Judgment Day

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1948

Production year

1948

Premiere

11 November 1949

Runtime

89 min

Category

film

Genre

comedy

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Soudný den

Czech title

Soudný den

English title

Judgment Day

Synopsis

It's 1913. The same as every year, tramp Kalous returns to the little provincial town to spend the winter in the local jail. But the young judge Zvonař has bad news for him. After many years, court counsel Štěpán has a chance to hang a white flag on the court building as a sign that the jail is empty. On Zvonař's advice, Kalous steals a rabbit but even this doesn't bring him closer to the desired lodging. Only after he steals the counsel's frock does it seam that Kalous can't miss the punishment. Štěpán is desperate, believing that his chance to fly the white flag is lost for ever. But at the last moment he remembers that Kalous went astray only after someone in the town did him wrong once. So he decides to help him become a decent citizen again. He speaks to the town chairman who offers Kalous work. Kalous accepts the deal and the white flag can now start fluttering on the prison building.

Cast

Ladislav Pešek

tulák František Kalous

Josef Beyvl

soudní rada Vojtěch Štěpán

Jiřina Šejbalová

Málinka, Štěpánova žena

Helena Růžičková (2)

Cilka, dcera Štěpánových

Jaroslav Mareš

soudní úředník JUDr. Jan Zvonař

František Vnouček

kancelista Honzíček

Ota Motyčka

listovní Suk

Jan Brandýs

soudní úředník Koudela

Marie Rosůlková

trafikantka Součková

Josef Benátský

koňský řezník Josef Fuksa

Eduard Linkers

advokát JUDr. Červenka

Vladimír Řepa

soudní sluha Drahorád

Manon Chafour

starostova dcera Klára

Lubomír Lipský

písař Nožička

František Černý

vynálezce koprové omáčky

Marie Kautská

služebná u Štěpánů Terezka

Jarka Pižla

číšník

František Holar

převozník

Bolek Prchal

host v hospodě

Zdena Zeithamlová

Fuksova sestra

Josef Kemr

závodčí Špacír

Bohumil Svoboda

starostův syn Bedřich

Rudolf Richter

startér závodu

Crew and creators

Based on

Karel Krpata (Talár v městečku – divadelní hra)

Screenplay

Karel Steklý

Director of Photography

Jaroslav Tuzar

Production Designer

Josef Gabriel

Set Designer

Vladimír Mácha

Costume Designer

Josef Gabriel

Make-Up Artist

Gustav Hrdlička

Film Editor

Antonín Zelenka

Production Manager

Rudolf Fencl

Music

Music Composed by

Miloš Smatek

Music Performed by

FISYO (Music Conducted by Otakar Pařík)

Songs

Když jsme táhli k Jaroměři

Singer Vladimír Řepa

Už mou milou do kostela vedou

Production info

Original Title

Soudný den

Czech Title

Soudný den

English Title

Judgment Day

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

comedy

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1948

Production Year

1948

Production specifications

date of censorship 30 March 1949 (konec povolení k promítání 30. 3. 1954)
withdrawal from distribution 30 April 1966

Premiere

preview 16 September 1949 (letní kino Stromovka /1 týden/, Praha)
premiere 11 November 1949 /unsuitable for youths/ (kina Blaník /3 týdny/ a Světozor /3 týdny/, Praha)

Copyright Holders

Národní filmový archiv

Studio

Barrandov

Creative Group

IV. výrobní skupina Steklý – Hanuš, Ladislav Hanuš (produkční šéf IV. výrobní skupiny), Karel Steklý (umělecký šéf IV. výrobní skupiny)

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

89 min

Original length in metres

2 546 meters

Distribution carrier

16mm, 35mm

Aspect ratio

1:1,37

Colour

black & white

Sound

sound

Sound system/format

mono

Versions

Czech

Dialogue languages

Czech

Subtitles languages

without subtitles

Opening/End credits languages

Czech