Those Wonderful Men with Crank / Those Wonderful Movie Cranks

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1978

Production year

1978

Premiere

3 August 1979

Runtime

84 min

Director

Jiří Menzel

Genre

historical, comedy

Typology

featurelong

Original title

Báječní muži s klikou

Czech title

Báječní muži s klikou

English title

Those Wonderful Men with Crank / Those Wonderful Movie Cranks

Summary

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.

Film online

Photos

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

Jiří Šust

Music Performed by

FISYO

Music Conducted by

František Belfín (FISYO)

Songs

V Praze vždy na jaře, Amálka je ráda

Songwriter

Jiří Šust (V Praze vždy na jaře), Jiří Šust (Amálka je ráda)

Writer of Lyrics

Jiří Šust (V Praze vždy na jaře), Jiří Šust (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

Typology

feature

Genre

historical, comedy

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1978

Production Year

1978

Premiere

3 August 1979

Production

Filmové studio Barrandov

Copyright Holders

Státní fond kinematografie

Distribution

Ústřední půjčovna filmů

Creative Group

Miloš Brož

Sales

Národní filmový archiv, Obchodní oddělení

Technical info

Lenght

long

Runtime

84 min

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

Those Wonderful Men with Crank / Those Wonderful Movie Cranks

Country

Copyright

Production year

Premiere

Runtime

Director

Category

Genre

Typology

Original title

Czech title

English title

Summary

Synopsis

Film online

Photos

Cast

Jana Eichlerová

Antonín Klepáč

Miloš Šustr

soubor kresleného divadla Františka Kratochvíla

František Kratochvíl

Petr Gotlieb

Jarmila Kotýnková

Jaromír Lurovský

Jan Šimek

Jiří Štibich

Eva Tůmová

Hana Tůmová

Renata Vatková

Ivana Vítová

Oldřich Unger

Jaromír Štemberg

Eva Svobodová (2)

Miloslav Průša

Karel Anderle

Antonín Češpivo

Petr Lebeda

Tomáš Olexa

František Plecháček

Milan Procházka

Tomáš Svoboda (2)

Stanislav Boguňa

Jan Klaus

Bohuslav Pok

Soňa Holečková

Jindra Janoušková

Lenka Lajčíková

Jitka Valinová

Michaela Macasová

Crew and creators

Director

Second Unit Director

Assistant Director

Screenstory

Screenplay

Shooting Script

Script Editor

Camera

Second Unit Photography

Camera Operator

Production Designer

Set Designer

Costume Designer

Costumes

Make-Up Artist

Film Editor

Sound Designer

Special Effects

Production Manager

Unit Production Manager

Unit Production Manager

Consultant

Cooperation

Music

Music Composed by

Music Performed by

Music Conducted by

Songs