Murder in the Excelsior Hotel
Country
CzechoslovakiaCopyright
1971Production year
1970Premiere
8 October 1971Runtime
89 minDirector
Jiří SequensCategory
filmGenre
detectiveTypology
featuretheatrical distributionlongOriginal title
Vražda v hotelu ExcelsiorCzech title
Vražda v hotelu ExcelsiorEnglish title
Murder in the Excelsior HotelSummary
Author and screenwriter Jiří Marek achieved fame with his TV crime series Hříšní lidé města pražského (The Sinful People of Prague, 1968) directed by Jiří Sequens. Police counsellor Vacátko (Jaroslav Marvan) and his colleagues Bouše (Josef Vinklář) and Brůžek (Josef Bláha) hit the silver screen in the “Sinners'” films Pěnička a Paraplíčko (Burglar and Umbrella), Partie krásného dragouna (Game of a Handsome Dragoon) and Smrt černého krále (Death of the Black King) made between 1970 and 1971. In Vražda v hotelu Excelsior, the interwar period homicide detective squad from Prague investigates the murder of a wealthy woman, Mrs Matoušová, which threatens the reputation of the eponymous luxury hotel popular with Prague’s elite. Even the retired police inspector Mrázek (František Filipovský), who works at the Excelsior as a hotel detective, is unable to help at first. Although the investigation inevitably uncovers the hotel staff’s scheming, Vacátko and his team unerringly follow the trail that leads them to the murderer…
Synopsis
The hall of the Excelsior Hotel is filled with a song to which the elegant and rich guests are dancing. Among them are also two married couples from Kladno - the Janík and the Matouš family. The next day, the hotel manager, Arno Hnízdo, appears in the office of the police the superintendent Vacátko. After many digressions and notices of the great reputations of his hotel, the manager finally reveals that Dana Matoušová was murdered there during the night. The superintendent Vacátko and the detectives Bouše and Brůžek are questioning the hotel guests as well as the staff. The retired detective Mrázek, currently working as the hotel detective, cannot help them as he is apparently out of shape and was asleep. The apartment used by the Matouš family was during that night frequented by many people. The instrument of crime, an empty Cognac bottle, was thrown out of the bathroom window, where the coquettish Matoušová was found by her drunken husband early in the morning. A Persian diplomat, Zade, is also suspected, as he was flirting with the woman and his fingerprints were found on the bathroom doorframe. The detectives soon find out why the hotel manager and the rest of the staff are so nervous. The hotel is a venue of gambling and false card games. Gambling was a source of income not only for the waiter Pepa, the pianist Krofta and the hotel manager, but also for Janík and Matouš. The crime reconstruction gradually excludes most of the suspects. Matouš tries to blame the diplomat. He killed his wife himself though, out of jealousy. He reveals his guilt because he is the onlyone to mention where the instrument of crime was disposed of.
Photos
Cast
Jaroslav Marvan
policejní rada Karel Vacátko
Josef Bláha
vrchní inspektor Josef Brůžek
Josef Vinklář
vrchní inspektor Josef Bouše
František Filipovský
hotelový detektiv Václav Mrázek
Zdeněk Řehoř
úředník Jára Janík
Slávka Budínová
Irča, Janíkova žena
Josef Somr
pojišťovací agent Polda Matouš
Milena Dvorská
Dana, Matoušova žena
Miloš Kopecký
ředitel hotelu Arno Hnízdo
Otto Lackovič
číšník Pepi
Václav Lohniský
pianista Krofta
Josef Langmiler
hotelový zpěvák
Jan Šmíd
perský princ a diplomat Mohamed Rasul Zade
Vladimír Stach
Dubbing Jindřich Narenta
německý obchodník Hans-Joachim Kirchmayer
Otakar Brousek
daktyloskop
Jiří Smutný
strážník Hrůza
Oldřich Musil
hotelový lékař Zima
Miroslav Homola
zástupce ředitele Hnízdy
Milan Kindl
nový číšník Honzík
Viktor Očásek
nový pianista
Jindřich Panáček
fotograf
Karel Bělohradský
hudebník
Přemysl Černý
hudebník
Otto Gassenbauer
hudebník
Zdeněk Jareš
hudebník
Tomáš Linka
hudebník
Vladimír Linka
hudebník
Miloš Mikula
hudebník
Vladimír Navrátil
hudebník
Dana Bučková
tanečnice
Alice Hašová
tanečnice
Celestina Horwitzová
tanečnice
Alena Janošková
tanečnice
Milena Kaplická
tanečnice
Olga Navrátilová
tanečnice
Charlota Novotná
tanečnice
H. Ruprichová
tanečnice
J. Smolíková
tanečnice
R. Vedralová
tanečnice
Jiří Klenot
vrchní
L. Walterová
tanečnice
Petr Jákl
číšník ve vlaku
Lubomír Štros
barman
Josef Kochman
vrátný
David Novotný (2)
muž u baru
ing. Lánský
muž u baru
Pavel Osif
muž u baru
Ivan Šilhavý
muž u baru
ing. Němeček
člen mordparty
František Rulík
vrchní
Dubbing
Bohuslav Kupšovský
hlas na nádraží
Crew and creators
Director
Second Unit Director
Assistant Director
Based on
Jiří Marek (Vražda v hotelu – povídka ze sbírky Panoptikum hříšných lidí)
Screenplay
Shooting Script
Director of Photography
Second Unit Photography
Camera Operator
Luděk Kopal
Production Designer
Set Designer
Jaroslav Česal, Karel Kočí, Bohuslav Varhaník
Costume Designer
Costumes
Make-Up Artist
Film Editor
Sound Designer
Stunts
František Fára, František Jákl, Jaroslav Kubeš (2), Jiří Mašín, Josef Szigeti, Václav Vilon, František Znojil
Production Manager
Unit Production Manager
Josef Hudlička, Karel Hyka
Unit Production Manager
Milena Andrejsková
Cooperation
Miloš Červinka, Jindřich Panáček, Hana Jozífková, Jana Suková
Music
Music Composed by
Music Performed by
FISYO (Music Conducted by František Belfín),
Songs
Zavři očka, zavři /Excelsior-slow/
Songwriter Zdeněk Liška
Writer of Lyrics Vladimír Sís
Singer Josef Langmiler [dab]Eduard Hrubešsbor
Production info
Original Title
Vražda v hotelu Excelsior
Czech Title
Vražda v hotelu Excelsior
English Title
Murder in the Excelsior Hotel
Category
film
Typology
featuretheatrical distribution
Genre
detective
Origin country
Czechoslovakia
Copyright
1971
Production Year
1970
Production specifications
literary Screenplay approved 29 July 1970
technical Screenplay approved 26 August 1970
start of filming 2 November 1970
end of filming 7 December 1970
the first film copy approved 29 March 1971
projection approval 19 September 1971
Premiere
premiere 8 October 1971
Production
Copyright Holders
Studio
Barrandov
Distribution
Creative Group
Dramaturgická skupina Miloše Brože, Miloš Brož (vedoucí dramaturgické skupiny), Výrobní skupina Bohumila Šmídy, Bohumil Šmída (vedoucí výrobní skupiny)
Technical info
Duration typology
feature film
Duration in minutes
89 min
Original length in metres
2 513 meters
Distribution carrier
35mm
Aspect ratio
1:1,66, 1:2,35
Colour
colour
Sound
sound
Sound system/format
mono
Versions
Czech
Dialogue languages
Czech, German, French
Subtitles languages
Czech
Opening/End credits languages
Czech
