The Hippo
Country
CzechoslovakiaCopyright
1973Production year
1973Premiere
29 March 1974Runtime
95 minDirector
Karel SteklýCategory
filmGenre
political, satireTypology
featuretheatrical distributionlongOriginal title
HrochCzech title
HrochEnglish title
The HippoSummary
Hroch (The Hippo, 1973) is a noted example of a Czechoslovak filmmaker bending over backwards to show loyalty to the “normalisation” regime introduced after the Prague Spring events of 1968. Created by Karel Steklý in the dual role of director and screenwriter, this now legendary satire was intended to be an allegory of those occurrences. The focus of the narrative is a talking hippo, which is discovered in a local zoo by a nimble journalist. Once in the public sphere, the hippo is inveigled by deceitful and manipulative politicians who hope to use him for their own disgraceful ends. However, the villains are unaware that this unfortunate creature has merely swallowed whole a bank clerk named Bedřich Hroch (Oldo Hlaváček) who is enjoying his newfound popularity… This highly slanted film should now only be regarded as a study piece, at best offering insights into the mindset of its era. It was even regarded as dubious by contemporary “normalisers”, enough so that the film was removed from cinemas rather rapidly and was never allowed to appear on TV.
Synopsis
The bank officer Bedřich Hroch is sent by the bank director to the zoo, which asked an allocation of one and half kg of gold for a gold tooth for a hippo. During the check up of the hippo's teeth Bedřich is swallowed by the hippo. The man does not die in the hippo's guts and he chats quite happily with his frightened wife Dáša. Journalist Pip Karen, his friend is also present to the dialogue and he has immediately an idea how to use this special situation. He tells to the new minister Borovec and his opponent professor Fibinger that there is a hippo in the zoo which can speak. He also tells them how to use this situation for a political propaganda. His plan succeeds, people believe the advertising and collect gold for the hippo. Singer Soňa sings a song about the hippo. The song becomes immediately a hit. Dáša does not want to put up with the loss of her husband and she decides to make him free. Bedřich refuses, he is happy to be popular. He gets back to the normal life thanks to the cookies of teacher Plašilová, after which the hippo gets sick. It throws Bedřich out and the entire sensation is over. The meeting in front of the hippo pavilion where Borovec was supposed to speak disbands. Borovec, who has watched the entire event on TV, breaks the TV in a momentary fit of anger.
Photos
Cast
Oldo Hlaváček
bankovní úředník Bedřich Hroch
Helga Čočková
kadeřnice Dáša, Hrochova žena
Svatopluk Matyáš
Pip Karen, redaktor Nového proudu
Helena Blehárová
zpěvačka Soňa
Miroslav Homola
ministr Borovec
Zdena Hadrbolcová
učitelka Plašilová
Eduard Dubský
profesor Fibinger
Jiří Lír
ošetřovatel Řeháček
Slávka Budínová
kadeřnice Majka
Josef Větrovec
Kadavý, ředitel zoologické zahrady
Jiří Holý
Paduch, Sonin muž
Oldřich Velen
veterinář MVDr. Čibera
Jan Skopeček
zubař specialista
Josef Kobr
ředitel banky
Miloš Willig
tiskový zmocněnec
Tomáš Sedláček
Hák, redaktor Večerníku
Josef Hlinomaz
ministr školství
Karel Hábl
zpěvák Tom
Ivana Bílková
Voice by Blažena Holišová
Bláža, žena ministra
Jan Pohan
intelektuál
Jiří Jelínek
intelektuál
Bert Schneider
básník
Vladimír Hrubý
vedoucí kadeřnictví Lexa
Karel Hovorka
muž s bradkou
Jaroslav Cmíral
propagandista
Josef Bádal
choreograf při zkoušce
Milan Mach
televizní redaktor
Miloš Vavruška
motohlídka
Jana Sedlmajerová
modelka
Eduard Pavlíček
odborník
Viktor Maurer
muž s kyticí
Vladimír Bičík
ministr dopravy
Jiřina Zemanová
Voice by Věra Kalendová
žena s psíkem
Martin Vrabec
Bezpalec
Jiří Šulc
kytarista
Miloslav Svoboda
varhaník
Oldřich Hoblík
novinář
Miroslav Laňka
novinář
Petr Kučera
televizní hlasatel
Jiří Ondroušek
chlapec Komorous
Dagmar Nováková
sekretářka
Vratislava Jelínková
sekretářka
Václav Luks
starší úředník
Renata Bauerová
dívka s brýlemi
Vlastimila Vlková
žena přispívající do sbírky
Jiří Kasík
raketýr
Milan Kindl
raketýr
Otakar Rademacher
raketýr
Zdeněk Srstka
raketýr
Jaroslav Tomsa
raketýr
Olga Fleischerová
tanečnice
Tomáš Hanták
tanečník
Anna Hantáková
tanečnice
Marie Libigerová
tanečnice
Lubomír Mohyla
tanečník
Běla Sobotková
tanečnice
Václav Štádler
tanečník
Jiří Vrzal
tanečník
Václav Zahradník
dirigent orchestru
Karel Bejlek
člen orchestru
Vladimír Brož
člen orchestru
Miloslav Bureš
člen orchestru
Vít Clar
člen orchestru
Petr Fleischer
člen orchestru
Emanuel Hrdina
člen orchestru
Vladimír Hruška
člen orchestru
Viktor Hynčica
člen orchestru
Zdeněk John
člen orchestru
Otto Kotýnek
člen orchestru
Mirko Krebs
člen orchestru
Václav Matouš
člen orchestru
Luboš Nývlt
člen orchestru
Jiří Pelikán
člen orchestru
Jan Pospíšil
člen orchestru
Petr Smolík
člen orchestru
Petr Šprunk
člen orchestru
Jaroslav Tichý
člen orchestru
Vlastimil Voňavka
člen orchestru
Miloš Vychytil
člen orchestru
Vladimír Tišer
dubl za Oldo Hlaváčka
Dubbing
Věra Kalendová
hlas ženy odpovídající v anketě
Mirko Musil
hlas kamelota/hlas muže odpovídajícího v anketě/hlas muže před pavilonem hrochů
Antonín Jedlička
hlas papouška
Crew and creators
Director
Second Unit Director
Assistant Director
Bohumil Koška, Dagmar Nováková
Screenstory
Screenplay
Shooting Script
Dramaturg
Director of Photography
Second Unit Photography
Camera Operator
Production Designer
Assistent Production Designer
Art Director
Set Designer
Jiří Čermák, Karel Lukáš, Karel Smrž
Costume Designer
Costumes
Make-Up Artist
Film Editor
Assistant Film Editor
Sound Designer
Jiří Hora, Antonín Jedlička (zvukové efekty)
Special Effects
Production Manager
Unit Production Manager
Karel Prchal, Vladimír Tišer
Unit Production Manager
Ivana Kuplerová
Cooperation
Ivana Nevolová (klapka), Miroslav Pešan (fotograf)
Music
Music Composed by
Selected Music
Antonín Dvořák (Rusalka /árie Měsíčku na nebi hlubokém/)
Music Performed by
Orchestr Václava Zahradníka (Music Conducted by Václav Zahradník)
Songs
Ďábel sám
Song Composer Jaromír Klempíř
Writer of Lyrics Jiří Aplt
Singer Helena Blehárová
Metafyzický kanárek
Song Composer Jaromír Klempíř
Writer of Lyrics Jiří Aplt
Singer Jiří Jelínek
Píseň hrocha /On je moje všecko/
Song Composer Jaromír Klempíř
Writer of Lyrics Jiří Aplt
Singer Helena Blehárová
Co ten ptáček, jarabáček
Song Composer František Kmoch
Production info
Original Title
Hroch
Czech Title
Hroch
English Title
The Hippo
Category
film
Typology
featuretheatrical distribution
Genre
political, satire
Origin country
Czechoslovakia
Copyright
1973
Production Year
1973
Production specifications
start of filming 20 February 1973
literary Screenplay approved 19 March 1973
technical Screenplay approved 26 April 1973
end of filming 5 November 1973
projection approval 12 November 1973
withdrawal from distribution 31 December 1986
Premiere
gala premiere 28 February 1974 (kino Lucerna, Praha)
premiere 28 February 1974 /suitable for youths/ (kino Lucerna, Praha)
premiere 29 March 1974 /suitable for youths/ (celostátní)
Production
Copyright Holders
Studio
Distribution
Creative Group
Dramaturgická skupina Karla Copa, Karel Cop (vedoucí dramaturgické skupiny)
Technical info
Duration typology
feature film
Duration in minutes
95 min
Original length in metres
2 670 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 1974
1975
Praha / Czechoslovakia
Karel Steklý
Vítěz
Event: Prémie Českého literárního fondu za rok 1974
1975
Praha / Czechoslovakia
Svatopluk Matyáš
Vítěz
Event: Prémie Českého literárního fondu za rok 1974
1975
Praha / Czechoslovakia
Eduard Dubský
Vítěz
Festival: 12. festival českých a slovenských filmů Nitra
1974
Nitra / Czechoslovakia
Karel Steklý
