The Death on the Black Market

crime, narrative

Typology

feature

Czech title

Smrt na černo

Runtime

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1976

Production year

1976

Premiere

13.05.1977

Language version

Czech

Director

Ivo Toman

Summary

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.

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

opilý muž

Karel Hanzlík

služba SNB

Jaroslav Voigst

strážmistr Kunc

Josef Starosta

mladík

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./

Miloslav Musil

kaskadér

Dubbing

Bronislav Poloczek

hlas opilého muže

Crew and creators

Director

Ivo Toman

Second Unit Director

Josef Sandr

Assistant Director

Josef Loučím, Magdalena Davidová

Set Designer

Josef Calta, Jaroslav Chytrý, Petr Matouš, Rudolf Beneš

Costume Designer

Jan Bulka

Costumes

Eva Lackingerová, Drahomila Tadrová

Make-Up Artist

Stanislav Petřek, Anna Volšičková

Film Editor

Miroslav Hájek

Sound Designer

Josef Vlček

Production Manager

Jiří Pokorný

Unit Production Manager

Karel Škop, Vlasta Synkulová

Unit Production Manager

Jaroslava Semrádová

Consultant

plk. Jan Kovář , plk. Josef Janůrek

Cooperation

Stanislava Kadlecová, Miloš Schmiedberger (2), Magda Hájková, František Vokřál

Music

Music Composed by

Ferdinand Havlík

Music Performed by

Ferdinand Havlík, FISYO

Music Conducted by

Štěpán Koníček (FISYO)

Songs

Hřebík v botě

Songwriter

Jiří Baur (Hřebík v botě), Vlastimil Hála (Hřebík v botě)

Writer of Lyrics

Jaroslav Moravec (Hřebík v botě)

Singer

Jan Hammer (Hřebík v botě)

Choreographer

Josef Starosta

Production info

Original Title

Smrt na černo

English Title

The Death on the Black Market

Copyright

1976

Production Year

1976

Premiere

13.05.1977

Production

Filmové studio Barrandov

Copyright Holders

Státní fond kinematografie

Distribution

Ústřední půjčovna filmů

Creative Group

Miloš Brož

Sales

Národní filmový archiv, Obchodní oddělení

Technical info

Format

35mm , Betacam

Versions

Czech

The Death on the Black Market

Typology

Czech title

Runtime

Country

Copyright

Production year

Premiere

Language version

Director

Summary

Synopsis

Photos

Cast

Dana Kyznarová

Helena Šafránková

Daniela Vondráčková

Ema Slezáková

Ivana Beranová

Jitka Nováková (2)

Karel Hanzlík

Jaroslav Voigst

Josef Starosta

Miroslav Janeček (2)

Helena Schneibergová

Wolfgang Hauer

Václav Král (hudebník)

Stanislav Novotný

Pavel Štemberk

Jan Vacek

Pavel Greifoner

Jiří Hájek (2)

Václav Král (2)

Miloslav Musil

Dubbing

Crew and creators

Director

Second Unit Director

Assistant Director

Screenstory

Screenplay

Shooting Script

Script Editor

Camera

Camera Operator

Production Designer

Set Designer

Costume Designer

Costumes

Make-Up Artist

Film Editor

Sound Designer

Production Manager

Unit Production Manager

Unit Production Manager

Consultant

Cooperation

Music

Music Composed by

Music Performed by

Music Conducted by

Songs

Songwriter

Writer of Lyrics

Singer

Choreographer

Production info

Original Title

English Title

Copyright

Production Year

Premiere

Production

Copyright Holders

Distribution

Creative Group

Sales

Technical info

Format

Versions