Those Wonderful Men with Crank / Those Wonderful Movie Cranks
Typology
featureCzech title
Báječní muži s klikouRuntime
84Country
CzechoslovakiaCopyright
1978Production year
1978Premiere
03.08.1979Language version
CzechDirector
Jiří MenzelSummary
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.
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
soubor kresleného divadla Františka Kratochvíla
mimové
František Kratochvíl
vedoucí mimů
Vladimír Cabalka
mim
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
muzikant
Jan Klaus
muzikant
Bohuslav Pok
muzikant
Eva Rohanová
muzikantka
Václav Veselý
muzikant
Soňa Holečková
tanečnice
Jindra Janoušková
tanečnice
Libuše Kosová
boxerka
Lenka Lajčíková
boxerka
Hana Pokorná
boxerka
Jitka Valinová
boxerka
Michaela Macasová
dívka
Jaroslava Kretschmerová
divačka
Pavel Vondruška
divák
Crew and creators
Director
Second Unit Director
Assistant Director
Dobroslav Zborník, Magda Vodičková
Screenstory
Screenplay
Shooting Script
Script Editor
Camera
Second Unit Photography
Camera Operator
Production Designer
Set Designer
Jiří Forst, Jaroslav Lehman, Ladislav Rada
Costume Designer
Costumes
Make-Up Artist
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
Národní technické muzeum v Praze, Jiří Kučera, Jitka Radová, Eva Horázná, Rimma Stejskalová, Michael Poledník
Music
Music Composed by
Music Performed by
Music Conducted by
František Belfín (FISYO)
Songs
V Praze vždy na jaře, Amálka je ráda
Singer
Vladimír Menšík (V Praze vždy na jaře), Vladimír Menšík (Amálka je ráda)
Production info
Original Title
Báječní muži s klikou
English Title
Those Wonderful Men with Crank / Those Wonderful Movie Cranks
Copyright
1978
Production Year
1978
Premiere
03.08.1979
Production
Copyright Holders
Distribution
Creative Group
Technical info
Versions
Czech
Awards
Vítěz
Festival: 1. mezinárodní festival komediálních filmů Vevey
1981
Vevey / Switzerland
Jaromíra Mílová
Vítěz
Festival: 1. mezinárodní filmový festival Houston
1979
Houston / United States of America