Those Wonderful Men with Crank
Country
CzechoslovakiaCopyright
1978Production year
1978Premiere
3 August 1979Runtime
84 minDirector
Jiří MenzelCategory
filmGenre
historical, comedyTypology
featuretheatrical distributionlongOriginal title
Báječní muži s klikouCzech title
Báječní muži s klikouEnglish title
Those Wonderful Men with CrankEnglish parallel title
Those Wonderful Movie CranksSummary
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.
Synopsis
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.
Note
In order to achieve the specific color of the film, the original negative was chemically modified according to the instructions of the director of photography. Distribution copies were copied from an intermediate negative.
Film online
Photos
Cast
Rudolf Hrušínský
kouzelník Vilém Pasparte
Vladimír Menšík
kabaretiér Jára Šlapeta
Jiří Menzel
fotograf Jakub Kolenatý
Vlasta Fabianová
divadelní umělkyně Emilie Kolářová
Blažena Holišová
vdova Evženie Slavíková, Paspartova družka
Hana Burešová
Aloisie, Paspartova schovanka
Jaromíra Mílová
Pepička, Paspartova dcera
Josef Kemr
Benjamín Furore, otec Aloisie
Oldřich Vlček
Berousek, obchodník s filmy
Josef Somr
úředník
Vladimír Huber
sluha Hynek
Marie Rosůlková
dáma na oživlé fotografii
Jiřina Steimarová
babička
Ludvík Hradilek
mladík Frič
Miloslav Štibich
mechanik René Tuháček
Jana Eichlerová
Gábina
Jiří Forst
promítač Holoubek
Antonín Klepáč
opilec
Miloslav Horáček
opilec
Martin Hradilek
chlapec Josef
Vladimír Hrabánek
společník dámy na oživlé fotografii
Jiří Knot
černý myslivec
Miloš Šustr
farář
Jaroslava Kretschmerová
divačka
Pavel Vondruška
divák
soubor kresleného divadla Františka Kratochvíla
mimové
František Kratochvíl
vedoucí mimů
Petr Gotlieb
mim
Jarmila Kotýnková
mimka
Jaromír Lurovský
mim
Jan Šimek
mim
Jiří Štibich
mim
Eva Tůmová
mimka
Hana Tůmová
mimka
Renata Vatková
mimka
Ivana Vítová
mimka/tanečnice
skupina Riegel Baník Praha
skupina historického šermu
Vilém Lipský
majitel biografu
Oldřich Unger
majitel biografu
Jaroslav Vozáb
majitel biografu
Josef Střecha
penzista
Jaromír Štemberg
ženich
Eva Svobodová (2)
akrobatka
Miroslav Buberle
výrostek
Jiří Fajt
rozhodčí
Václav Kotva
zápasník
Stanislav Štícha
zápasník
Miroslav Krejča
poselstvo
Rudolf Kalina
poselstvo
Alois Vachek
poselstvo
Miloslav Průša
šermíř/novomanžel
Karel Anderle
šermíř/mládenec v Tyrolích
Antonín Češpivo
šermíř
Petr Lebeda
šermíř
Tomáš Olexa
šermíř
František Plecháček
šermíř
Milan Procházka
šermíř
Tomáš Svoboda (2)
šermíř
Josef Šolc
šermíř
Stanislav Boguňa
hudebník
Jan Klaus
hudebník
Bohuslav Pok
hudebník
Eva Rohanová
hudebnice
Václav Veselý
hudebník
Soňa Holečková
tanečnice
Jindra Janoušková
tanečnice
Libuše Kosová
boxerka
Lenka Lajčíková
boxerka
Hana Pokorná
boxerka
Jitka Valinová
boxerka
Michaela Macasová
dívka
Dubbing
Raoul Schránil
hlas dražitele filmů
Crew and creators
Director
Second Unit Director
Assistant Director
Dobroslav Zborník, Magda Vodičková
Screenstory
Screenplay
Shooting Script
Dramaturg
Director of Photography
Second Unit Photography
Camera Operator
Production Designer
Assistent Production Designer
Set Designer
Jiří Forst, Jaroslav Lehman, Ladislav Rada
Costume Designer
Costumes
Make-Up Artist
Film Editor
Assistant Film Editor
Sound Designer
Special Effects
Production Manager
Unit Production Manager
Unit Production Manager
Consultant
Jaroslav Bouček, Zdeněk Štábla, Jiří Janda (3), Ing. František Šebesta
Cooperation
Jitka Radová (klapka), Jiří Kučera (fotograf), Národní technické muzeum v Praze
Music
Music Composed by
Music Performed by
FISYO (Music Conducted by František Belfín)
Songs
V Praze vždy na jaře
Song Composer Jiří Šust
Writer of Lyrics Jiří Šust
Singer Vladimír Menšík
Amálka je ráda
Song Composer Jiří Šust
Writer of Lyrics Jiří Šust
Singer Vladimír Menšík
Production info
Original Title
Báječní muži s klikou
Czech Title
Báječní muži s klikou
English Title
Those Wonderful Men with Crank
English Parallel Title
Those Wonderful Movie Cranks
Category
film
Typology
featuretheatrical distribution
Genre
historical, comedy
Origin country
Czechoslovakia
Copyright
1978
Production Year
1978
Production specifications
literary Screenplay approved 20 December 1977
start of filming 10 February 1978
technical Screenplay approved 21 March 1978
end of filming 4 October 1978
projection approval 18 October 1978
withdrawal from distribution 1 July 1993
Premiere
premiere 3 August 1979 /suitable for youths/
Production
Copyright Holders
Distribution
Creative Group
Dramaturgická skupina Miloše Brože, Miloš Brož (vedoucí dramaturgické skupiny)
Technical info
Duration typology
feature film
Duration in minutes
84 min
Original length in metres
2 409 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: 1. mezinárodní festival komediálních filmů Vevey
1981
Vevey / Switzerland
Jaromíra Mílová
Vítěz
Event: Československá nominace na Cenu americké Akademie filmových věd a umění Oscar 1979
1979
Praha / Czechoslovakia
Vítěz
Festival: 1. mezinárodní filmový festival Houston
1979
Houston / United States of America
