Burglar and Umbrella

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1970

Production year

1970

Premiere

9 April 1971

Runtime

92 min

Category

film

Genre

crime

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Pěnička a Paraplíčko

Czech title

Pěnička a Paraplíčko

English title

Burglar and Umbrella

Summary

The magic of the First Republic underworld – the galerka (in Prague’s Žižkov quarter) – formed a major component of the popular television series Hříšní lidé města pražského (The Sinful People of Prague, 1968). Inspired by a book from author Jiří Marek, and adapted for the screen by writer-director Jiří Sequens, this 1970 film shifts the old world criminal comedy atmosphere, as well as the series’ characters, from the small to the big screen. The main protagonist – the astute police administrator Vacátko, portrayed by Jaroslav Marvan – becomes entangled in the tragic story of reckless prostitute Anča, nicknamed “Paraplíčko”, and her lover, the safe cracker Pěnička. The romantic drama set in interwar Prague sees Jiřina Bohdalová and Radoslav Brzobohatý in the lead roles. Police administrator Vacátko would feature in three further feature films and one television film. Pěnička a Paraplíčko (Burglar and Umbrella) is marked by a major effort by its makers to evoke the period atmosphere with musical numbers, which tilt this crime comedy towards being an actual musical.

Synopsis

In the morning twilight of Prague, the dead body of the safebreaker Toufar is found floating on the river Vltava with a knife in his back. Inspectors Bouše and Brůžek visit Toufar's lover, the prostitute Anna Kulatá, nicknamed Umbrella [Paraplíčko], and it is apparent that the moment before she opened the door of her flat, someone fled through the window. Umbrella is summoned for examination to the head of the criminal police - Police Councilman Vacátko, but although shocked by the photograph of the dead man, she does not confess to anything. Before Toufar, Umbrella lived with the safe-breaker Pěnička, who loved her very much and made her quit her street trade. But when he was sentenced to three years' imprisonment, Umbrella began to live with the brute Toufar, who chased her to street again. In the case of the murder, Pěnička is therefore the prime suspect. He has been at home for three months already and works with the coal-men, who confirm his alibi. But Umbrella is afraid of Pěnička and, following the advice of the criminal nicknamed Milk [Mlíko], tells Police Councilman Vacátko that the murder weapon belonged to Pěnička. The police come to arrest the safe-breaker, but he runs away to the attic of the house, barricades himself and shoots at his pursuers. Eventually, Police Councilman Vacátko himself sets off to face him. Pěnička confesses to killing Toufar in self-defence in a fight and Vacátko convinces him to hand himself over to justice. They leave together in a hackney carriage and the grieving Anna goes back to her old way of life, hooked on to the arm of her new lover, Milk.

Film online

Cast

Jaroslav Marvan

policejní rada Karel Vacátko

Josef Vinklář

vrchní inspektor Josef Bouše

Josef Bláha

inspektor Josef Brůžek

Jiřina Bohdalová

prostitutka Anča Kulatá zvaná Paraplíčko

Radoslav Brzobohatý

bývalý kasař Josef Pěnička

Bohumil Šmída

Voice by Jaroslav Moučka
kasař Mlíko

Martin Růžek

majitel domu Petr Holeček

Bohuslav Čáp

nuselský komisař

Ota Sklenčka

soudní lékař MUDr. Vejvoda

Jaroslav Raušer

policejní prezident

Stanislav Fišer

tenorista Sláva Podrazil

Jiřina Štěpničková

masérka Marie Drahomajzlová, Pěničkova bytná

Miroslav Homola

vrchní Chládek

Mirko Musil

nadstrážník Křídlo

Robert Vrchota

parťák uhlířů Jarda

Bohumil Koška

strážník

Miroslav Malina

strážník

Vladimír Medek

strážník

Jiří Smutný

strážník Hrůza

Josef Zíma

zpěvák v Jedové chýši

Viktor Očásek

muž s novinami v kavárně

Jaroslav Tomsa

tanečník v Jedové chýši

Ivo Niederle

novinář

František Bohdal

výčepní zvaný Evžen

Vilém Lipský

divák na nábřeží

Jan Blažek

zápasník

Petr Jákl

zápasník/dubl za Radoslava Brzobohatého

Jiří Kasík

zápasník

Jiří Mašín

zápasník

Jiří Vach

zápasník

Jan Váňa

zápasník

Zdeněk Srstka

zápasník/dubl za Bohumila Šmídu

Antonín Janů

hudebník

Antonín Kryl

hudebník

Rudolf Přibík

hudebník

Jaromír Vrba

hudebník

Elena Lindauerová

tanečnice

Hana Talpová

tanečnice

K. Samková

tanečnice

Březinová

tanečnice

Eva Cízlová

tanečnice

Ditrichová

tanečnice

Dufková

tanečnice

Duchoňová

tanečnice

Janusová

tanečnice

Zdeněk Blažek

tanečník

Dubbing

Mirko Musil

hlas strážníka na žebříku

Crew and creators

Second Unit Director

Jiří Mikeťuk

Assistant Director

Věra Pištěková

Based on

Jiří Marek (Pěnička a Paraplíčko – povídka), Jiří Marek (Panoptikum hříšných lidí – sbírka povídek)

Shooting Script

Jiří Sequens

Director of Photography

Miloslav Harvan

Second Unit Photography

Kamil Kadeřábek, Rudolf Jokl

Camera Operator

Vojtěch Kuthan

Production Designer

Karel Černý

Assistent Production Designer

Miloš Červinka

Set Designer

Jaroslav Česal, Karel Kočí, Bohuslav Varhaník

Costume Designer

Vladimír Synek

Film Editor

Jan Chaloupek

Assistant Film Editor

Alena Havlíčková, Jana Suková

Sound Designer

Adolf Nacházel

Special Effects

Trikový ateliér FSB

Production Manager

Josef Císař

Unit Production Manager

Josef Hudlička, Karel Hyka

Unit Production Manager

Milena Andrejsková

Cooperation

Hana Jozífková (klapka), Jindřich Panáček (fotograf)

Music

Music Composed by

Zdeněk Liška

Music Performed by

FISYO (Music Conducted by František Belfín)

Songs

Hříšní lidé

Song Composer Zdeněk Liška
Writer of Lyrics Vladimír Sís
Singer Josef ZímaInkognito kvartet

Production info

Original Title

Pěnička a Paraplíčko

Czech Title

Pěnička a Paraplíčko

English Title

Burglar and Umbrella

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

crime

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1970

Production Year

1970

Production specifications

literary Screenplay approved 27 January 1970
technical Screenplay approved 25 February 1970
start of filming 17 March 1970
end of filming 17 July 1970
the first film copy approved 7 December 1970
projection approval 28 December 1970

Premiere

premiere 7 April 1971 /unsuitable for youths/ (kino 64 U Hradeb, Praha)
premiere 9 April 1971 /unsuitable for youths/ (celostátní)

Studio

Barrandov

Creative Group

Tvůrčí skupina Šmída – Kunc (příprava), František Břetislav Kunc (vedoucí dramaturg tvůrčí skupiny), Bohumil Šmída (vedoucí výroby tvůrčí a vedoucí výrobní skupiny), Dramaturgická skupina Miloše Brože, Miloš Brož (vedoucí dramaturgické skupiny), Výrobní skupina Bohumila Šmídy

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

92 min

Original length in metres

2 610 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