School Is the Foundation of Life

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1938

Production year

1938

Premiere

11 November 1938

Runtime

81 min

Director

Martin Frič

Category

film

Genre

comedy

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Škola základ života

Czech title

Škola základ života

English title

School Is the Foundation of Life

Protectorate parallel title

Die Schule, Grundstein des Lebens

Summary

Together with Journey into the Cesta do hlubin študákovy duše (Journey into the Depth of the Student's Soul, 1939), this comedy from the proven director Martin Frič is one of two ageless films that still win over audiences thanks to their intelligent humour. In a story inspired by the humourist Jaroslav Žák’s musical comedy and sketches of the same name, gymnasts get into trouble because of their humorous class magazine Řev septimy (The Roar of the Seventh). If the author of a text ridiculing the teaching staff does not own up, the seventh-year students face being banned from participating in an eagerly anticipated high-school sports tournament. The students, however, have no idea who wrote the scathingly ironic article... Perfect casting also contributed to this film’s popularity and it does not matter that Ladislav Pešek, who played the student Čuřil, was 32 when the film was made František Filipovský (who played the swot Krhounek) was just a year younger.

Synopsis

Seventh form pupils at a grammar school in Přívlaky are preparing for a secondary school sports competition. Class creep Krhounek gives the class teacher Lejsal a copy of the seventh form's magazine Roar. Of all the teachers, only two are able to laugh at the humourous descriptions of them - the young teacher Bartoš and the old and wise teacher Gábrlík. The others insist on severe punishing the culprit. The author does not own up and consequently the whole class is punished by being banned from taking part in the schools competition. The most gifted pupil, Benetka, rather sharply criticises the school in a homework essay on a subject of his choice. The strict Czech language teacher is convinced Benetka is the author of the school magazine. Benetka denies the charge but his expulsion from school is proposed anyway on account the views he expounded in his essay. Bartoš the teacher calls on the author of the school magazine to come forward, and Boukal, top of the class, admits to writing it. The pupils are now allowed to take part in the contest and thanks to Benetka they win. In the meantime however the teachers vote to expell him. Though poor, Benetka is able to complete his education at another school because the necessary money is given to him by Koďousek, a teacher who wants to make up for having also voted for his expulsion.

Film online

Cast

Theodor Pištěk

ředitel reálného gymnázia

Marta Májová

Anna, manželka ředitele gymnázia

František Kreuzmann

profesor latiny Lejsal, třídní septimy

Milada Smolíková

Lejsalová, manželka latináře

František Smolík

profesor přírodopisu Gábrlík

Ladislav Boháč

profesor francouzštiny Bartoš

Jaroslav Marvan

profesor češtiny Kolísko

Václav Trégl

profesor matematiky Ludvík Koďousek

Karel Postranecký

profesor dějepisu Mykiska

Čeněk Šlégl

profesor tělocviku Lusk

Marie Burešová

suplující profesorka Božena Lachoutová

Lola Skrbková

profesorka přírodopisu Suchánková

Gustav Hilmar

školník Mleziva

Jaroslav Průcha

nezaměstnaný dělník Jindřich Benetka

Antonín Novotný

septimán Jindra Benetka

Karel Jičínský

továrník Krhounek

František Filipovský

septimán Ludvík Krhounek

Miloš Šubrt

kantýnský Hájek

Věra Gabrielová

septimánka Máňa Hájková

Ladislav Pešek

septimán Áda Čuřil

R. A. Strejka

septimán Tonda Holous

Zorka Janů

septimánka Jiřina Nováková

Zdeňka Baldová

matka kvintána Živného

Antonín Padrlík

septimán

Jarmila Holmová

septimánka

Josef Kemr

tercián Vávra

Václav Piskáček

otec terciána Vávry

Marie Pilská

matka sekundána

František Roland

zemský školní inspektor Randa

Marie Přikrylová

matka studenta Řeháka

František Šimon

reportér přeborů

Jaroslav Palát

septimán Boukal

Dubbing

Martin Frič

hlas z rozhlasu

Crew and creators

Director

Martin Frič

Based on

Jaroslav Žák (Škola základ života – kniha), Jaroslav Žák (Škola základ života – divadelní hra)

Director of Photography

Jan Stallich

Camera Operator

Jaromír Holpuch

Production Designer

Štěpán Kopecký

Set Designer

Arnold Reimann

Film Editor

Jan Kohout

Sound Designer

Vilém Taraba

Production Manager

Antonín Procházka

Cooperation

Willy Ströminger (fotograf)

Music

Music Composed by

Julius Kalaš

Music Performed by

Orchestr F.O.K. (Music Conducted by Julius Kalaš)

Songs

Maminko, mámo

Song Composer Jaroslav Mottl
Writer of Lyrics Jaroslav Mottl
Singer Ladislav Pešek

Production info

Original Title

Škola základ života

Czech Title

Škola základ života

English Title

School Is the Foundation of Life

Protectorate Parallel Title

Die Schule, Grundstein des Lebens

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

comedy

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1938

Production Year

1938

Production specifications

start of filming 18 August 1938
end of filming 3 September 1938
date of censorship 11/1938
date of censorship 03/1940
withdrawal from distribution 03/1945
withdrawal from distribution 15 October 1993

Premiere

premiere 11 November 1938 /suitable for youths/ (kina Adrie /4 týdny/ a Juliš /4 týdny/, Praha)

Production

Ufa

Copyright Holders

Národní filmový archiv

Distribution

Ufa

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

81 min

Original length in metres

2 310 meters

Distribution carrier

35mm

Aspect ratio

1:1,37

Colour

black & white

Sound

sound

Sound system/format

Tobis – Klang

Versions

Czech

Dialogue languages

Czech

Subtitles languages

without subtitles

Opening/End credits languages

Czech

Awards

Vítěz

Event: Ceny ministra průmyslu, obchodu a živností

1939
Praha / Czechoslovakia
Martin Frič