For film audiences, movies devoted to the pioneers of cinema have a nostalgic charm – and Jiří Menzel’s picture is no exception. Shot for the 80th anniversary of the establishment of Czech cinema, this movie is based on the lives of real historical figures whose identities were concealed by new names, which still made it easy to guess who they were. The owner of Prague’s first permanent cinema, Viktor Ponrepo, is called Vilém Pasparte in Báječní muži s klikou (Those Wonderful Men with Crank), the film pioneer Jan Kříženecký had his name changed to Jakub Kolenatý, and the cabaret artist and first Czech film actor Josef Šváb-Malostranský became Jára Šlapeta. Other characters in this whimsical comedy about the beginnings of film in the Czech lands also have real prototypes, as do the films made by the fictional heroes of Those Wonderful Men with Crank. Although Jiří Menzel used his knowledge of archive materials and historical facts in his eighth film, he and fellow screenwriter Oldřich Vlček did not adhere too closely to real life. Consequently, the filmmakers not only offer a vivid and informed insight into history, but also provide an entertaining spectacle conceived as retro-nostalgia. The cinematographer Jaromír Šofr and composer Jiří Šust made an important contribution to the film’s alluring atmosphere. Menzel made use of a playful and poetic narrative approach, which provided him with a safe and crowd-pleasing setting during the difficult “normalisation” era of Soviet entrenchment that followed the Warsaw Pact invasion. The director entrusted the lead role in this joyful tribute to the difficult craft of filmmaking to Rudolf Hrušínský, who had already been a perceptive collaborator in the nostalgic tragicomedy Rozmarné léto (Capricious Summer, 1967). While the role of the mercurial comedian Šlapeta was played by Vladimír Menšík, Menzel symbolically reserved the part of the first Czech director for himself. The co-screenwriter Oldřich Vlček appears in this timeless film in a smaller role as Berousek.
Returning home to Prague, the magician Pasparte, an owner of a circus caravan, a projector, and a father of Pepička, meets his dying colleague who entrusts his beautiful daughter Aloisie to his care. In Prague they all take up their lodgings at the house At Blue Fish in which they intend to arrange the programmes. The firm is owned by widow Evženie with whom Pasparte shares flat and bed. Evženie is jealous of Aloisie therefore Pasparte sends Aloisie as a housewife to the single man Jakub Kolenatý who earns his living by photographing and wants to record the revived pictures of Prague. Pasparte wants to found in Prague the first permanent Czech movie theatre in which there would be projected also the original Czech films. Therefore he applies for licence and joins Jakub who enables him to shoot the documentary record of famous actress Emilie Kolářová-Mladá. Emilie does not like the cinematograph and after she finds out that secretly her performance was filmed she destroys in anger the scanned material. The expectations of the men with crank are lost and Pasparte prepares, to his daughter's delight, to leave Prague. But closely to the departure he gets the licence and this is what decides. He marries Evženie to get money for the movie theatre and becomes a respected owner of the first permanent movie theatre. Aloisie returns to Jakub and they love one another. When Emilie learns about success of film roles of famous Sarah Bernhardt she is desirous to offer her services to cinematography.
kouzelník Vilém Pasparte
kabaretiér Jára Šlapeta
fotograf Jakub Kolenatý
divadelní umělkyně Emilie Kolářová
vdova Evženie Slavíková, Paspartova družka
Aloisie, Paspartova schovanka
Pepička, Paspartova dcera
Benjamín Furore, otec Aloisie
Berousek, obchodník s filmy
úředník
sluha Hynek
dáma na oživlé fotografii
babička
mladík Frič
mechanik René Tuháček
Gábina
promítač Holoubek
opilec
opilec
chlapec Josef
společník dámy na oživlé fotografii
černý myslivec
farář
divačka
divák
mimové
vedoucí mimů
mim
mim
mimka
mim
mim
mim
mimka
mimka
mimka
mimka/tanečnice
skupina historického šermu
majitel biografu
majitel biografu
majitel biografu
penzista
ženich
akrobatka
výrostek
rozhodčí
zápasník
zápasník
poselstvo
poselstvo
poselstvo
šermíř/novomanžel
šermíř/mládenec v Tyrolích
šermíř
šermíř
šermíř
šermíř
šermíř
šermíř
šermíř
muzikant
muzikant
muzikant
muzikantka
muzikant
tanečnice
tanečnice
boxerka
boxerka
boxerka
boxerka
dívka
Dobroslav Zborník, Magda Vodičková
Jiří Forst, Jaroslav Lehman, Ladislav Rada
Jaroslav Bouček, Zdeněk Štábla, Jiří Janda (3), Ing. František Šebesta
Národní technické muzeum v Praze, Jiří Kučera, Jitka Radová, Eva Horázná, Rimma Stejskalová, Michael Poledník
František Belfín (FISYO)
V Praze vždy na jaře, Amálka je ráda
Vladimír Menšík (V Praze vždy na jaře), Vladimír Menšík (Amálka je ráda)
Báječní muži s klikou
Those Wonderful Men with Crank / Those Wonderful Movie Cranks
film
feature
historical, comedy
Czechoslovakia
1978
1978
3 August 1979
long
84 min
Czech
Festival: 1. mezinárodní festival komediálních filmů Vevey
1981
Vevey / Switzerland
Jaromíra Mílová
Festival: 1. mezinárodní filmový festival Houston
1979
Houston / United States of America