A Wife for Three Men

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1979

Production year

1979

Premiere

11 January 1980

Runtime

88 min

Category

film

Genre

comedy

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Žena pro tři muže

Czech title

Žena pro tři muže

English title

A Wife for Three Men

Summary

Divorced sculptor and restorer Jiří Málek decides to kill himself following a painful relationship break-up. His brother Oldřich is stirred to find his brother an understanding woman to ease his heartache – and a new mother for Jiří’s son Martin. The result of Oldřich’s decision is an audition in which female candidates are assessed for various desirable qualities. Journalist Edita has no interest in the household or children; matron Irena is too energetic; and Pavla is just 16 years old. This light-hearted 1979 film was written and directed by Jaroslav Papoušek. Particularly prominent in this feature is the contemporary view of a female partner as being essentially the cheapest form of house help. Karel Heřmánek (Oldřich) and Ladislav Frej (Jiří) take the lead roles. Regina Rázlová (Irena), Jitka Molavcová (Edita) and Lenka Kořínková (Pavla) play three of the “auditioning” women.

Synopsis

A thief hiding in a sculptor's studio prevented its owner from committing suicide. A thirty five years old sculptor and restorer Málek, divorced father of a five-year old Martin, split up with his partner. When Martin comes home, accompanied by Jiří's brother Oldřich, a tenant in neighbouring studio, the hypersensitive suicide is being looked after by his neighbour Karas. A lonely retired major Karas takes care of their household. He made Jiří drunk to help him get over his depression, but is made to leave since Jiří intentionally offended him. Oldřich decides to find a sensitive wife, a good mother for Martin and a housewife for all of them. While Jiří is gone to the Kuks castle to restore baroque statues, Oldřich invites the candidates testing them in household chores. Edita, an editor, shows no interest in cooking and cleaning the apartment. She looks for "lost" Martin during the visit to Kuks, but on finding him, she slaps him out of anger. The head nurse Irena seems very competent and efficient. She makes Oldřich cook and clean, but has a very nice relationship with Martin. However, she is too energetic. Next one to be tested is Pavla, who enjoys sex with Oldřich but later she makes it clean that she is only sixteen. Oldřich shows her the door. The unhappy Karas makes it up with the brothers and looks after them again. Pavla comes back very unhappy, because she got fired from school, and being an orphan, she has nowhere to go. Eventually, they make a new family, where Karas appears to be the best wife for the three men.

Cast

Karel Heřmánek

dílenský mistr Oldřich Málek

Lenka Kořínková

učnice Pavla

Ladislav Frej

sochař Jiří Málek, Oldřichův bratr

Filip Venclík

Martin, sochařův syn

Ota Sklenčka

major v. v. Karas

Jitka Molavcová

rozhlasová redaktorka Edita Kropáčková

Regina Rázlová

vrchní sestra Irena

Milada Ježková

sousedka Karase

Jiří Wimmer

Adam, manžel Kateřiny

Vlastimil Venclík

Standa, Irenin bratranec

Karel Bělohradský

člen Brigády socialistické práce

Ladislav Bezpalec

člen brigády

Zdeněk Dušek

člen brigády

Karel Hovorka

člen brigády

Vladimír Navrátil

člen brigády

Miloslav Šindler

člen brigády

Crew and creators

Second Unit Director

Miloš Kohout

Assistant Director

Jaroslav Hrubeš

Shooting Script

Jaroslav Papoušek

Dramaturg

Miroslav Vaic

Director of Photography

Jiří Šámal

Second Unit Photography

Rudolf Holan

Camera Operator

Ivan Šimůnek

Production Designer

Aleš Voleman

Assistent Production Designer

Jaromír Švarc

Set Designer

Jiří Žák, Vladimír Ježek, Jiří Pavlásek, Ladislav Winkelhöfer

Costume Designer

Svatava Sophová

Film Editor

Jiří Brožek

Assistant Film Editor

Rimma Stejskalová

Production Manager

Jaroslav Solnička

Unit Production Manager

Ladislav Beneš, Milan Štěch

Unit Production Manager

Irena Sedláčková

Consultant

Josef Kadlčík, Oldřich Hejtmánek, Josef Antek

Cooperation

Miloš Schmiedberger (fotograf)

Music

Music Composed by

Karel Mareš

Music Performed by

skupina Ivo Pavlíka (Music Conducted by Ivo Pavlík)

Songs

Hej slnko vychodí

Song Composer Bartolomej Urbanec
Writer of Lyrics Ján Poničan
Singer sbor

Production info

Original Title

Žena pro tři muže

Czech Title

Žena pro tři muže

English Title

A Wife for Three Men

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

comedy

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1979

Production Year

1979

Production specifications

literary Screenplay approved 3 May 1978
start of filming 31 January 1979
technical Screenplay approved 21 February 1979
end of filming 11 July 1979
projection approval 30 July 1979

Premiere

premiere 11 January 1980 /unsuitable for youths/

Studio

Hostivař

Creative Group

Dramaturgická skupina Drahoslava Makovičky, Drahoslav Makovička (vedoucí dramaturgické skupiny)

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

88 min

Original length in metres

2 230 meters

Distribution carrier

16mm, 35mm

Aspect ratio

1:1,66

Colour

colour

Sound

sound

Sound system/format

mono

Versions

Czech

Dialogue languages

Czech

Subtitles languages

without subtitles

Opening/End credits languages

Czech