The Death on the Black Market
Country
CzechoslovakiaCopyright
1976Production year
1976Premiere
13 May 1977Runtime
88 minDirector
Ivo TomanCategory
filmGenre
crime, narrativeTypology
featuretheatrical distributionlongOriginal title
Smrt na černoCzech title
Smrt na černoEnglish title
The Death on the Black MarketSummary
This attempt at a crime feature set around the post-war black market was filmed in 1976 by director Ivo Toman. A duo of thieves robs a secret warehouse operated by the merchant Čačala, but are then forced to rid themselves of the loot. Inspector Koutouč, a former professor of commodity sciences, is hot on Čačala´s trail. The thieves try to blackmail their merchant victim, but the relentless Kotouč decides to expose the profiteer – and with him the right-wing politicians conspiring to thwart the inevitable victory of the communist left. This tendentious and ponderous feature benefits from a strong cast. Vlastimil Brodský plays the part of Kotouč; Slávka Budínová stars as the lover of one of the thieves. Josef Langmiler once again displays his talents for embodying dapper, sleazy villains, in this case playing trade ministry section chief Jůzl.
Synopsis
It is the hot summer of 1947. The post-war shortage of goods, both real and artificial, fuels profits on the black market. A robber called Dudy and his helper Pivo steal fabrics from a hidden warehouse of the wholesaler Čačala. They are transporting them at night in a lorry they have also stolen. After a minor accident, they abandon the lorry with the loot in the centre of Prague. In a nearby music-hall, operations manager Drdácká, Dudy's good-looking, but much older lover, attends to their wounds. Criminal investigator Kotouč, formerly a commodities expert, cannot understand why no one has come forth to claim the stolen goods. Dudy seizes the opportunity and starts blackmailing Čačala - the sentence for withholding goods is harsh. However, the wholesaler has an influential friend at the Ministry of Trade. Section Head Jůzl does his best to retrieve the fabrics for Čačala from the police depository and advises him to move his warehouse. Kotouč, meanwhile, is relentless and his patient investigation puts him on the track of theblack marketeers in fabrics, blackmailing as well as Jůzl's politically motivated support of the black market. Moving the warehouse is no good. Dudy goes on blackmailing Čačala, who dies of a heart attack with the telephone in his hand. When Drdácká finds out that her lover has cheated on her with a prostitute named Jiřina, she stops covering up for him. Jůzl is arrested. He and the other right-wing politicians have lost. The government turns down the help of the West - the Marshall Plan - and the Communist Left wins.
Photos
Cast
Vlastimil Brodský
kriminální inspektor Kotouč
Slávka Budínová
provozní varieté Jitka Drdácká
Josef Langmiler
sekční šéf ministerstva vnitřního obchodu Jůzl
Jan Kanyza
Šindelář zvaný Dudy, Jitčin přítel
Josef Větrovec
velkoobchodník s textilem Václav Čačala
Robert Vrchota
vrchní strážmistr Pexider
Jiří Lábus
lupič Kotlán zvaný Pivo
Jiří Ornest
příručí Milan
Jan Kuželka
mladší strážmistr Bohumil Štoček
Bronislav Poloczek
strážmistr Kuncíř
Stanislava Bartošová
prostitutka Jiřina Matlochová
Jaroslava Obermaierová
sekretářka Stáňa Beránková
Libuše Jiskrová
Čačalova žena
Raoul Schránil
předseda obchodní komory Zachystal
Milena Steinmasslová
Blanka, Jůzlova dcera
Bohumil Šmída
kasař Hemala zvaný Hečky
Luděk Kopřiva
kouzelník Alfonso
Jan Přeučil
komisař Mertlík
Miroslav Krejča
strážmistr Válek
Otto Lackovič
kasař Ouda
Josef Beyvl
karbaník Suk
Vlastimil Bedrna
disponent Hanč
Milan Mach
obchodník Josef Kuneš
Jindra Šolcová
majitelka módního salonu
Jarmila Beránková
bytná Roubalová
Viktor Maurer
agent detektivní kanceláře Orion Ladislav Špidla
Jitka Zelenohorská
servírka Jitka
Vítězslav Černý
výčepní
Karel Augusta
zelinář Alois Brok
Zdeněk Dítě
elegantní zákazník Matlochové
Ivo Niederle
obchodník Jelínek zvaný Číla
František Kubíček
řidič u Jůzla
Karel Bělohradský
rváč Šalanda
Dana Kyznarová
tanečnice
Helena Šafránková
tanečnice
Daniela Vondráčková
tanečnice
Ema Slezáková
manekýna/tanečnice
Ivana Beranová
manekýna
Jitka Nováková (2)
manekýna
František Svačina
kamelot
Jindřich Sejk
Dubbing Bronislav Poloczek
opilý muž
Karel Hanzlík
služba SNB
Václav Hladík
hráč karet
Václav Kotva
hráč karet
Vladimír Navrátil
hráč karet
Josef Střecha
hráč karet
Olga Michálková
dáma
Jaroslav Voigst
strážmistr Kunc
Josef Starosta
mladík
Jana Hermachová
dívka
Karel Hovorka
šmelinář
Vladimír Linka
šmelinář
Miloslav Šindler
šmelinář
Miloš Vavruška
šmelinář
Vladimír Pospíšil
hráč kulečníku
Jaroslav Synák
hráč kulečníku
Jaroslav Tomsa
žokej
Miroslav Janeček (2)
žokej
Helena Schneibergová
toiletářka
Wolfgang Hauer
hudebník
Eugen Jegorov
hudebník
Václav Král (hudebník)
hudebník
Vladimír Klusák
hudebník
Stanislav Novotný
hudebník
Pavel Štemberk
hudebník
Jan Vacek
hudebník
Pavel Greifoner
hudebník
Jiří Hájek (2)
hudebník
Václav Král (2)
hudebník
/jsou tady dva V. K./
Gabriela Bártlová-Buddeusová
lehká žena
Olga Navrátilová
lehká žena
Petr Jákl
sekretář majitelky salonu
Crew and creators
Director
Second Unit Director
Josef Sandr
Assistant Director
Josef Loučím, Magdalena Davidová
Screenstory
Screenplay
Shooting Script
Script Editor
Director of Photography
Camera Operator
Production Designer
Set Designer
Josef Calta, Jaroslav Chytrý, Petr Matouš, Rudolf Beneš
Costume Designer
Costumes
Make-Up Artist
Film Editor
Sound Designer
Stunts
Petr Drozda, Karel Engel, Jiří Fajt, Jiří Klenot, Miroslav Musil
Production Manager
Unit Production Manager
Karel Škop, Vlasta Synkulová
Unit Production Manager
Jaroslava Semrádová
Consultant
plk. Jan Kovář , plk. Josef Janůrek
Music
Music Composed by
Music Performed by
Choreographer
Josef Starosta
Songs
Hřebík v botě
Songwriter Jiří BaurVlastimil Hála
Writer of Lyrics Jaroslav Moravec
Singer Jan Hammer
Production info
Original Title
Smrt na černo
Czech Title
Smrt na černo
English Title
The Death on the Black Market
Category
film
Typology
featuretheatrical distribution
Genre
crime, narrative
Origin country
Czechoslovakia
Copyright
1976
Production Year
1976
Premiere
premiere 13 May 1977
Production
Copyright Holders
Distribution
Creative Group
Dramaturgická skupina Miloše Brože, Miloš Brož (vedoucí dramaturgické skupiny)
Technical info
Duration typology
feature film
Duration in minutes
88 min
Original length in metres
2 750 meters
Distribution carrier
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
