Every Girl Loves a Soldier

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1987

Production year

1987

Premiere

1 July 1988

Runtime

85 min

Director

Petr Tuček

Category

film

Genre

comedy

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Copak je to za vojáka...

Czech title

Copak je to za vojáka...

English title

Every Girl Loves a Soldier

Summary

Jiří Langmajer largely started off as a television actor. One of the first of his film screen characters to catch the public's attention was that of main character Lance Corporal Milan Kouba, who featured in this army comedy by director Petr Tuček. Langmajer’s handsome army scout Kouba is a skirt-chaser and a dandy – and it is not surprising that he is a thorn in the side of his dutiful, formal boss Captain Tůma (Karel Roden). Everything, however, changes when Kouba, during an exacting exercise in the field, shows the qualities of a genuine soldier... This is a playful story about the transformation of an unreliable youth into a real man. Released in 1987, it was supposed to improve the public’s image of compulsory military service. The film met the state’s contemporary demand for a current issue of debate and on top of that offered viewers undemanding, relaxing entertainment.

Synopsis

A company of scuting men undergoes a strenuous drill. The soldiers are assigned to get food in a military area thirty kilometres from the barracks. That means catching the hens, which were dropped there on the orders of captain Tůma. They cannot get caught and must return to the barracks by a determined time. Major Průcha bets with Tůma that they will fail. The soldiers use various means to achieve the set goal. Honza changes into civilian clothes and jumps onto a goods train. Šlapetka passes through the checkpoint hidden among some transported pigs. Trůneček seizes a police patrol car. Milan helps a wounded boy when he gets behind the wheel of a butcher's truck. The driver reports the theft of the truck. Milan puts on his working clothes and finds a wad of five-hundred crown banknotes. Then he changes his means of transport, but is caught by the conductor on the train because he does not have a ticket. A pretty passenger, Vlasta, pays for him and in return Milan invites her and her friend for a juice. Then he deceives his schoolmate and reports to Průcha in time. Tůma is satisfied although not everybody fulfilled the task. The next day, Milan is charged with the car theft but he manages to prove that the driver sold the meat on the side. During the next drill, Milan's sentry is dropped from a helicopter and discovers two girls – Vlasta and Lenka – bathing in the river. Milan reports to Tůma that two girls stayed in the military area where they may be endangered by the planned shooting. But the scouts do not find anybody and no one trusts Milan. Milan escapes across a chainlink fence and meets Vlasta at a swimming pool. He finds out that the girl is the sister of his superior. Milan ends up confined in the clink for a few days. He thinks that Tůma set a bait for him, and thus refuses to accept Vlasta's letters. But the girl waits for him and invites him to her place. Milan hides from Tůma on the balcony, but he is discovered there by the neighbour Průcha. Soon, a wedding is celebrated.

Cast

Jiří Langmajer

svobodník Milan Kouba

Karel Roden

kapitán Tůma

Pavel Hejlík

vojín Jiří Šlapetka

Tomáš Valík

vojín František Jirsa

Václav Čížkovský

vojín Štěpán Tekely zvaný Šány

Ivo Helikar

četař Honza Dostál

Tomáš Karger

vojín Trůneček

Veronika Gajerová

Vlasta, Tůmova sestra

Vítězslav Jandák

major Průcha, velitel praporu

Bronislav Poloczek

kapitán, náčelník VB

Miriam Hynková

babička Evy

Ivana Vavrová

stopařka Avie

Oldřich Velen

předseda MNV

Jan Pohan

velitel milice

Jan Skopeček

lesní dělník

Mirko Musil

průvodčí

Václav Vydra

rotný VB Josef

Michal Kocourek

vojín Kořínek

Tomáš Vacek

vojín Franc, Koubův spolužák

Jan Kraus

poručík poddůstojnické školy

Jiří Hromada

poručík poddůstojnické školy

Jiří Sequens ml.

poručík poddůstojnické školy

Jan Kuželka

řidič Avie

Vlasta Peterková

maminka chlapce

Marcel Rošetzký

strážmistr VB

Ivan Remta

podpraporčík Janda, výkonný praporčík roty

Vladimír Pospíšil

milicionář na poli

Petr Charvát

zraněný chlapec

Jiří Forst

tatínek zraněného chlapce

Svatuše Pacasová

Eva

Jaroslav Horák

starší příslušník VB Kalousek

Jiří Kalužný

závodčí tankového praporu

Jana Sedlmajerová

Milanova matka

Milan Charvát

milicionář u posedu

Miroslav Hanuš

řidič kapitána Tůmy

Daniel Landa

desátník

Miloš Bílý

velitel závodní stráže jatek

Jindřich Hrdý

příslušník VB u posedu

Miroslav Grác

chlápek z hospody

Petr Melíšek

dozorčí roty

Tomáš Wolf

dozorčí roty

Zdeněk Mahdal

pomocník dozorčího roty

Karel Jaroš

závodní stráž

Petr Jákl

řezník

Roman Fišer

traktorista

Taneční skupina mažoretek Městského dechového orchestru Cheb

mažoretky

Crew and creators

Director

Petr Tuček

Second Unit Director

Milan Cieslar

Assistant Director

Jiří Purchart, Jitka Lendrová

Continuity

Irena Klausová

Screenstory

Pavel Hajný

Shooting Script

Petr Tuček

Director of Photography

Josef Pávek

Second Unit Photography

Václav Zajíček

Camera Operator

František Kučera

Production Designer

Ludvík Široký

Assistent Production Designer

Jaroslav Řeřicha

Set Designer

Jiří Forst, Milan Šilha, Karel Plaňanský

Costume Designer

Ivana Šislerová

Sound Designer

Karel Jaroš

Production Manager

Jiří Zika

Unit Production Manager

Ivo Pitrák, Olga Zelenská

Unit Production Manager

Karel Vávra, Jan Boček (spojka)

Consultant

mjr. Ing. Jaroslav Arnošt

Cooperation

Lenka Křivánková (klapka), Michal Fairaizl (fotograf), Václav Malát, Milan Matějka, příslušníci Čs. lidové armády

Music

Music Composed by

Petr Hapka

Music Performed by

FISYO (Music Conducted by Mario Klemens)

Songs

Černý muž /John Brown/

Song Composer lidová americká píseň
Writer of Lyrics Ivo Fischer
Singer sbor

Production info

Original Title

Copak je to za vojáka...

Czech Title

Copak je to za vojáka...

English Title

Every Girl Loves a Soldier

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

comedy

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1987

Production Year

1987

Production specifications

literary Screenplay approved 17 June 1986
technical Screenplay approved 20 March 1987
start of filming 5 May 1987
end of filming 12 July 1987
the first film copy approved 21 October 1987
withdrawal from distribution 30 June 1995

Premiere

premiere 1 July 1988 /suitable for youths/

Creative Group

2. dramaturgicko-výrobní skupina, Josef Císař (vedoucí 2. dramaturgicko-výrobní skupiny)

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

85 min

Original length in metres

2 430 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

Festival: 39. filmový festival pracujících – léto ´88

1988
80 měst / Czechoslovakia

Vítěz

Event: Výroční cena Víta Nejedlého za rok 1988

1988
Praha / Czechoslovakia

Vítěz

Festival: 10. festival české a slovenské filmové veselohry Nové Město nad Metují

1988
Nové Město nad Metují / Czechoslovakia
Petr Tuček