The Duck Trap
Country
CzechoslovakiaCopyright
1978Production year
1977—1978Premiere
29 December 1978Runtime
82 minDirector
Karel KovářCategory
filmGenre
drama, crimeTypology
featuretheatrical distributionlongOriginal title
Past na kachnuCzech title
Past na kachnuEnglish title
The Duck TrapWorking title
V pátém voze jede vrahSummary
Cameraman František Uldrich put across his refined visual sense for atmosphere during his collaboration with František Vláčil. However, he also influenced the form of a series of genre films. Among them is this 1978 crime drama directed by Karel Kovář. Uldrich also worked with this director, who made only two feature films, on the comedy Tím pádem (That’s Why, 1979). In Past na kachnu (The Duck Trap), a police investigation following the murder of an Austrian tourist takes place in the dreary, cheerless time of “normalisation” in Prague. Milan Sandhaus performs the role of Major Mlynář, who is investigating the case, a nasty affair revolving around gambling clubs and heroin smuggling. The actor playing the part of the shuffling taxi driver Koukal, who ceases to be of use to his accomplice, is Miroslav Macháček (who excels). The solid cast is further strengthened by Petr Čepek in the role of the pump man Richter.
Synopsis
Taxi driver Koukal is stopped by the police for a routine traffic check. In the boot of his car the police find the body of a naked man. Koukal is arrested even though he claims he knows nothing about it. The case is assigned to Major Mlynář. The police identify the corpse as that of an Austrian citizen called Mitrik. Koukal has been regularly driving people interested in gambling to a secret gaming den. The police are put onto the gambling den by another taxi driver, Kvěch, who admits that he drove Mitrik there. Mlynář and officer cadet Pecka feign interest in gambling and visit the gaming den incognito. After he is released from custody Koukal is murdered. Kvěch, the taxi driver Písecký and the waitress Záveská all find themselves on the suspect list. At the same time the Turk Oglu is arrrested on the frontier for smuggling heroin. The police find that he had a connection with Mitrik. Richter, who runs the gaming den, confesses that he found the Mitrik's corpse close to the gaming den and stuffed it into Kouka's boot for fear of a scandal. The police deduce that the murderer must speak German and that he knew Oglu. Oglu arranges a rendezvous with the murderer but it is Major Mlynář, who goes to the meeting. After an exciting chase the double murderer is caught. It is Kvěch. He killed Mitrik for money and drugs, and Koukal out of fear that his avaricious colleague would betray him.
Film online
Photos
Cast
Milan Sandhaus
kriminalista major Mlynář
Jiří Kodet
kriminalista poručík Muclinger
Ivan Vyskočil
kriminalista praporčík Pecka
Miroslav Macháček
taxikář Karel Koukal zvaný Hary
Jana Andresíková
servírka Renáta Záveská
František Němec
policejní lékař MUDr. Mlynář, majorův syn
Petr Čepek
pumpař Ladan Richter
Bronislav Poloczek
zelinář Ivo Richter
Jiří Němeček
vrchní číšník Jonáš
Jiří Zahajský
taxikář František Kvěch
Jan Teplý
taxikář Jaroslav Písecký
Jaroslav Kohák
karbaník Tóny Větvička
Karel Hovorka
číšník
Josef Šebek
kriminalista Štádler
Antonín Brtoun
Ing. Kulich
Martha Elefteriadu
zpěvačka ve studiu
Jiřina Krejčíková
sekretářka Jiřina Motejlová
Jiří D. Novotný
televizní produkční
Jiří Adamec
televizní režisér
Milada Ježková
výčepní Richterová
Jaroslav Mareš
karbaník
Miloslav Štibich
karbaník
V. Krasser
karbaník
Jaroslav Tomsa
Voice by Lubor Tokoš
karbaník/příslušník VB
Miloslav Homola
Weinsturf, zákazník Záveské
Bohumil Koška
vedoucí restaurace U labutí
Petr Kopřiva
barman v denním baru
Josef Brozman
Hůzl
Jan Cmíral
Voice by Jindřich Narenta
německý zákazník
Jan Řeřicha
mechanik Josef
Miroslav Sedlák
Turek Mohmadir Oglu
Josef Střecha
starší muž
Alois Vachek
muž se psem
Bohumil Vávra
starší vrchní číšník
Karel Engel
příslušník VB v civilu
Josef Hrubý
příslušník VB v civilu
Miroslav Jíra
příslušník VB v civilu
Jaroslav Klenot
příslušník VB v civilu
Jiří Klenot
příslušník VB v civilu
Zbyněk Krákora
příslušník VB v civilu
Jindřich Sejk
příslušník VB v civilu
Oldřich Semerák
příslušník VB v civilu
Karel Vítek
příslušník VB v civilu
František Jákl
příslušník VB
Petr Jákl
příslušník VB
Crew and creators
Director
Second Unit Director
Assistant Director
Continuity
Screenstory
Screenplay
Shooting Script
Dramaturg
Director of Photography
Second Unit Photography
Camera Operator
Production Designer
Assistent Production Designer
Set Designer
Ivo Černý, Miloš Osvald, Miroslav Matuška, Jiří Rulík
Costume Designer
Costumes
Make-Up Artist
Film Editor
Assistant Film Editor
Sound Designer
Production Manager
Unit Production Manager
Přemysl Pražský, Věra Winkelhöferová
Unit Production Manager
Ladislav Hanousek
Consultant
mjr. Miloslav Misauer
Cooperation
Nevjana Raduilská (klapka), Jan Kuděla (fotograf)
Music
Music Composed by
Music Performed by
Jazz Q a hosté (Music Conducted by Martin Kratochvíl)
Songs
Horizont
Song Composer Martin Kratochvíl
Writer of Lyrics Oskar Petr
Singer Martha Elefteriadu
Production info
Original Title
Past na kachnu
Czech Title
Past na kachnu
English Title
The Duck Trap
Working Title
V pátém voze jede vrah
Category
film
Typology
featuretheatrical distribution
Genre
drama, crime
Origin country
Czechoslovakia
Copyright
1978
Production Year
1977—1978
Production specifications
literary Screenplay approved 19 August 1977
start of filming 10 October 1977
technical Screenplay approved 10 November 1977
end of filming 18 April 1978
projection approval 10 May 1978
withdrawal from distribution 31 December 1986
Premiere
premiere 29 December 1978 /suitable for youths/
Production
Copyright Holders
Studio
Distribution
Creative Group
Dramaturgická skupina Vladimíra Kaliny, Vladimír Kalina (vedoucí dramaturgické skupiny)
Technical info
Duration typology
feature film
Duration in minutes
82 min
Original length in metres
2 372 meters
Distribution carrier
16mm, 35mm
Aspect ratio
1:1,66
Colour
colour
Sound
sound
Sound system/format
mono
Versions
Czech
Dialogue languages
Czech, German
Subtitles languages
without subtitles
Opening/End credits languages
Czech
Awards
Vítěz
Festival: 17. festival českých a slovenských filmů Hradec Králové
1979
Hradec Králové / Czechoslovakia
František Uldrich
Vítěz
Festival: 17. festival českých a slovenských filmů Hradec Králové
1979
Hradec Králové / Czechoslovakia
Karel Kovář
