Valentin the Kind

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1942

Production year

1942

Premiere

31 July 1942

Runtime

101 min

Director

Martin Frič

Category

film

Genre

comedy

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Valentin Dobrotivý

Czech title

Valentin Dobrotivý

English title

Valentin the Kind

Protectorate parallel title

Valentin der Gütige

Working title

Za omyl se neručí

Summary

In 1942, the director Martin Frič and screenwriter Karel Steklý added a fresh comedy to their joint filmography whose atmosphere does not reflect the horrific reality of the time (the movie was premiered just a few weeks after the assassination of Reinhard Heydrich, which sparked a vicious Nazi backlash). The naïve official Valentin Plavec, who falls victim to a practical joke by his colleagues, became a reliable guide for audiences in dark times. Under the impression that he has won a million in the lottery, he succumbs to profligacy as everyone around him begins sucking up to him. As soon as the truth comes out, Valentin find himself on his own again. The only person who remains loyal to him regardless of the fictional state of his wallet is his fiancée Helenka, played convincingly by the tried-and-trusted Hana Vítová. The roles of Valentin's crafty colleagues, who get their comeuppance in a refined way from him after he is cured of his naïveté, were played by Ladislav Pešek and Eman Fiala.

Synopsis

Insurance company clerk Valentin Plavec is a hard-working man but too naive for his own good. His colleagues Bejšovec and Voborník play practical jokes on him, but their last joke goes too far. They change the winning lottery number from 8456 to 18456 - the number Valentin has - and tell Valentin he has won a million. Because he can collect his winnings in three days, he takes out the twenty thousand crowns he and his fiancée have saved up and starts to spend lavishly, even on credit. He hires staff for his villa and orders a car. At work the new millionaire is promoted and a miserly uncle organises a banquet for him. When his colleagues tell him he has not won, all his new-found friends leave him. Only Helena stays with him and helps him cancel his rash purchases. The next day the newspapers report that the wrong winning number was published and that the real winner is in fact 18456. Valentin first checks this and then pays his joking colleagues back with a vengeance. He tears up an other lottery ticket before their eyes and throws the pieces out of the window. Bejšovec and Voborník are seen disappearing on the top of a lorry, having landed there when they jumped out after the pieces of the lottery ticket.

Cast

Oldřich Nový

úředník Valentin Plavec

Hana Vítová

Helena Bártová, Valentinova snoubenka

Milada Gampeová

matka Heleny

Ladislav Pešek

úředník Rudolf Bejšovec

Eman Fiala

úředník Eman Voborník

Jaroslav Marvan

přednosta kanceláře Bureš

Theodor Pištěk

Kudrna, Valentinův strýc

Zdeňka Baldová

Maruška, Kudrnova žena

Vojta Novák

ředitel pojišťovny Arnošt Kahoun

Růžena Šlemrová

Kahounova manželka

Lilli Hodáčová

Julie Kahounová, dcera

Jiřina Sedláčková

agentka prodejny automobilů

Jaroslav Průcha

kancelářský zřízenec Jindřich Biebr

Anna Letenská

manželka zřízence Biebra

Marie Blažková

Troníčková, Valentinova bytná

Bolek Prchal

policejní komisař

Karel Černý

vrchní ředitel pojišťovny

Karel Dostal

prezident banky

Miloš Šubrt

zřízenec Vosátka

Ota Motyčka

úředník

Jindřich Láznička

úředník Hora

Jan Černý

úředník

Meda Valentová

majitelka módního salonu Dousková

Vladimír Řepa

pan domácí

Josef Kemr

kolportér

Bohuš Záhorský

pokladník v bance

Blažena Slavíčková

slečna z módního salónu

František Paul

pojišťovací agent

Antonín Jirsa

stěhovák

Míla Spazierová-Hezká

zpěvačka v restauraci Sakura

Josef Bělský

ředitel restaurace Sakura

Jan W. Speerger

zahradník Příhoda

Milka Balek-Brodská

zahradníkova manželka

Emanuel Kovařík

zástupce automobilové továrny

Josef Hořánek

Králíček, majitel vily

Karel Roden

bankéř s panem Králíčkem

Crew and creators

Director

Martin Frič

Screenstory

Josef Hlaváč

Director of Photography

Václav Hanuš

Production Designer

Ferdinand Fiala

Film Editor

Jan Kohout

Sound Designer

Stanislav Vondraš

Production Manager

Václav Dražil, Karel Feix (ředitel výroby)

Consultant

Alois Raušer (jazykový poradce)

Cooperation

Antonín Frič (fotograf)

Music

Music Composed by

Josef Stelibský, František Svojík (instrumentace)

Music Performed by

Orchestr F.O.K. (Music Conducted by Miloš Smatek), členové Orchestru Národního divadla (Music Conducted by Miloš Smatek), Orchestr Karla Vlacha (Music Conducted by Miloš Smatek), František Svojík /klavír/

Songs

Zpívám květům

Song Composer Josef Stelibský
Writer of Lyrics Jaroslav MottlKarel Melíšek
Singer Míla Spazierová-Hezká

Modrý měsíc /Dlouhý je měsíc.../ (fox)

Song Composer Josef Stelibský

Production info

Original Title

Valentin Dobrotivý

Czech Title

Valentin Dobrotivý

English Title

Valentin the Kind

Protectorate Parallel Title

Valentin der Gütige

Working Title

Za omyl se neručí

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

comedy

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1942

Production Year

1942

Production specifications

start of filming 23 April 1942
end of filming 06/1942
date of censorship 24 July 1942 (kulturně-výchovný)
date of censorship 1943 (predikát „uznáníhodný film“)
withdrawal from distribution 18 May 1945
date of censorship 07/1945 (konec povolení k promítání 31. 12. 1946)
withdrawal from distribution 12/1946
withdrawal from distribution 1 April 1966
withdrawal from distribution 1 September 1993

Premiere

premiere 31 July 1942 /suitable for youths/ (kina Adria /3 týdny/, Lucerna /3 týdny/ a Phönix /3 týdny/, Praha)
renewed premiere 11 August 1945 /suitable for youths/

Production

Nationalfilm

Copyright Holders

Národní filmový archiv

Laboratories

Pragfilm

Distribution

Nationalfilm (původní 1942), Státní půjčovna filmů (obnovená 1945)

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

101 min

Original length in metres

2 864 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, German