For 1980s Czech filmmakers, the era of the First Republic became a fictional arena within which official contemporary ideology was reinforced via stories critical of the capitalistic system. Yet it was also an era that provided some opportunities for nostalgia and spectacle. This 1980 film from Jaroslav Balík is a loose adaptation of the Václav Řezáč novel Černé světlo (Black Light). The protagonist is ambitious young man Karel Kubát, who after unfairly being expelled from a Baťa footwear company vocational school, instead starts a career in a musical publishing firm operated by his Prague-based uncle. Kuba begins to use Baťa’s slogans about hard work and remorseless self-furtherance against his contemporaries. Even his uncle’s daughter Bobina becomes just another tool for his pursuit of money and power. Vladislav Beneš – usually a supporting actor during the 1970s and 80s – takes the lead role in this film. Bobina is portrayed by Lucie Žulová.
Year 1934. Karel, a student of Baťa's vocational school in Zlín, is expelled from the school. Somebody turned him in that he had attended a lecture about the Soviet Union. Karel was just looking there for his friend, the pianist Munzar, but he protests in vain. He goes to Prague where his only relative, a rich music publisher Kubát employs him in his shop as an assistant without any salary. Karel does not take a miss from his uncle, he is ambitious and follows Baťa's motto about hard work and a ruthless way to success. The old accountant Mrázek gives him always good piece of advice. The Kubát's only daughter Bobina visits Karel in the attic, in the smallest room of the gorgeous villa but she laughs to his courting. Karel introduces his uncle's family to Munzar and Kubát decides to publish his music. The moody and pampered Bobina falls in love with the handsome poor composer. Kubát published his music, but due to promotion reasons under a more famous name. Munzar refuses an offer from the publisher to give a concert in the Nazi Berlin. The lovers break up. Karel wants to use the chance, but his plan to marry Bobina is strongly opposed by his aunt. Karel will take a revenge. He shows to the sordid uncle a receipt for a contribution to a solidarity fund to which his aunt - formerly a poor shop assistant contributes through Mrázek. The publisher sacks his long-time employee coldly and Mrázek commits suicide. Left oriented newspapers criticize it and Karel is sacked too to avoid any scandal. But the uncle has another offer for this reliable man. Karel shall get an important position in a printing house that Kubát has just bought.
Karel Kubát
nakladatel Otakar Kubát, Karlův strýc
Kubátová, strýcova žena
Bobina, Karlova sestřenice
kadeřnice Dáša Šustrová
klavírista František Munzar
hudebník Lojza Šustr, otec Dáši
účetní Josef Mrázek
cvičitel
vedoucí osobního oddělení
Věra, Karlova dívka
Béda
redaktor Kapler
konferenciérka
Tonda
mladík
dr. Jonáš
Mareš
Jiřina
služebná Bára
zpěvačka
členka pěveckého tria
členka pěveckého tria
členka pěveckého tria
svalovec
svalovec
prodavač losů
Jarda
dílovedoucí
polykač skla
zákaznice
číšník
elév
tanečnice
tanečnice
tanečnice
tanečnice
tanečnice
tanečnice
tanečnice
tanečnice
tanečnice
tanečnice
tanečnice
tanečnice
tanečnice
tanečnice
tanečnice
tanečnice
tanečnice
dáma
dáma
členka dívčí kapely
členka dívčí kapely
členka dívčí kapely
členka dívčí kapely
členka dívčí kapely
dirigent
hudebník studiového orchestru
hudebník studiového orchestru
hudebník studiového orchestru
hudebník studiového orchestru
hudebnice studiového orchestru
dirigent barového orchestru
hudebník v baru
hudebník v baru
barový houslista
tanečník v baru
tanečnice v baru
hudebník
hudebník
hudebník
hudebník
hudebník
hudebnice
hudebník
hudebník
hudebník
hudebník
hudebnice
hudebník
hudebník
hudebník
hudebník
hudebník
hudebník
hudebník
hudebník
hudebník
hudebník
hudebník
hudebník
hudebník
hudebník
hudebník
hudebník
hudebník
hudebník
hudebník
hudebník
konferenciér
boxer
boxer
boxer
boxer
svalovec
svalovec
svalovec
svalovec
Václav Řezáč (Černé světlo – román)
J. Dušek, Ivan Ernyei, Jan Petrů
Věra Lukášová, Petr Prejda, Eliška Sekavová
Zora Winkelhöferová (klapka), Jiří Kučera (fotograf), Jan Sládek
Jaroslav Ježek (Bugatti step)
Studiový orchestr (Music Conducted by Jan Hrábek)
Song Composer Karel Mareš
Writer of Lyrics Pavel Kopta
Singer Marcela FamfulováAlena FehrerováJitka Jesenská
Song Composer Josef Stelibský
Writer of Lyrics Jaroslav MottlKarel Melíšek
Singer Setleři
Song Composer Karel Mareš
Writer of Lyrics Pavel Kopta
Singer Jana Koubková
Song Composer Friedrich Raimund Vesely
Writer of Lyrics Ruda Jurist
Singer Karel Krasnický
Song Composer Vladimír Eddy Fořt
Writer of Lyrics Vladimír Eddy Fořt
Singer Lubomír Kostelka
Song Composer Jaroslav Ježek
Song Composer Bedřich Nikodem
Writer of Lyrics Karel Růžička
Singer Jana KoubkováMarcela FamfulováAlena FehrerováJitka Jesenská
Song Composer Josef Stelibský
Writer of Lyrics Jaroslav MottlKarel Melíšek
Singer Lucie Žulová
Song Composer Roman Blahník
Writer of Lyrics Karel Hrnčíř
Singer Lubomír Kostelka
Song Composer Johann Gottfried Piefke
Rytmus 1934
Rytmus 1934
1934 Rhythm
Černé světlo
film
featuretheatrical distribution
drama, psychological
Czechoslovakia
1980
1979—1980
literary Screenplay approved 31 March 1979
start of filming 1 October 1979
technical Screenplay approved 2 January 1980
end of filming 4 July 1980
projection approval 21 July 1980
withdrawal from distribution 31 December 1986
premiere 28 November 1980 /unsuitable for youths/
Dramaturgická skupina Miloše Brože, Miloš Brož (vedoucí dramaturgické skupiny)
feature film
92 min
2 629 meters
16mm, 35mm
1:1,37
colour
sound
mono
Czech
Czech
without subtitles
Czech
Festival: 19. festival českých a slovenských filmů Kladno
1981
Kladno / Czechoslovakia