Only a Step

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1945

Production year

1945

Premiere

neproběhla

Runtime

92 min

Category

film

Genre

comedy

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Film state

partially realised project, lost film

Original title

Jenom krok

Czech title

Jenom krok

English title

Only a Step

Protectorate parallel title

Nur ein Schritt

Working title

Veliké překvapení

Summary

Unfinished film.

Synopsis

A tragicomic story from the film environment which tells of a man who plays the double for a famous film actor while he dreams of becoming a star himself. In the end circumstances dictate that he become a star - not a serious actor as he had wished, but a film comic. (Based on the press reports of the time)

The sportsman Jan Kaliba works as a film double of a famous Gustav Allan, who is usually casted as a lover, but Kaliba aspires to be an actor of tragedies, rather than just Allan's double. Kaliba gets frustrated as he is not successful with his goal to be cast in a tragedy and since because of his similarity to Allan, he only gets to be Allan's film double. Allan refuses to finish film Don Juan of Prague that he has been working on, because the directors of Luxfilm do not want to cast actress Larusová. On the contrary, he accepts another offer from Luxfilm's competitor Kompasfilm. Thanks to the press officer Martinová Kaliba goes to the acting rehearsal for Allan's role. However, his acting skills turn out to be unintentionally comic. At the grand premiere of the film his scenes make people laugh. His dream to become an actor in tragedies is over. The man is devastated, but his “comic” performance is appreciated by the audience and the critics. Šorm offers him a contract for three films, where he would play the lead comedy role. He declines at first, but his fiancée Martinová along with other filmmakers make him change his mind. As a great comedy actor, he can bring joy into the people’s lives and help them handle difficult situations. Tragedy is only a step away from comedy. (Based on the original script)

Note

The film was being filmed just for a few days at the end of January 1945, because the actor in the lead role, Oldřich Nový, was deported to the Nazi internment camp Osterode in Saxony. The production did not continue after the return of Oldřich Nový as the theme of the film turned out to be inappropriate. Only a few photographs from the filming were preserved.

Cast

Oldřich Nový

herec Gustav Allan/sportovec Jan Kaliba, Allanův dublér

Hana Vítová

tisková referentka Eva Martinová

Karel Dostal

generální ředitel Luxfilmu Gener

Vojta Plachý-Tůma

režisér Rudolf Koliander

Jaroslav Průcha

zřízenec a bývalý herec Kafka

Václav Trégl

osvětlovač Karel Pěnkava

Jaroslav Marvan

ředitel Luxfilmu Augustin Šorm

František Vnouček

asistent Vacek

Bedřich Veverka

ředitel půjčovny Luxfilmu Lukeš

Dagmar Frýbortová

herečka Pavla Jarská

Vilém Pruner

asistent kamery

Josef Kemr

hilfák Lekoj

Pavla Vrbenská

herečka Olga Larusová

Josef Střecha

kameraman Josef Krytina

Eva Vosátková

krasobruslařka Matoušková

František Černý

smějící se pán v biografu

Jindřich Láznička

Allanův sluha František

Slávka Doležalová

rekvizitářka

Ladislav Janeček

předtančící pán

R. A. Strejka

sportovec

Stanislav Vyskočil

pomocník u kamery

Crew and creators

Based on

A. J. Urban (Jenom krok – divadelní hra)

Director of Photography

Jan Roth, Ferdinand Pečenka

Production Designer

Štěpán Kopecký, Karel Škvor

Assistent Production Designer

Rudolf Lukeš

Costume Designer

Bartůňková

Costumes

František Říha, Ladislav Tomek, Růžena Králová, Františka Seimlová

Film Editor

Antonín Zelenka

Production Manager

Oldřich Papež, Vilém Brož (ředitel výroby)

Unit Production Manager

Eduard Šimáček

Unit Production Manager

Robert Vyhlídka (pomocník), František Novák (pomocník), Antonín Dekoj (pomocník), Miroslav Fiala (pomocník), Vladimír Hrubeš (pokladník), Václav Pecián (pokladník), Růžena Žohová (sekretářka produkce)

Consultant

Miroslav Rutte (jazykový poradce)

Cooperation

Karel Ludwig (fotograf)

Music

Music Composed by

Josef Dobeš

Music Performed by

Orchestr Pragfilmu

Songs

Píseň o ženách

Song Composer Josef Dobeš
Writer of Lyrics K. M. WallóJaroslav MottlFrantišek Kudrna
Singer Oldřich Nový

Locations

Praha

Production info

Original Title

Jenom krok

Czech Title

Jenom krok

English Title

Only a Step

Protectorate Parallel Title

Nur ein Schritt

Working Title

Veliké překvapení

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Film state

partially realised project, lost film

Genre

comedy

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1945

Production Year

1945

Production specifications

date of censorship nepředloženo cenzuře
technical Screenplay approved 3 January 1945
start of filming 26 January 1945
end of filming 11 February 1945

Premiere

premiere neproběhla

Distribution slogan

no caption

Production

Lucernafilm

Copyright Holders

Národní filmový archiv

Laboratories

Pragfilm

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

92 min

Original length in metres

2 600 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