The Star
Country
CzechoslovakiaCopyright
1969Production year
1969Premiere
19 December 1969Runtime
90 minDirector
Jiří HanibalCategory
filmGenre
dramaTypology
featuretheatrical distributionlongOriginal title
HvězdaCzech title
HvězdaEnglish title
The StarSummary
One of the final roles performed by Jiřina Štěpničková in the fertile 1960s was that of aged film star Slávka Hradilová refusing to make peace with having reached the end of her professional life. Although Slávka could take solace in her role as a mother and grandmother, she still yearns to perform once again in front of the camera. Only when confronted with naked reality is she forced to admit that her acting days are irretrievably over… In addition to Štěpničková, whose professional career the film evokes to some extent, seasoned director Jiří Hanibal succeeds in casting in his tragicomedy several other stars of the interwar period. These include Zita Kabátová, Nataša Gollová and Marie Glázrová. The part of Slávka’s former acting colleague, who is content working as a keeper in the docks, was played by Gustav Nezval. Hanibal’s casting even includes such minute details as giving the small part of a wardrobe mistress to a seasoned actor of minor roles in the 1930s, Nita Romanečová.
Synopsis
Slávka Hradilová, now almost in her sixties, used to be a film star years ago. She keeps herself in good shape and occasionally appears in TV ads. She, however, does not conceal her desire to get a great film role. Her female friends of the same age whom she meets regularly admire her a little, are envious of her a little, but at the same time laugh at her behind her back. Slávka has a married daughter and a teenage granddaughter but that does not make her happy enough. She helps her friend Alena, who had published an ad in the Lonely Hearts column, to test her wooers but herself is not interested in any more late love affairs. One day, she finally receives a film script. Brightening up, she arrives to the film studios where she used to reign as a queen. The role is smaller than she expected but nevertheless she is unable to handle it. Her routine gestures and mimicry are obsolete. She grasps that the director is not going to engage her. She is deeply disappointed and feels she has lost her sense of life. She visits her former film partner Roman who, satisfied, works as a guard in a dock and reminds her of their gorgeous adventures and parties they experienced long ago. He also talks with disdain about both his and her acting talent - they were no real actors, only following the period ideal of film stars at that time. Slávka, surprisingly, feels invigorated and decides to write a book about her acting fame.
Photos
Cast
Jiřina Štěpničková
herečka, Slávka Hradilová
Nelly Gaierová
Alena, Slávčina přítelkyně
Zita Kabátová
Marie, Slávčina přítelkyně
Marie Vášová
Káťa, Slávčina přítelkyně
Marie Glázrová
Olga, Slávčina přítelkyně
Andrea Čunderlíková
Hanka, Slávčina vnučka
Květa Fialová
Věra, Slávčina dcera
Jiří Adamíra
Petr, Slávčin zeť
Miroslav Homola
maskér Pepíček Říha
Gustav Nezval
Roman, Slávčin bývalý filmový partner
Josef Abrhám
režisér Jirák
Bohuš Záhorský
nápadník-truhlář Šrámek
Bedřich Prokoš
nápadník-realista
Josef Beyvl
nápadník-krajan z Nového Zélandu
Eduard Dubský
nápadník-světák
Nataša Gollová
herečka Ludmila Urbánková
Vladimír Stach
barman
Jindřich Blažíček
režisér
Jan Vostrčil
kapelník Šebek
Karel Dellapina
Dvořák, host na pohřbu
Václav Halama
Ferdáček, host na pohřbu
Eva Svobodová
Františka Poštolková, host na pohř
Helena Kotoučová
Dvořáková, host na pohřbu
Jaroslava Obermaierová
host na premiéře
Michal Pavlata
host na premiéře
Jiří Valenta
ceremoniář
Viktor Sodoma
mladík v kině
Stanislav Litera
příslušník VB
Antonín Suchánek
asistent výroby
Ladislav Adam (2)
stěhovák
Kamil Blahovec
stěhovák
Josef Hlinomaz
společník Urbánkové na premiéře
Jan Kropáček
společník Urbánkové na premiéře
Václav Helliman
kameraman
J. Černohorský
milenec
Renata Jirousová
milenka
Vojtěch Kheck
taxikář
Antonín Navrátil
smutný mladík
Nita Romanečová
kostymérka
Jana Sedlmajerová
dívka v reklamě
Ina Vnoučková
uvaděčka
Ilona Jirotková
klapka
Crew and creators
Director
Second Unit Director
Assistant Director
Continuity
Screenstory
Screenplay
Shooting Script
Dramaturg
Alena Urbánková, Pavel Hajný
Director of Photography
Second Unit Photography
Camera Operator
Production Designer
Assistent Production Designer
Set Designer
Čestmír Diviš, Vladimír Ježek, Karel Kracík, Ladislav Winkelhöfer
Costume Designer
Costumes
Make-Up Artist
Stanislav Petřek, Rudolf Buneš, Anna Volšičková, Libuše Beranová
Film Editor
Assistant Film Editor
Sound Designer
Special Effects
Production Manager
Unit Production Manager
Renée Lavecká, Ludmila Venclíková
Unit Production Manager
Antonín Suchánek
Cooperation
Ivana Nevolová (klapka), Jan Kuděla (fotograf)
Music
Music Composed by
Songs
Kdo ví, co zítřek dá?
Song Composer Jiří Sternwald
Singer Jiřina Štěpničková
Production info
Original Title
Hvězda
Czech Title
Hvězda
English Title
The Star
Category
film
Typology
featuretheatrical distribution
Genre
drama
Origin country
Czechoslovakia
Copyright
1969
Production Year
1969
Production specifications
literary Screenplay approved 5 February 1969
start of filming 9 April 1969
end of filming 13 June 1969
the first film copy approved 19 September 1969
projection approval 9 October 1969
Premiere
premiere 19 December 1969 /suitable for youths/ (celostátní)
premiere 25 December 1969 /suitable for youths/ (kino Paříž /3 týdny/, Praha)
Production
Copyright Holders
Studio
Distribution
Creative Group
Tvůrčí skupina Šmída – Daniel, František Daniel (vedoucí dramaturg tvůrčí skupiny), Bohumil Šmída (vedoucí výroby tvůrčí skupiny)
Technical info
Duration typology
feature film
Duration in minutes
90 min
Original length in metres
2 539 meters
Distribution carrier
16mm, 35mm
Aspect ratio
1:1,66, 1:1,85
Colour
black & white
Sound
sound
Sound system/format
mono
Versions
Czech
Dialogue languages
Czech
Subtitles languages
without subtitles
Opening/End credits languages
Czech
