The Midnight Column of Soldiers

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1972

Production year

1972

Premiere

25 May 1973

Runtime

87 min

Director

Ivo Novák

Category

film

Genre

comedy

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Půlnoční kolona

Czech title

Půlnoční kolona

English title

The Midnight Column of Soldiers

Summary

Ivan Novák’s comedy presents the soldier’s life at the onset of the 1970s as a useful and even cheerful occupation. Five friends, whose task is to secure the safe passage of a military column through nocturnal Prague, gain an evening’s leave from their good-hearted commander Velich (Jaromír Hanzlík). However, their plans bump up against harsh reality: Milan (Petr Oliva) finds only his younger sister (Jaroslava Schallerová) at his parent’s house, Jindra (Jaroslav Potměšil) has to cope with his girlfriend’s infidelity and Ján (Oldřich Vízner) is arrested by the military police as he’s not brought along his certificate of leave. As a bon vivant, Rosůlka (Jiří Krampol) fails to demonstrate his seductive skills during the course of the evening, while dutiful Velich meets the lovely mother of little Mirek… This escapist feature – not at all well remembered – is based on a novel by Karel Štorkán, who also contributed to the screenplay.

Synopsis

The group of five soldiers is charged to secure an undisturbed transit of the military column through Prague. According to the order they are to await the column at midnight at the end of the Prague housing estate. The military transport guard arrive to the place of destination early and thus they gain a walk in Prague from the commander, Corporal Velich. Velich has to stay at the wagon. The soldiers have their ideas how to spend free time in the big town. Milan is first leaving with elegant Marta then he wishes to meet his parents, especially his mother. But he is disappointed finding at home only his fifteen-year-old sister who is celebrating her birthday with her friends. Jindra sets out to his fiancée Jitka but he has to confront her little unfaithfulness before he wins her again. Ján Rutkay accepts invitation from his friends to play with them the organ in a small theatre. But he is taken away by the military watch because he has forgotten at Velich his documents and leave of absence. The man of fashion, Rosůlka, nicknamed Bůr due to the endless borrowing money endeavours in vain to make an acquaintance with any attractive woman. Velich passes the time of the waiting at the wagon with a little boy Mirek who is living in a near-by house. Then in the evening he makes friends with the boy's divorced mother as well. Midnight is drawing near, both happy and disappointed soldiers are in a hurry to return to the wagon to fulfil their duty. The column is passing Prague without a problem, the last is leaving the military transport guard.

Cast

Ladislav Potměšil

vojín Jindra Vondráček

Jaromír Hanzlík

desátník Velich

Petr Oliva

Voice by Václav Postránecký
člen dopravní hlídky Milan

Oldřich Vízner

člen dopravní hlídky Ján Rutkay

Jiří Krampol

člen hlídky Josef Rosůlek zvaný Bůr

Jorga Kotrbová

Jitka, Jindrova nevěsta

Jaroslava Tichá

Floriánová, Jitčina matka

Josef Somr

major na posádkovém velitelství

Jana Šulcová

Eva Voráčková

Tomáš Muchka

Mirek, Evin syn

Jana Sedlmajerová

Marta, Milanova přítelkyně

Jiří Stivín

hudebník Bobo, Jánův kamarád

Jiří Vondráček

Voice by Michal Pavlata
boxer Honza Čumpelík

Jan Kotva

Bimbas

Josef Brozman

Ota

Věra Galatíková

herečka ve Viole

Jaroslava Schallerová

Míša, Milanova sestra

Bohuslav Kupšovský

vrchní v Tabarinu

Olga Blechová

zpěvačka

Jan Kuželka

příslušník VB

Vladimír Hrubý

šmelinář

Libuše Procházková

Iva

Helena Cillerová

Blanka

Blanka Bösserová

Monika

Ivo Kubečka

host Tabarinu

Karel Hábl

host Tabarinu

Jiřina Bílá

zákaznice v Pramenu

Ladislav Janeček

zákazník v Pramenu

Vladimír Štros

zákazník v Pramenu

Jan Řeřicha

nadrotmistr Láznička

Václav Němec

velitel hlídky

Jiří Ptáčník

člen hlídky

Rudolf Růžička (2)

inspicient v divadélku

Zdeněk Skalický

vrchní v letní restauraci

Karel Vávra (3)

cvičitel ratlíků

Miluše Voborníková

zpěvačka v divadélku

Jiřina Zemanová

květinářka

Ivona Nováková

basketbalistka

Jana Možíšová

dívka v opalovačkách

Hana Kašparová

barmanka

Josef Chval

žonglér s míčky

Vladimír Hrabánek

inspicient v Tabarinu

Jarmila Horská

číšnice

Alexandra Haškovcová

dívka ve Viole

Eva Čtrnáctá

tanečnice

Marie Gergiedowská

tanečnice

Zdeňka Hlízová

tanečnice

Blanka Koubová

tanečnice

Diana Matějková

tanečnice

Věra Navrátilová

tanečnice

Rudolf Dašek

člen Bobovy kapely

Zdeněk Kalhous

člen Bobovy kapely

Karel Jahn

člen Bobovy kapely

Karel Vejvoda

člen Bobovy kapely

Jan Žižka

hudebník

Ferdinand Vondráček-Vondra

muž v umývárně

Petr Hannig

dubl za Oldřicha Víznera – hra na varhany

Crew and creators

Director

Ivo Novák

Second Unit Director

Milan Jonáš, Milan Muchna

Assistant Director

Jiří Potsch, Dagmar Nováková

Based on

Karel Štorkán (Půlnoční kolona – novela)

Shooting Script

Ivo Novák

Director of Photography

Ivan Šlapeta

Second Unit Photography

Richard Valenta

Camera Operator

Oldřich Kovář

Production Designer

Oldřich Bosák

Assistent Production Designer

Bohumil Nový

Set Designer

Marcel Kříž, Dana Smržová, Eva Slívová

Costume Designer

Jarmila Konečná

Film Editor

Miroslav Hájek

Assistant Film Editor

Vilemína Binterová

Production Manager

Eliška Nejedlá

Unit Production Manager

Radomír Hubáček, Vladislav Špidra

Unit Production Manager

Jitka Přibylová

Cooperation

Hana Stibůrková (klapka), Alena Červená (fotografka)

Music

Music Composed by

Petr Hapka

Music Performed by

FISYO (Music Conducted by Štěpán Koníček), System Tandem, Jiří Stivín, Petr Hannig

Songs

Jak se tak toulám světem

Song Composer Petr Hapka
Writer of Lyrics Zdeněk Rytíř
Singer Karel ČernochOlga BlechováValerie Čižmárová

Pod modrou oblohou

Song Composer Petr Hapka
Writer of Lyrics Zdeněk Rytíř
Singer Miluše Voborníková

Hajú, hajú

Singer Josef Somr

Okolo Hradce

Production info

Original Title

Půlnoční kolona

Czech Title

Půlnoční kolona

English Title

The Midnight Column of Soldiers

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

comedy

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1972

Production Year

1972

Production specifications

projection approval 14 December 1972
withdrawal from distribution 31 December 1986

Premiere

premiere 3 May 1973 /unsuitable for youths/ (kino Lucerna, Praha)
premiere 25 May 1973 /unsuitable for youths/ (celostátní)
gala premiere 4 June 1973 (Chomutov a Litvínov)

Studio

Barrandov

Creative Group

Dramaturgická skupina Oty Hofmana, Ota Hofman (vedoucí dramaturgické skupiny)

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

87 min

Original length in metres

2 455 meters

Distribution carrier

16mm, 35mm

Aspect ratio

1:1,66

Colour

colour

Sound

sound

Sound system/format

mono

Versions

Czech

Dialogue languages

Czech

Subtitles languages

without subtitles

Opening/End credits languages

Czech

Awards

Vítěz

Event: Prémie Českého literárního fondu za rok 1972

1973
Praha / Czechoslovakia
Karel Štorkán

Vítěz

Festival: 11. filmový festival mladých Trutnov

1973
Trutnov / Czechoslovakia