A Flirt with Miss Stříbrná
Typology
featureCzech title
Flirt se slečnou StříbrnouRuntime
76Country
CzechoslovakiaCopyright
1969Production year
1969Premiere
19.09.1969Language version
CzechDirector
Václav GajerScreenstory
Zdeněk MahlerSummary
In the 1960s, filmmakers were primarily interested in the work of Josef Skvorecký in the context of the detective genre, or rather the character of the eccentric criminal investigator – Lieutenant Borůvka. The writer himself actually collaborated on the drama Farářův konec (The End of a Priest, 1968) by the director Evald Schorm as well as on the adaptation of his own social-novel-cum-detective story Lvíče (The Lion Club), called Flirt se slečnou Stříbrnou (A Flirt with Miss Stříbrná). In January 1969, Škvorecký emigrated, but the novel and his film adaptation still managed to reach the public (encroaching censorship, however, banned the second edition of The Lion Club and its Václav Gajer’s film was “locked in the vault.”). Unlike the original material, the film deals primarily with the relationships of the beautiful Lenka Stříbrná, who resists the advances of the publishing editor Karel Leden. Only at the end, does this experienced seducer of women, who genuinely falls in love with the secretive and inaccessible lady, realise what the longstanding reasons are for her current behaviour… The book is set at the turn of the 1950s and ‘60s, but Škvorecký and his co-screenwriter updated the story and abandoned the inner monologue of the main hero. Nonetheless, the Holocaust theme makes Gajer’s film one of a handful of domestic movies devoted to the fate of the Jews in the Second World War. Although the adaptation lacks the layers of Skvorecký’s original story, A Flirt with Miss Stříbrná represents an interesting experiment with the rules of a love story that unexpectedly culminates with a “mystery” plot. The acting is also one of the undisputed qualities of the film, which is dominated by Jan Kačer as Leden, who goes from being a self-confident bon vivant rising above all the pitfalls of the publishing world of that time to a disappointed man who is unhappily in love. Miss Stříbrná was to become one of Marie Drahokoupilová’s most outstanding roles.
Synopsis
Gymnastics professor Vašek Žamberk would like to get closer to Miss Lenka Stříbrná. He invites her to races and introduces her to his friend Karel, editor in a big publishing house. Karel, an experienced seducer, seizes the opportunity. But it seems that the girl is far more interested in Karel's superior, editor-in-chief Procházka. Karel, who is capable of brilliantly navigating his way through all the difficulties of the Communist regime, does not give up. He endeavours to win Lenka over, the more so since he has really fallen in love with her. Procházka organizes a get-together for his company at Slapy. Lenka also shows up at the party and again takes no notice of anybody but the boss. In the morning, the guests learn that Procházka has drowned. They all believe his death was an accident, since he spent the entire night drinking excessively. Then again, one of the editors claims that he saw a female figure in the boat with their boss. Only now does Karel put together the apparently insignificant details of his encounter and contact with Lenka, and he arrives at the truth. His boss was the fiancé of Lenka's sister. She was a Jewess and as such, fated for a German concentration camp. Her fiancé could have saved her by marrying her, but did not help and so the entire Stříbrný family was gassed. Lenka is the only one to have survived. During their evening sail on the boat, she told Procházka who she was, and then it was enough not to give him a helping hand.
Photos
Cast
Marie Drahokoupilová
Lenka Stříbrná
Jan Kačer
redaktor dr. Karel Leden
Pavel Landovský
profesor tělocviku Vašek Žamberk
Milena Zahrynowská
tanečnice Věra Bendová
Ilja Prachař
šéfredaktor Emil Procházka
Lída Vostrčilová
Procházkova žena
Jiřina Jirásková
redaktorka Dáša Blumenfeldová
Zdeněk Řehoř
spisovatel Josef Kopanec
Martin Štěpánek
redaktor Hartman
Jorga Kotrbová
spisovatelka Cibulová
Vladimír Krška
spisovatel Andres
Marcela Martínková
redaktorka Pecáková
Mirko Musil
fotoreportér
Eva Olmerová
zpěvačka
Jaroslava Panenková
prodavačka Danešová
Jan Pohan
poručík VB
Josef Svátek
ministr
Miloslav Novák
člen redakční rady
Karel Engel
člen redakční rady
Milan Frkal
člen redakční rady
Karel Souček
člen redakční rady
Otto Mojžíš
host
Vladimír Navrátil
host
Karel Kryška
spisovatel
Jaroslav Mařan
spisovatel
Zuzana Šavrdová
elévka
Zdeněk Skalický
číšník
Václav Kotva
muž od stanu
Jana Čepková
tanečnice
René Gabzdyl
tanečník
Táňa Blažejová
tanečnice
Karel Klement
tanečník
Alena Mlčochová
tanečnice
Vratislav Mikšaník
tanečník
František Halmazňa
tanečník
Jaroslav Vesecký
tanečník
Petr Zámostný
tanečník
O. Hepnerová
tanečnice
Eva Polášková
tanečnice
Ladislav Dvořák (2)
barman
Jiří Sládek (2)
hudebník
Jan Šašinka
hudebník
Karel Vágner
hudebník
Jaromír Vrba
hudebník
Milan Mach
Bartoš
Václav Fišer
muž v montérkách
Jaroslav Šebek
akademik
Dubbing
Alena Kreuzmannová
hlas Věry Bendové
Jaromír Spal
hlas ministra
Crew and creators
Director
Second Unit Director
Bohumil Kouba
Assistant Director
Josef Sandr, Anna Lackovičová
Screenstory
Based on
Josef Škvorecký (Lvíče – román)
Screenplay
Shooting Script
Script Editor
Camera
Second Unit Photography
Camera Operator
Production Designer
Set Designer
Viktor Fixl, Josef Calta, Václav Šebek
Costume Designer
Costumes
Make-Up Artist
Film Editor
Sound Designer
Production Manager
Unit Production Manager
Unit Production Manager
Jaroslava Pražská
Cooperation
Eva Truchlá, Jana Šimůnková, Aleš Voleman
Music
Music Composed by
Music Performed by
Music Conducted by
František Belfín (FISYO)
Songs
Divnej chlap, Teče voda, teče
Singer
Eva Olmerová (Divnej chlap)
Production info
Original Title
Flirt se slečnou Stříbrnou
English Title
A Flirt with Miss Stříbrná
Copyright
1969
Production Year
1969
Premiere
19.09.1969
Production
Copyright Holders
Distribution
Creative Group
Šebor – Bor, Vladimír Bor, Jiří Šebor
Technical info
Format
35mm , Betacam
Versions
Czech