The Singing Film
Country
CzechoslovakiaCopyright
1972Production year
1972Premiere
20 April 1973Runtime
81 minDirector
Vladimír SísCategory
filmGenre
music, compilationTypology
featuretheatrical distributionlongOriginal title
Zpívající filmCzech title
Zpívající filmEnglish title
The Singing FilmSummary
Vladimír Sís is among the filmmakers who in the 1960s incorporated the montage phenomenon into Czech cinematography. While the features Král komiků (King of Comedians, 1963) and Sólo pro Jaroslava Marvana (Solo for Jaroslav Marvan, 1971) inclined towards the documentary genre, Hudba kolonád (Music in Colonnades, 1975) and Blues for EFB (Blues for EFB, 1980) combined the classical genre with a heavy staged framework. In Zpívající film (1972), for example, the singer Waldemar Matuška tries to find the lost song of an unhappy singer (Helena Vondráčková) and thus ventures into the world of Czech musicals… In this montage feature, Sís uses film clips from 1931 (On a jeho sestra – Him and His Sister) up to 1970 (Ďábelské líbánky – Devilish Honeymoon). In the feature, built also on the popularity of the Matuška–Vondráčková duo, the quality of the older Czech productions stands out due to the expert craftsmanship of their creators and actors, and the singing of those in the leading roles.
Synopsis
A bearded man arrives in the theatre where a famous singer performs. The performance is sold out, and the man struggles in vain to get in, talking over an uncompromising porter. Eventually he is unmercifully doused with water, even with his large bunch of flowers. The admirer succeeds in seeing the star after the performance. The singer is unhappy because she has somehow lost an old song of hers. The man sets off to the world of Czech music films to find a felicitous evergreen for his beloved lady to please her. Various scenes and songs from different movies are used, such as Lemonade Joe, The Heroic Captain Korkorán, The Undertaker, I'll Give My Wife in Marriage, Him and His Sister, During Quiet Nights, If a Thousand Clarinets, Madla Sings to Europe, Crime in the Night-Club, The Hotel Modrá hvězda, The Poacher's Foster Daughter, Kristian, The Minister's Girlfriend, Nocturnal Butterfly, The Hard Life of an Adventurer, Devilish Honeymoon, A Sign of the Anchor. Finally, the man returns to the theatre with many tunes and a grateful singer sings a duet with him.
Photos
Cast
Waldemar Matuška
vousáč
Helena Vondráčková
slavná zpěvačka
Frank Towen
vrátný divadla
Inka Zemánková
ona sama
H. Bartíková
tanečnice
Antonín Dvořák (tanečník)
tanečník
M. Dvořáková (tanečnice)
tanečnice
J. Laštovka (tanečník)
tanečník
M. Laštovková
tanečnice
V. Nerad
tanečník
A. Rejhon
tanečník
V. Smejkal
tanečník
J. Smejkalová
tanečnice
I. Sladkovská
tanečnice
L. Vávra
tanečník
D. Vávrová
tanečnice
skupina Kamarádi táborových ohňů
trampové
František Friedrich
tramp
František Hacker
tramp
Vladislav Morava
tramp
Zdeněk Skarlandt
tramp
Petr Třebický
tramp
Václav Vebr
tramp
Crew and creators
Director
Second Unit Director
Zdeňka Slunéčková
Assistant Director
Marie Ryšlinková
Continuity
Screenstory
Screenplay
Shooting Script
Dramaturg
Director of Photography
Second Unit Photography
Camera Operator
Production Designer
Assistent Production Designer
Set Designer
Jan Petrů, Václav Pošta, Jiří Žůček
Costume Designer
Costumes
Make-Up Artist
Film Editor
Assistant Film Editor
Sound Designer
Production Manager
Unit Production Manager
Jaroslav Vlk, František Jaderník
Unit Production Manager
Consultant
Cooperation
Miroslav Pešan (fotograf)
Music
Music Composed by
Music Performed by
FISYO (Music Conducted by František Belfín)
Songs
Já znám dámu ze šantánu
Song Composer Zdeněk Liška
Writer of Lyrics Vladimír Sís
Singer Waldemar Matuškasbor
Hele, hele, krásná Helena
Song Composer Zdeněk Liška
Writer of Lyrics Vladimír Sís
Singer Vokální soubor Lubomíra Pánka
Miláčku, budu filmová hvězda
Song Composer John LennonPaul McCartney
Writer of Lyrics Zdeněk Rytíř
Singer Helena Vondráčková
Kam zmizel ten starý song
Song Composer Melanie Safka
Writer of Lyrics Zdeněk Borovec
Singer Helena Vondráčková
Já hledám, hledám píseň
Song Composer Zdeněk Liška
Writer of Lyrics Vladimír Sís
Singer Waldemar Matuška
Balada Mexico Kida
Song Composer Vlastimil Hála
Writer of Lyrics Jiří Brdečka
Singer Waldemar Matuška
Whisky to je moje gusto
Song Composer Vlastimil Hála
Writer of Lyrics Pavel Kopta
Singer Květa Fialová [dab]Yvetta Simonová
Francka a Johny
Song Composer lidová americká píseň
Writer of Lyrics Josef HiršalJosef Škvorecký
Singer Miloš Kopecký
Písnička pro Zuzanu
Song Composer Jiří Šlitr
Writer of Lyrics Jiří Suchý
Singer Waldemar Matuška
Když v báru houstne dým
Song Composer Vlastimil Hála
Writer of Lyrics Jiří Brdečka
Singer Květa Fialová [dab]Yvetta Simonová
Směj se, mé srdce, směj
Song Composer Julius Kalaš
Writer of Lyrics Josef NeubergFrantišek Vlček
Singer Hana Vítová [dab]Vilma Meyerová
Horácův pohřební blues
Song Composer Jan Rychlík
Writer of Lyrics Jiří Brdečka
Singer Miloš Kopecký
Parodie na cizojazyčné písně /z filmu Funebrák/
Song Composer Dalibor Pták
Writer of Lyrics Vlasta Burian
Singer Vlasta Burian
Zakázané ovoce
Song Composer Jaroslav Ježek
Writer of Lyrics Jiří VoskovecJan Werich
Singer Ljuba Hermanová
Tak velká láska
Song Composer Josef Stelibský
Writer of Lyrics Jaroslav Mottl
Singer Bohuslav KupšovskýJana RomanováVladimír Salač
Růžové psaníčko
Song Composer Jára Beneš
Writer of Lyrics Emanuel BrožíkFráňa Vodička
Singer Anny Ondráková
Po starých zámeckých schodech
Song Composer Karel Hašler
Writer of Lyrics Karel Hašler
Singer Karel HašlerWaldemar Matuška
Zdá se mi
Song Composer Roman Blahník
Writer of Lyrics K. M. Walló
Singer Hana Vítová [dab]Míla Spazierová-Hezká
Glory Glory haleluja
Song Composer Jiří Šlitr
Writer of Lyrics Jiří Suchý
Singer Karel GottWaldemar MatuškaEva Pilarováženský sbor
Ty lesovské stráně
Song Composer František Svojík
Writer of Lyrics František Kudrna
Singer Zdenka Sulanová
Ach, miluji vás
Song Composer Jiří Šlitr
Writer of Lyrics Jiří Suchý
Singer Eva PilarováJiří Šlitr
Kolena
Song Composer Jiří Šlitr
Writer of Lyrics Jiří Suchý
Singer Eva Pilarová
Sám já chodívám rád
Song Composer Eman Fiala
Writer of Lyrics Josef Gruss
Singer Waldemar Matuška
Jen pro ten dnešní den
Song Composer Sláva Emanuel Nováček
Writer of Lyrics Josef Gruss
Singer Oldřich Nový
Slunečnice
Song Composer Sláva Emanuel Nováček
Writer of Lyrics Josef Gruss
Singer Inka Zemánková
Každý musí někdy něco mít
Song Composer Eman Fiala
Writer of Lyrics Josef Gruss
Singer R. A. Dvorský
Oči čokoládové
Song Composer Jiří Mihule
Writer of Lyrics František Kudrna
Singer Oldřich Nový
Noční motýl
Song Composer Johann Strauss ml.
Writer of Lyrics K. M. Walló
Singer Hana Vítová [dab]Míla Spazierová-Hezká
Motýl
Song Composer Jiří Šlitr
Writer of Lyrics Jiří Suchý
Singer Jiří ŠlitrJana Malknechtová
To se nikdo nedoví
Song Composer Zdeněk Marat
Writer of Lyrics Zdeněk Borovec
Singer Waldemar MatuškaHelena Vondráčková
Production info
Original Title
Zpívající film
Czech Title
Zpívající film
English Title
The Singing Film
Category
film
Typology
featuretheatrical distribution
Genre
music, compilation
Origin country
Czechoslovakia
Copyright
1972
Production Year
1972
Production specifications
literary Screenplay approved 14 April 1972
start of filming 22 May 1972
technical Screenplay approved 23 June 1972
end of filming 12 October 1972
projection approval 31 October 1972
Premiere
premiere 20 April 1973 /suitable for youths/ (celostátní)
premiere 31 May 1973 /suitable for youths/ (kino Lucerna, Praha)
Production
Copyright Holders
Studio
Distribution
Creative Group
Dramaturgická skupina Miloše Brože, Miloš Brož (vedoucí dramaturgické skupiny)
Technical info
Duration typology
feature film
Duration in minutes
81 min
Original length in metres
2 310 meters
Distribution carrier
16mm, 35mm
Aspect ratio
1:1,37
Colour
black & white
Sound
sound
Sound system/format
mono
Versions
Czech
Dialogue languages
Czech
Subtitles languages
without subtitles
Opening/End credits languages
Czech
Awards
Vítěz
Festival: 6. mezinárodní filmový festival Červeného kříže a zdravotnických filmů Varna
1975
Varna / Bulgaria
