Dolphin Is Lined Up for the Start

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1974

Production year

1974

Premiere

6 June 1975

Runtime

89 min

Category

film

Genre

family, sport

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Na startu je delfín

Czech title

Na startu je delfín

English title

Dolphin Is Lined Up for the Start

Summary

Even by the 1970s there was no let up in the appetite for film narratives set in a sports environment and targeted at young audiences. This motion picture, directed by Vladimír Borek, was yet another addition to the genre. The lead character, 15-year-old Honza Kánský, is in training with a swimming group. He dreams about participating in the national championships, and he sacrifices all his free time to achieve that goal. But when he fails to make it, and decides that he is not receiving the right level of support from his coach, he opts to quit swimming altogether. To him, achieving success is clearly more valuable than the atmosphere of comradeship provided by a sporting competition. It is eventually thanks to his friends within the swimming group that he eventually sees the error of his ways... The lead role in this summer holiday family film is played by non-actor Miroslav Tomášek. More noteworthy are the actors who perform the parts of two negative characters in supporting roles: the little rascal stealing change is that reliable impersonator of teenage scoundrels Jan Kraus, while the banned singer-songwriter Vlastimil Třešňák is here seen as a thief.

Synopsis

Fifteen-year-old Honza Kánský dreams of getting to compete in the national swimming championship. He practices conscientiously at the swimming association and does extra training on his own. He finally achieves the speed required, and is bitterly disappointed to learn that he has not been nominated for the team because the other club members' times are better than his. He has a row with the coach, and decides to give up swimming altogether. He leaves home early in the morning and comes back late at night and pretends to his parents that he is continuing with his training. When his club goes to South Bohemia for summer practice, he pretends to go with them, but he is really hitchhiking aimlessly. At the fair in a small town, he comes across a group of youngsters but he dislikes their idea of fun. So he travels on to his grandmother's house in a South Bohemian village. The village happens to be very near the swimming club's camp. He convinces his grandmother that he cannot practice because of a supposed rash. A local girl Hanka, with whom he makes friends, times his secret training sessions at the local pond. Eager to encourage him, she lies to him about his finishing times. Then Honza runs into his former coach and in a fit of anger decides to go to the camp and try his strength racing his former club colleagues. But he suffers a crushing defeat. A contemptuous remark from the coach vexes the boy and he swims off. But the other boys understand what their friend is going through. Cheered by other children, they swim after Honza creating a friendly circle around him.

Cast

Miroslav Tomášek

Honza Kánský

Markéta Steinerová

Věra, členka plaveckého oddílu

Inka Čekanová

trenérka Míla Pachnerová, Věřina matka

Jiří Vondráček

Voice by Michal Pavlata
trenér Skála

Miloš Lukášek

Jirka, člen plaveckého oddílu

Miroslav Landsinger

Mirek, člen plaveckého oddílu

Igor Petrovič

Vláďa, člen plaveckého oddílu

Hana Houbová

Anna Kánská, Honzova matka

Antonín Brtoun

Voice by Jan Pohan
řidič Jan Kánský, Honzův otec

Milada Ježková

Honzova babička

Jan Kotva

trenér

Jitka Nováková (2)

trenérka

Antonín Navrátil

Kalous, Honzův spolužák

Miloš Drahota

Ruda

Filip Renč

Karlík, Hančin bratr

Alena Kryštofková

plavovláska na pouti

Veronika Renčová

Piskáčková

Milan Duchek

mladík na pouti

Otakar Brousek ml.

Pepek, mladík na pouti

Jan Kraus

výrostek kradoucí drobné

Jiří Adamec

Voice by Petr Skarke
příslušník VB

Karel Bělohradský

řidič škodovky

Josef A. Stehlík

děda hlídač

Mirko Musil

dělník v metru

Jiří Lír

číšník

Ludmila Roubíková

uklízečka na stadionu

Jiří Untermüller

Plížil

Stanislav Pilman

Radek

Milan Bouška

mladík s knírkem

Dubbing

Jiří Hálek

hlas učitele chemie

Crew and creators

Second Unit Director

Milan Kadlec

Assistant Director

Antonín Kopřiva

Based on

Arno Kraus (Na startu je delfín – román)

Screenplay

Milan Pavlík

Director of Photography

Jaromír Šofr

Second Unit Photography

Petr Čech

Camera Operator

Bohumír Schwarzer

Production Designer

Jindřich Goetz

Assistent Production Designer

Rudolf Stahl nejml.

Film Editor

Miroslav Hájek

Assistant Film Editor

Ruth Čálková

Sound Designer

Jiří Hora

Production Manager

Jaroslav Solnička

Unit Production Manager

František Jaderník, Milan Štěch

Unit Production Manager

Lucie Hertlová

Consultant

Jiří Jelínek (2)

Cooperation

A. Černá (klapka), Jana Kratochvílová (fotografka), rozhodčí a plavci Rudá Hvězda, rozhodčí a plavci TJ Bohemians, rozhodčí a plavci Dukla Praha, rozhodčí a plavci SK Slávia

Music

Music Composed by

Karel Svoboda

Music Performed by

FISYO (Music Conducted by Štěpán Koníček)

Songs

Svět je krásný

Song Composer Karel Svoboda
Writer of Lyrics Milan Pavlík
Singer Jiří Schelinger

Gvendolína

Song Composer Karel Svoboda

Dám tisíc dukátů

Song Composer Karel Svoboda

Production info

Original Title

Na startu je delfín

Czech Title

Na startu je delfín

English Title

Dolphin Is Lined Up for the Start

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

family, sport

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1974

Production Year

1974

Premiere

festival premiere 27 February 1975 (13. festival českých a slovenských filmů Praha /kino Světozor, Praha/)
gala premiere 26 April 1975 (kino Světozor, Praha)
premiere 1 June 1975 /suitable for youths/ (Sportovní hala Parku kultury a oddechu Julia Fučíka, Praha)
premiere 6 June 1975 /suitable for youths/ (celostátní)

Creative Group

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

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

89 min

Original length in metres

2 490 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

Exhibition: 7. přehlídka filmů pro děti Ostrov nad Ohří

1975
Ostrov nad Ohří / Czechoslovakia

Vítěz

Festival: 15. festival filmů pro děti Gottwaldov

1975
Zlín / Czechoslovakia

Vítěz

Festival: 15. festival filmů pro děti Gottwaldov

1975
Zlín / Czechoslovakia
Jaromír Borek

Vítěz

Exhibition: 7. přehlídka filmů pro děti Ostrov nad Ohří

1975
Ostrov nad Ohří / Czechoslovakia
Miroslav Tomášek