Murder in the Excelsior Hotel
Typology
featureCzech title
Vražda v hotelu ExcelsiorRuntime
89Country
CzechoslovakiaCopyright
1971Production year
1971Premiere
08.10.1971Language version
CzechDirector
Jiří SequensSummary
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.
Film online
Photos
Cast
Jaroslav Marvan
policejní rada Karel Vacátko
Josef Bláha
inspektor Josef Brůžek
Josef Vinklář
inspektor Josef Bouše
František Filipovský
hotelový detektiv Mrázek
Zdeněk Řehoř
Jára Janík
Slávka Budínová
Irča, Janíkova žena
Josef Somr
Polda Matouš
Milena Dvorská
Dana, Matoušova žena
Miloš Kopecký
ředitel hotelu Arno Hnízdo
Otto Lackovič
číšník Pepi
Václav Lohniský
pianista Krofta
Josef Langmiler
zpěvák
Jan Šmíd
perský diplomat Mohamed Rasul Zade
Vladimír Stach
Němec Hans-Joachim Kirchmayer
Otakar Brousek
daktyloskop
Jiří Smutný
policista Hrůza
Oldřich Musil
hotelový lékař Zima
Miroslav Homola
zástupce ředitele
Milan Kindl
Honzík, nový číšník
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
Jindřich Narenta
hlas Němce Kirchmayera
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
Camera
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
Music Conducted by
František Belfín (FISYO)
Songs
Zavři očka, zavři /Excelsior-slow/
Songwriter
Zdeněk Liška (Zavři očka, zavři /Excelsior-slow/)
Writer of Lyrics
Vladimír Sís (Zavři očka, zavři /Excelsior-slow/)
Singer
Josef Langmiler [dab] (Zavři očka, zavři /Excelsior-slow/), Eduard Hrubeš (Zavři očka, zavři /Excelsior-slow/), sbor (Zavři očka, zavři /Excelsior-slow/)
Production info
Original Title
Vražda v hotelu Excelsior
English Title
Murder in the Excelsior Hotel
Copyright
1971
Production Year
1971
Premiere
08.10.1971
Production
Copyright Holders
Distribution
Creative Group
Technical info
Versions
Czech