívka s upilovanými zuby
Jan Kotva
mánička
Věra Kramešová
tančící dívka
Jan Maška
fotograf
Marie Popelková
stařena
J. Bartoš
kulturista
Jiří Horký
kulturista
Bohumil Rod
kulturista
Pavel Zradička
kulturista
H. Cermanová
akvabela
J. Hyniová
akvabela
M. Kulhánková
akvabela
N. Lukšová
akvabela
Ismenia Siegelová
akvabela
H. Veselá
akvabela
Marcela Vraná
akvabela
V. Zátková
akvabela
I. Horská
akvabela/dubl za Marcelu Mlacovskou
Jindřich Sejk
instruktor
M. Přívětivý
dvojče
K. Přívětivý
dvojče
M. Kamarýtová
knihovnice
Crew and creators
Director
Second Unit Director
Assistant Director
Continuity
Based on
Josef Škvorecký (Zločin v knihovně rukopisů – povídka)
Screenplay
Shooting Script
Dramaturg
Director of Photography
Second Unit Photography
Camera Operator
Karel Hurský
Production Designer
Assistent Production Designer
Art Director
Set Designer
Costume Designer
Costumes
Make-Up Artist
Film Editor
Assistant Film Editor
Sound Designer
Production Manager
Unit Production Manager
Jiří Zika, Vladislav Špidra
Unit Production Manager
Vít Pěšina
Cooperation
Milana Halašková (klapka), Karel Ješátko (fotograf)
Music
Music Composed by
Music Performed by
FISYO (Music Conducted by František Belfín)
Songs
Zpěv beze slov
Singer Jarmila Veselá
Lásko, bože, lásko
Singer sbor
Zmizí žaltář /Zmizel žaltář, Zmizel Zajíc/
Singer sbor
Production info
Original Title
Šest černých dívek aneb Proč zmizel Zajíc?
Czech Title
Šest černých dívek aneb Proč zmizel Zajíc?
English Title
Six Black-Haired Girls
Working Title
Šest černých dívek
Category
film
Typology
featuretheatrical distribution
Genre
detective, comedy
Origin country
Czechoslovakia
Copyright
1969
Production Year
1969
Production specifications
literary Screenplay approved 31 July 1968
technical Screenplay approved 18 November 1968
start of filming 7 January 1969
end of filming 29 April 1969
projection approval 30 June 1969
the first film copy approved 30 June 1969
Premiere
premiere 23 October 1969 /unsuitable for youths/ (kina Hvězda /4 týdny/, Kotva /3 týdny/, Dukla /1 týden/ a Varšava /1 týden/, Praha)
premiere 31 October 1969 /unsuitable for youths/ (celostátní)
Production
Copyright Holders
Studio
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
86 min
Original length in metres
2 432 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
