Joachim, Put Him into the Machine!
Country
CzechoslovakiaCopyright
1974Production year
1973—1974Premiere
30 August 1974Runtime
98 minDirector
Oldřich LipskýCategory
filmGenre
comedyTypology
featuretheatrical distributionlongOriginal title
Jáchyme, hoď ho do stroje!Czech title
Jáchyme, hoď ho do stroje!English title
Joachim, Put Him into the Machine!Working title
Vysoká fázeSummary
In August 1974 Zdeněk Svěrák and Ladislav Smoljak established themselves as screenwriters with the timeless tragicomedy Jáchyme, hoď ho do stroje! (Joachim, Put Him into the Machine!). They later worked with directory Oldřich Lipský on the student comedy „Marečku, podejte mi pero!“ (“Mareček, Please Pass Me a Pen!”). With the help of the writing duo, from 1976 associated with the Jára Cimrman Theatre, Lipský, then 50, found a way to come to terms creditably with the realities of the normalisation period. The king of Czech cinema parody after the escapist Slaměný klobouk (Straw Hat) (1971), children’s comedy 6 medvědů s Cibulkou (Six Bears and Cibulka) (1972) and agrarian agitprop Tři chlapi na cestách (Three Men Travelling) (1973), he shot his very first distinctively “casual” comedy bereft of fantasy elements. The story of timid young tractor driver František Koudelka, who moves from the country to Prague, revolves around a normalisation-era fad – the “conditiogram”. The makers succeeded in going beyond the standards of the period and created an “existential” comedy about man being the master of his own destiny. The shy, indecisive František organises his life completely on the basis of computer-generated plans specifying “happy” and “crisis” days for all activities. While on bad days the goodhearted naïf becomes a passive victim of his usual ineptness and misfortune, on “good days” he impresses the girl of his dreams, the sales assistant Blanka (Marta Vančurová), triumphs over an arrogant barman and wins a judo bout and motor race. Jam-packed with ideas, the picture is a Czech comedic gem, thanks to numerous charming scenes, enduring dialogue and above all perfect casting. Luděk Sobota, then a 29-year-old theatre actor, particularly stands out in his first sizable film part. The titular computer technician Jáchym is played by Petr Brukner in a cameo that lasts mere seconds.
Synopsis
A sincere provincial young man, František Koudelka leaves to work in Prague. For the trip he buys a computer made horoscope with biorhythms charts, marked according to his date of birth, there are trappy, precarious, unsuccessful and even critical days and few successful days. The clumsy luckless person František has finally a guidance for his life. In Prague he takes up work in a car repair service and he stays with his widowed aunt Mrs Sýkorová who definitely prefers her beloved dog Gregor. The company psychologist warns František. The car mechanics get big bribes from customers and it happens often that this flow of money makes many of them crazy. In a snack-bar, at the toast department works Blanka, the girl of his dreams. Despite his shyness he starts dating her after all. Barman Karel from the snack-bar is not happy to see that and he insults his competitor in love. The young man joins a judo club. He plans a revenge on Karel on the twenty-seventh - the nearest successful day. He goes to cinema repeatedly and he trains the punches according to the sheriff from the film. On the twenty-seventh František wins unexpectedly a judo match and a car race. He is forced to open an exhibition dressed up in the judo kimono. Full of energy he calls attention of the company psychologist. He calls attendants from a psychiatrist clinic. But they catch somebody else. In the end they save František from the revengeful Karel. After years František and Blanka live with their children in the countryside. An apology from the company which used to send him for years wrong horoscopes with biorhythms comes too late. František is happy and everything goes well. Just the new car which the company sent as a compensation went down to the nearest pond.
Film online
Photos
Cast
Luděk Sobota
automechanik František Koudelka
Marta Vančurová
prodavačka Blanka
Věra Ferbasová
tetička Marie Sýkorová
Josef Dvořák
automechanik Béda Hudeček
Ladislav Smoljak
vedoucí servisu Karfík
Zdeněk Svěrák
podnikový psycholog Klásek
Václav Lohniský
psychiatr docent Chocholoušek
Karel Novák
výčepní Karel
Eva Fiedlerová
Voice by Jaroslava Adamová
majitelka renaulta Nevyjelová
František Husák
zřízenec na psychiatrii Arnošt Holna
Josef Hlinomaz
zřízenec na psychiatrii Arnošt Malota
Miroslav Homola
vyvolávač
Lubomír Lipský
vrátný v servisu Prouza
Petr Nárožný
závodník Stanislav Volejník
Eva Svobodová
Františkova maminka
Josef Beyvl
vrátný v tělocvičně
Václav Kotva
uklízeč Karlík Šimák
František Peterka
vedoucí judistického oddílu Tumpach
Tetsuchi Sassagawa
japonský malíř Uko Ješita
Oldřich Velen
ředitel podniku Katoda Olomouc
Karel Augusta
mechanik Toník
Radoslav Dubanský
mechanik
Petr Kopřiva
mechanik
Karel Kryška
mechanik
Jiří Lábus
mechanik
Jan Vala
mechanik Maňas
Jiří Wimmer
mechanik Růžička
Jiří Zavřel
mechanik
Jan Kuželka
mechanik
Oldřich Musil
předseda autoklubu
Vladimír Krška
ředitel výpočetního střediska
Josef Koza
vedoucí traktorové stanice Pechar
Vlastimil Bedrna
biletář
Jan Hartl
nový zaměstnanec Šofr
Antonín Navrátil
tajemník oddílu judo Otík
René Přibil
Voice by Vladimír Pospíšil
šerif ve filmu
Jaroslav Tomsa
Voice by Miroslav Saic
Mack ve filmu
Karel Peyr
pořadatel na startu závodu
Pavel Vondruška
hlasatel na utkání juda
Jaroslav Vozáb
hlasatel na výstavě psů
Jaroslav Weigel
zahajovatel výstavy japonských miniatur
Oldřich Unger
předseda výstavního výboru
Mirko Musil
výčepní v Koruně
Josef A. Stehlík
skladník Maršálek
Antonín Soukup
vítěz výstavy psů Janda
Karel Smrž
dědek z pohádky
Luisa Kollingerová
čarodějnice z pohádky
Josef Skrčený
chodec na silnici
Marie Prokešová
dívka v kimonu
Jana Posseltová
sestra na psychiatrii
Michal Pospíšil
traktorista Josef
Vladimír Hrabánek
prodavač v samoobsluze
Ivan Pokorný
adept juda Janeček
František Petiška
hlasatel na závodech automobilů
Ivan Martin
pán
Vilém Lipský
dveřník na Konopišti
Anna Pitašová
dáma
Zdeněk Křeček
manžel dámy
Jana Drastíková
elegantní dáma
Dana Klossová
elegantní dáma
Olga Hrzánová
elegantní dáma
Petr Hájek
snaživý mechanik
Petr Brukner
manipulátor Jáchym
Alena Augustová
slečna pokladní v servisu
Josef Brozman
adept s pochroumanou rukou
Jiřina Bílá
pokladní kina
Miloň Čepelka
tlumočník do japonštiny
Josefa Pechlátová
Voice by Eva Svobodová
sousedka Nevyjelové
Vlastimila Vlková
uvaděčka Mrázková
František Jákl
judista
Petr Jákl
judista/rozhodčí judistických závodů
Jiří Mašín
judista
Zdeněk Hrdlička
judista
Karel Vítek
rváč v restauraci
Jaroslav Klenot
rváč v restauraci
Václav Kejha
dubl za Petra Hájka
Václav Syřiště
dubl za Petra Nárožného
pes Andy
boxer Gregor
Dubbing
Lubomír Lipský
hlas stařečka s kosou
Antonín Jedlička
hlas vypravěče pohádky v televizi
Crew and creators
Director
Second Unit Director
Assistant Director
Jiří Býček
Continuity
Screenstory
Screenplay
Shooting Script
Dramaturg
Director of Photography
Second Unit Photography
Camera Operator
Production Designer
Assistent Production Designer
Set Designer
Ladislav Winkelhöfer, Antonín Chloupek, Vladimír Ježek, Krištof Žižka
Costume Designer
Costumes
Make-Up Artist
Film Editor
Assistant Film Editor
Sound Designer
Production Manager
Unit Production Manager
Unit Production Manager
Jaroslava Semrádová
Cooperation
Kateřina Koňasová (klapka), Jan Kuděla (fotograf)
Music
Music Composed by
Music Performed by
FISYO (Music Conducted by František Belfín)
Songs
Nepátrej ve snáři
Song Composer Zdeněk Liška
Singer mužský hlas
Production info
Original Title
Jáchyme, hoď ho do stroje!
Czech Title
Jáchyme, hoď ho do stroje!
English Title
Joachim, Put Him into the Machine!
Working Title
Vysoká fáze
Category
film
Typology
featuretheatrical distribution
Genre
comedy
Origin country
Czechoslovakia
Copyright
1974
Production Year
1973—1974
Production specifications
literary Screenplay approved 16 July 1973
start of filming 24 July 1973
technical Screenplay approved 4 September 1973
end of filming 20 March 1974
projection approval 26 March 1974
Premiere
preview 27 June 1974 (kino Blaník, Praha)
premiere 30 August 1974 /suitable for youths/ (celostátní)
premiere 2 September 1974 /suitable for youths/ (kino Blaník, Praha)
renewed premiere 1 October 1984 /suitable for youths/
renewed premiere 26 August 2021 /suitable for all ages without limit/
Production
Copyright Holders
Studio
Laboratories
Distribution
Ústřední půjčovna filmů (původní 1974 a obnovená 1984), Národní filmový archiv (obnovená 2021)
Creative Group
Dramaturgická skupina Karla Copa, Karel Cop (vedoucí dramaturgické skupiny)
Technical info
Duration typology
feature film
Duration in minutes
98 min
Original length in metres
2 674 meters
Distribution carrier
16mm, 35mm, DCP 2-D, BRD
Aspect ratio
1:1,66
Colour
colour
Sound
sound
Sound system/format
mono
Versions
Czech
Dialogue languages
Czech, Japanese
Subtitles languages
without subtitles
Opening/End credits languages
Czech
Awards
Vítěz
Festival: 13. festival českých a slovenských filmů Praha
1975
Praha / Czechoslovakia
Oldřich Lipský
Vítěz
Event: Múzy pražských diváků
1975
Praha / Czechoslovakia
Marta Vančurová
Vítěz
Event: Prémie Českého literárního fondu za rok 1974
1975
Praha / Czechoslovakia
Jaroslav Kučera
Vítěz
Event: Múzy pražských diváků
1975
Praha / Czechoslovakia
Oldřich Lipský
Vítěz
Exhibition: 3. mezinárodní přehlídka humoristických filmů La Coruña
1975
La Caruña / Spain
