Eva Fools Around

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1939

Production year

1939

Premiere

10 November 1939

Runtime

90 min

Director

Martin Frič

Category

film

Genre

comedy, screwball comedy

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Eva tropí hlouposti

Czech title

Eva tropí hlouposti

English title

Eva Fools Around

Protectorate parallel title

Eva macht Dummheiten

Summary

In 1939 Nataša Gollová was just 27 years-old – but had managed to take the lead role in no less than seven feature films. Gollová’s charm is on full display in this unforgettable screwball comedy from director Martin Frič. Adapted from the light-hearted 1934 novel Patsy tropí hlouposti (Patsy Fools Around) by Fan Vavřincová, the film adaptation is the sole screenplay from Vladimír Peroutka. The film’s strong qualities mean it stands up to the best of the Hollywood screwball comedies being made around this time. Eva is a spontaneous and inventive young woman, who decides to bring some joy to her beloved aunt Pa (Zdeňka Baldová). While trying to find Pa a guide to cultivating a Záhorský (blue) rose, the zany Eva sneaks in to the home of her aunt’s neighbour posing as a secretary. In all the confusion, Eva also manages to fall in love, and complicate the life of her brother Michal (Oldřich Nový), who has himself fallen for the neighbour’s daughter Eliška.

Synopsis

After many years abroad Michal Nor returns home to his aunt Pa and his sister Eva, who has just arrived from boarding school. The aunt has a birthday coming up and Eva knows that she would really like instructions for growing a variety of rose that her neighbour, factory owner Záhorský, has cultivated. But the aunt is not on good terms with the neighbours and so the vivacious Eva, with her mind set on stealing the instructions, infiltrates the Záhorský's as a secretary. In the house she by chance comes face to face with Michal who is posing as an English earl to save Záhorský's daughter Eliška from an unwanted engagement with the clumsy Zdeněk. The home is under the strong hand of Mrs. Záhorský, who has on her conscience one improper deed: she refused to return a friend her bracelet that her friend had left with her for a time as collateral on a loan. For this reason Jiří Kučera, the son of this woman, is also working at the Záhorský's, trying to regain the family jewel. So there is a great deal of confusion in the house, but eventually everything is cleared up. In the end Mr. Záhorský intervenes resolutely. He compels his wife to return the jewel, Michal gets gets Eliška, Eva wins Jiří's heart and aunt Pa now has the instructions on how to grow the Záhorský's rose.

Cast

Nataša Gollová

Eva Norová alias Eva Norbertová

Oldřich Nový

Michal Nor alias hrabě Johny Camel, Evin bratr

Zdeňka Baldová

Pavlína Norová, zvaná teta Pa

Ella Nollová

Klotylda, služka u Norů

Gustav Hilmar

továrník Tomáš Záhorský

Marta Májová

Emilie, Záhorského žena

Jiřina Sedláčková

Eliška, Záhorských dcera

Josef Gruss

Zdeněk Kolář, Eliščin ctitel

Raoul Schránil

dr. Jiří Novotný alias tajemník Jiří Kučera

Bolek Prchal

sluha u Záhorských Jan

Crew and creators

Director

Martin Frič

Based on

Fan Vavřincová (Patsy tropí hlouposti – román)

Director of Photography

Václav Hanuš

Production Designer

Jan Zázvorka

Set Designer

František Nestler

Film Editor

Jan Kohout

Sound Designer

Josef Zora

Production Manager

Jan Sinnreich

Cooperation

Willy Ströminger (fotograf)

Music

Selected Music

Georges Bizet (Carmen (Toreadore smělý))

Music Performed by

Orchestr F.O.K. (Music Conducted by Kamil Běhounek), Orchestr R. A. Dvorského (Music Conducted by R. A. Dvorský)

Songs

Má láska je jazz (foxtrot)

Song Composer Kamil Běhounek

Hrály dudy

Song Composer Kamil Běhounek

Kolem nás hvězdy planou

Song Composer Jiří Traxler

Dobrou noc (slowfox)

Song Composer Jiří Traxler

Hej hou, hej hou

Singer Oldřich Nový

Production info

Original Title

Eva tropí hlouposti

Czech Title

Eva tropí hlouposti

English Title

Eva Fools Around

Protectorate Parallel Title

Eva macht Dummheiten

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

comedy, screwball comedy

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1939

Production Year

1939

Production specifications

start of filming 25 August 1939
end of filming 09/1939
date of censorship 10/1939
date of censorship 28 June 1943 (predikát „uznáníhodný film“)
withdrawal from distribution 18 May 1945
date of censorship 2 July 1945 (konec povolení k promítání 2. 7. 1946)
withdrawal from distribution 1947
withdrawal from distribution 1955
withdrawal from distribution 1 September 1993

Premiere

premiere 10 November 1939 /suitable for youths/ (kino Lucerna /3½ týdne/, Praha)
renewed premiere 14 July 1945 /suitable for youths/
renewed premiere 23 July 1954 /suitable for youths/
renewed premiere 1967 /suitable for youths/

Production

Lucernafilm

Copyright Holders

Národní filmový archiv

Laboratories

AB

Distribution

AB (původní 1939), Státní půjčovna filmů (obnovená 1945), Rozdělovna filmů Československého státního filmu (obnovená 1954), Ústřední půjčovna filmů (obnovená 1967)

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

90 min

Original length in metres

2 580 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: Televizní anketa diváků o nejpopulárnější českou filmovou komedii století – anketa České televize a Týdeníku Televize Volíme veselohru století

1998
Praha / Czech Republic

Vítěz

Event: Anketa deníku Večer – O nejlepší český film roku 1939 a o nejoblíbenější českou filmovou herečku a herce

1940
Praha / Czechoslovakia
Zdeňka Baldová

Vítěz

Event: Anketa deníku Večer – O nejlepší český film roku 1939 a o nejoblíbenější českou filmovou herečku a herce

1940
Praha / Czechoslovakia
Nataša Gollová

Vítěz

Event: Anketa deníku Večer – O nejlepší český film roku 1939 a o nejoblíbenější českou filmovou herečku a herce

1940
Praha / Czechoslovakia

Vítěz

Event: Anketa deníku Večer – O nejlepší český film roku 1939 a o nejoblíbenější českou filmovou herečku a herce

1940
Praha / Czechoslovakia