Does the Early Bird Catch the Worm

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1986

Production year

1985—1986

Premiere

1 March 1987

Runtime

85 min

Category

film

Genre

children, sci-fi

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Kam doskáče ranní ptáče

Czech title

Kam doskáče ranní ptáče

English title

Does the Early Bird Catch the Worm

Working title

To jsem nebyl já

Summary

This sci-fi comedy that toys with the idea of human cloning stands out among the children’s films made by Drahomíra Králová. The narrative of Kam doskáče ranní ptáče (Does the Early Bird Catch the Worm, 1986) has as its main protagonist 12 year-old Pavel, the clever though somewhat lazy and disobedient son of an assistant at a research institute. Pavel steals a piece of artificial tissue from the laboratory of his mum’s superior, the lecturer Trčka. During a night-time storm the tissue transforms into a clone of the boy. As the disposition of the clone is determined by the momentary mood of the organism, a kindly Pavel II and an unruly Pavel III are created. The fertile idea, unwittingly predating Harold Ramis’ similarly themed comedy Multiplicity (Jako vejce vejci, 1996), provided the script’s authors with an opportunity to stress the moral message of Pavel’s reformation. The director cast twins Pavel and Luboš Musil in the triple-lead role. The adult parts were played by Jiří Ornest (Trčka) and Lenka Termerová (Pavel’s mum), among others.

Synopsis

Lecturer Trčka from the Research Genetics and Biotransformation Institute shows journalists a revolutionary finding. It is possible under certain circumstances to clone a human being from living tissue. He "produces," in front of the amazed visitors, two new individuals from one chimpanzee. After the shock fades away, the new apes change again into gel substance. Trček's assistant, doctor Musilová, wakes her twelve year old son, Pavel, by phone. He is a smart boy, talented for technical things, but a bit of rascal. While he is sleeping, his mother gets answers - obedient sentences just from a tape-recorder. His friend, Mirek, is being tested in history and he is not doing well. Pavel's recording of the head master's voice from the school broadcasts recalls the teacher from the classroom. Three brats are bullying a new boy in the school yard. Pavel stands up for him, but the brats force the protector to pierce the new boy's ball. The caretaker, Mrázová, asks Mrs. Musilová if Pavel can repair her TV set. But he turns her TV picture upside down, because the caretaker always yaps at him at the stairs. Pavel is very interested in his mother's research. He sneaks into the institute and steals a piece of the uncommon substance. In his room he tries to bring it alive by electrodes, in vain. But during a night storm, an electric spark causes the substance to become alive as a double of Pavel. Pavel II. is a very truly cloned copy. Pavel sends him to school. Pavel II. helps the caretaker to clean up and he stands up for new children in the dining hall. The popular schoolmate, Lenka, admires him because of that. Another storm at the swimming pool creates Pavel III. - a very aggressive boy, who is going to fight with Čunderlík. The doubles re-educate the real Pavel. They force him to repair the TV set of Mrázová. When she gets paralysed and cannot walk, they take care of her. The doubles make a lot of confusion, but they help Pavel when he is attacked by a bunch of hooligans. The angry parents of the beaten hooligans call with their sons at the Musils. Pavel's mother does not understand anything and she introduces them to her only boy, who is quite tiny. She rejects having two more look-alike sons. Fathers and mothers of the three hooligans turn their anger against their cowardly sons. Pavel wants to show his mother his doubles, but just two heaps of gel remain. It is the end of the school year. The hooligan Čunderlík wants to steal a bunch of flowers from a new boy for his teacher. But Pavel does not let him.

Film online

Cast

Pavel Diviš

Pavel Musil

Luboš Diviš

Pavel II/Pavel III

Lenka Termerová

dr. Musilová, maminka Pavla

Jiří Ornest

docent Trčka

Blažena Holišová

domovnice Mrázová

Josef Somr

hlídač Mráz

Jana Smrčková

učitelka Jelínková

Miloslav Šimek

ředitel školy

Ladislav Županič

soused Brabec

Dana Hlaváčová

Voice by Jana Drbohlavová
Brabcova žena

Marek Eben

reportér

Jan Vávra

správce Domu mladých techniků Martinec

Jiří Šandera

chuligán Čundrlík

Martin Wimmer

chuligán Sedlák

Jiří Petr

chuligán Vrba

Dana Homolová

Vrbova matka

Karolína Jiříková

spolužačka Lenka

Roman Bednář

spolužák Mirek, syn Brabcových

Miroslav Lochman

spolužák Semerád

Martin Šenberger

Piskáček

Jan Cmíral

vrátný Vácha ve Výzkumném ústavu

Miroslav Laňka

zodpovědný činitel

Helena Lehká-Rejšková

Sedlákova matka

Renata Mašková

maminka s kočárkem

Tomáš Tintěra

vedoucí počítačového kroužku

Ladislav Lahoda

otec Čunderlík

Hana Vávrová

televizní hlasatelka

Marie Retková

televizní hlasatelka

Dáša Deylová

sousedka

Michal Vostřez

učitel ve sborovně

Daniel Siručka

Jaroslav Klenot

dubl za Ladislava Županiče

Crew and creators

Second Unit Director

Michal Vostřez

Assistant Director

Zdeněk Fiala

Shooting Script

Drahomíra Králová

Director of Photography

Jan Němeček

Second Unit Photography

Karel Hejsek

Camera Operator

František Kučera

Production Designer

Bohumil Nový

Assistent Production Designer

Ivan Balurov

Set Designer

Bohumil Kadlec, Miloš Sršeň, Milan Šebo

Costume Designer

Marta Kaplerová

Film Editor

Dalibor Lipský

Sound Designer

Adam Kajzar

Production Manager

Eliška Nejedlá

Unit Production Manager

Jana Koubová, Olga Zelenská

Unit Production Manager

Gabriela Kerekešová, Vláčil František ml.

Cooperation

Miloslav Mirvald (fotograf), Zdeněk Vávra (fotograf), Zuzana Čvančarová (klapka)

Music

Music Composed by

Jaroslav Uhlíř

Music Performed by

FISYO (Music Conducted by Stanislav Vaněk)

Songs

Tancuj, tancuj, vykrúcaj

Singer dětský sbor

Kočka leze oknem

Singer sbor

Production info

Original Title

Kam doskáče ranní ptáče

Czech Title

Kam doskáče ranní ptáče

English Title

Does the Early Bird Catch the Worm

Working Title

To jsem nebyl já

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

children, sci-fi

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1986

Production Year

1985—1986

Production specifications

literary Screenplay approved 4 July 1984
start of filming 8 July 1985
technical Screenplay approved 2 August 1985
end of filming 4 April 1986
projection approval 16 May 1986
withdrawal from distribution 31 March 1994

Premiere

premiere 1 March 1987 /suitable for youths/

Creative Group

4. dramaturgicko-výrobní skupina, Marcela Pittermannová (vedoucí 4. dramaturgicko-výrobní skupiny)

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

85 min

Original length in metres

2 428 meters

Distribution carrier

16mm, 35mm

Aspect ratio

1:1,37

Colour

colour

Sound

sound

Sound system/format

mono

Versions

Czech

Dialogue languages

Czech

Subtitles languages

without subtitles

Opening/End credits languages

Czech

Awards

Vítěz

Exhibition: 4. berlínské dětské filmové dny Západní Berlín

1988
Západní Berlín / Federal Republic of Germany

Vítěz

Festival: 9. mezinárodní festival filmů pro děti a mládež Tomar

1988
Tomar / Portugal

Vítěz

Event: Prémie Českého literárního fondu

1988
Praha / Czechoslovakia
Miloš Cajthaml

Vítěz

Festival: 27. festival filmů pro děti Gottwaldov

1987
Zlín / Czechoslovakia

Vítěz

Festival: 2. mezinárodní festival dětských filmů Alençon

1987
Alençon / France

Vítěz

Festival: Pionýrský filmový festival Praha

1987
Praha / Czechoslovakia

Vítěz

Festival: 5. mezinárodní festival dětských filmů Essen

1987
Essen / Federal Republic of Germany

Vítěz

Exhibition: 18. národní přehlídka filmů pro děti Ostrov nad Ohří

1986
Ostrov nad Ohří / Czechoslovakia

Vítěz

Exhibition: 18. národní přehlídka filmů pro děti Ostrov nad Ohří

1986
Ostrov nad Ohří / Czechoslovakia