Run or You Won’t Catch Him!
Country
CzechoslovakiaCopyright
1976Production year
1976Premiere
22 April 1977Runtime
77 minDirector
Stanislav StrnadCategory
filmGenre
drama, psychologicalTypology
featuretheatrical distributionlongOriginal title
Běž, ať ti neutečeCzech title
Běž, ať ti neutečeEnglish title
Run or You Won’t Catch Him!Working title
Takový zvláštní případSummary
Director Stanislav Strnad’s film from 1976 is an exemplary tribute to the canons of “normalisation” cinematography. In this psychological drama he brought to life an unusual scenario by an unusual author – the Syndicate of the Czech Drama Artists (SČDU) secretary Arno Kraus. The story’s protagonist, Ivan Kabát, also has the proper credentials by the then contemporary requirements. He's a working-class director who, apart from handling workplace problems, successfully copes with trouble in his private life, namely his divorce. Marie Drahokoupilová plays the role of a self-centred, petit bourgeois woman with grace. Polish actress Grażyna Sahatqiu (nee Długołęcka), known for her work in Walerian Borowczyk’s erotic drama Dzieje grzechu (The Story of Sin, 1975), plays a supporting role in this well-cast film.
Synopsis
The police investigates the circumstances of death of Tereza Kabátová who was found in a crashed car. - František Kabát, director of Stavoprojekt, enjoys confidence of the workers, in addition, he comes from the workers family. He is also favoured by his secretary Eva Martincová. Voník, his deputy of economy, is an expert but in 1968 he got politically mixed up and thus he is not in the works fully trusted. Kabát's family base is not ideal. His engagement in work and his principles are a laughing stock for his wife Tereza and she transfers her aversion to husband to their son Ivan too. Also Eva gets in her family into trouble. Her husband, a famous actor, is not capable to confront the fact that in 1968 he did not conduct as an upright communist. Eva and their daughter Alena, aspiring at dramatic profession, try to help him. Alena realizes that despite different age she loves Kabát. Tereza becomes Voník's lover and plans to divorse František. Voník spreads in the works slander that Kabát is on terms of intimacy with Eva. Therefore Kabát decides to leave to the site out of the town. On way to the weekend-house Voník announces to Tereza that he was shifted from his function to the position of an accountant. In a violent quarrel their car crashes, Tereza dies and Voník runs away from the place of accident.-Investigation of Tereza's death is at the end, Voník awaits the trial. Depressed Kubát is parting but Alena is awaiting him patiently outside the building.
Note
The pretended antique play in the story was originally written for this film by Arno Kraus.
Photos
Cast
Zdeněk Hradilák
František Kabát, ředitel Stavoprojektu
Marie Drahokoupilová
Tereza, Kabátova žena
Radoslav Brzobohatý
ekonomický náměstek Jiří Voník
Martin Růžek
herec Emil Martinec
Karolina Slunéčková
sekretářka Eva, Martincova žena
Ivan Luťanský
student práv Ivan, syn Kabátových
Grażyna Sahatqiu
Voice by Jaroslava Brousková
Alena, dcera Martincových
Miroslav Zounar
technický náměstek Ing. Mirek Jírů
Adolf Filip
vyšetřovatel, nadporučík VB
Karel Houska
herec Rejnek
Jiří Kostka
Voice by Arnošt Faltýnek
strážný František Toufar
Pavel Spálený
Voice by Lubor Tokoš
vrátný Lojza
Ota Sklenčka
divadelní režisér
František Husák
montér Lorenc
Jana Švandová
Jarka, Ivanova spolužačka
Zlata Adamovská
Jitka, Ivanova spolužačka
Jana Gýrová
Růžena, Voníkova žena
Miloš Willig
Václav Houdek, předseda stranické organizace
Alena Hessová
sekretářka Pavla
Milan Jedlička
náčelník SNB
Mirko Musil
montér Bužina
Pavel Jiras
Kadlec
Ladislav Vičar
ekonom
Pavel Rubeš
Vrána
Petr Svojtka
mladý herec Garinthé
Eduard Pavlíček
herec
Zdeňka Tichá
herečka
Marie Wanková
Káťa
Jaroslava Červenková
spolužačka
Anna Doušová
spolužačka
Magdaléna Holendrová
spolužačka
Marcela Jelínková
spolužačka
Jana Viščaková
spolužačka
Vlasta Žehrová
spolužačka
Alena Jarošková
spolužačka
Martin Kolár
spolužák
Jiří Prager
spolužák
František Dominik Staněk
spolužák
Jaromír Štemberg
spolužák
Jiří Untermüller
spolužák
Martin Velda
spolužák
Karel Fořt
železničář
Miloslav Zapadlo
dubl za Radoslava Brzobohatého – auto-kaskadér
Dubbing
Lubor Tokoš
hlas vrchního číšníka ve vinárně
Crew and creators
Director
Second Unit Director
Assistant Director
Continuity
Screenstory
Screenplay
Dramaturg
Director of Photography
Camera Operator
Ivan Wurm, Bohumír Schwarzer
Production Designer
Assistent Production Designer
Set Designer
Karel Kočí, Jaroslav Česal, Richard Staněk
Costume Designer
Costumes
Make-Up Artist
Film Editor
Assistant Film Editor
Sound Designer
Production Manager
Unit Production Manager
Unit Production Manager
Marie Ryšlinková
Cooperation
Helena Matušková (klapka), Miloslav Mirvald (fotograf)
Music
Music Composed by
Music Performed by
FISYO (Music Conducted by Jan Hrábek)
Production info
Original Title
Běž, ať ti neuteče
Czech Title
Běž, ať ti neuteče
English Title
Run or You Won’t Catch Him!
Working Title
Takový zvláštní případ
Category
film
Typology
featuretheatrical distribution
Genre
drama, psychological
Origin country
Czechoslovakia
Copyright
1976
Production Year
1976
Production specifications
withdrawal from distribution 31 December 1986
Premiere
premiere 22 April 1977 /suitable for youths/
Production
Copyright Holders
Studio
Distribution
Creative Group
Dramaturgická skupina Miroslava Hladkého, Miroslav Hladký (vedoucí dramaturgické skupiny)
Technical info
Duration typology
feature film
Duration in minutes
77 min
Original length in metres
2 175 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
Festival: 10. mezinárodní filmový festival Moskva
1977
Moskva / Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
Vítěz
Festival: 15. festival českých a slovenských filmů Bratislava
1977
Bratislava / Czechoslovakia
