Holiday with Angel

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1952

Production year

1952

Premiere

3 April 1953

Runtime

80 min

Category

film

Genre

comedy

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Dovolená s Andělem

Czech title

Dovolená s Andělem

English title

Holiday with Angel

Working title

Pojeďte s námi

Summary

Prague public transport ticket inspector Gustav Anděl is one of the most popular characters of post-war Czechoslovak cinema – regardless of the fact that Bořivoj Zeman’s two comedy features centred on the character bear the stamp of the ideological bias of their era. In particular, the first feature film from 1952 tells the story of the “socialisation” of the grumpy, ageing Anděl, who involves himself with a collective during a vacation organised by a trade union. Instead of relaxing, the holidaymakers decide to spend their two weeks rebuilding a former pub into a harvest retreat for children of the trade union members... Besides the phenomenal Jaroslav Marvan who plays the lead, Josef Kemr (carpenter Vyhlídka) and František Dibarbora (Slovak welder Palko) star. This popular comedy set amid a socialist collective was followed by the 1955 sequel Anděl na horách (Angel in the Mountains), in which several characters from the original film reunite during a vacation in the snow-covered Tatra Mountains.

Synopsis

Holidaymakers from the entire country are arriving at the holiday camp of the Revolutionary Trades-Union Movement, Jezerka. These are people of different professions, ages and interests, but they are all exemplary workers in their companies. The Prague Transport Company controller Anděl is finding it difficult to get accommodated and is constantly grumbling. On the contrary, Václav Mašek is not taking enough time to relax, as he is a very active man and is constantly fixing something. The Pavlát couple, whose marriage was in crises, have a chance to clear their misunderstandings and are getting together again. Štefan Palko falls in love with the bus driver Marienka, and she accepts his offer of marriage. The very active maintenance man Mašek organizes a work-team. Together with other holidaymakers, he fixes the half broken down old pub into a harvesting shelter for the children of the members of the cooperative. The holidaymakers had a chance to order a song of their choice on the local radio programme at the beginning of their stay. The concert is broadcast in the second week. Together they all chose the song 'The Old Grumbler' for Anděl. But, by the time of the broadcast, Anděl has already improved. The optimistic mood and sense of friendship meant that after the fourteen days spent together they all parted as truly good friends.

Cast

Jaroslav Marvan

revizor Dopravního podniku Gustav Anděl

Josef Pehr

údržbář Václav Mašek ze Škody Plzeň

Josef Kemr

truhlář-modelář Vyhlídka z ČKD Sokolovo

Vladimír Ráž

konstruktér Karel Pavlát

Jana Dítětová

svářečka Milada, Pavlátova žena

František Dibarbora

horník Štefan Palko z Banské Bystrice

Stanislava Seimlová

řidička autobusu Marienka Vaněčková

Běla Jurdová

kulturní referentka Lída Višňáková

Vladimír Řepa

slévač Vojtěch Herzán z Mladé Boleslavi

Rudolf Princ

správce zotavovny Jezerka

Alena Vránová

učitelka Marie Dobešová, vedoucí žňového útulku

Eva Foustková

uklízečka Anna Kazdová, teta Marie

Růžena Šlemrová

rekreantka Pichlová

Josef Hlinomaz

elektrotechnik Jeřábek z Elektry Kolín

Antonín Vilský

rekreant Stehlík

Marie Norrová

Stehlíkova žena

Josef Příhoda

natěrač z Nového bytu Vošahlík

Anna Kadeřábková

Řeháková, předsedkyně MNV v Javornici

Blažena Slavíčková

poštovní úřednice

František Kokejl

horník Joséfek Babica z Prostějova

Antonín Klimša

horník Eman Gomolek z Ostravy

Renata Borová

malá Evička

Zora Doskočilová

František Fontén

P. Neuberg

V. Hrabánková

A. Fajfrlíková

Crew and creators

Director of Photography

Jan Stallich

Camera Operator

Bohumil Hába

Production Designer

Jan Pacák

Set Designer

Franta Novák

Costume Designer

Karel Postřehovský

Costumes

Marie Malá

Make-Up Artist

Karel Marek

Production Manager

Ladislav Terš

Music

Music Composed by

Dalibor C. Vačkář

Selected Music

Bedřich Smetana (Prodaná nevěsta /Pochod/), Antonín Dvořák (Symfonie č. 9 e moll /Z Nového světa/), Julius Fučík (Starý bručoun)

Music Performed by

FISYO (Music Conducted by Otakar Pařík)

Songs

Krásné je žít

Song Composer Dalibor C. Vačkář
Writer of Lyrics Jaroslav MottlJosef NeubergFrantišek Vlček
Singer sbor

Zajíček v své jamce

Singer dětský sbor

Táto, mámo, zelená se háj

Singer dětský sbor

Tečka za láskou

Song Composer Dalibor C. Vačkář
Writer of Lyrics Jaroslav MottlJosef NeubergFrantišek Vlček
Singer František Kokejl

Production info

Original Title

Dovolená s Andělem

Czech Title

Dovolená s Andělem

English Title

Holiday with Angel

Working Title

Pojeďte s námi

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

comedy

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1952

Production Year

1952

Production specifications

start of filming 8 July 1952
the first film copy approved 19 December 1952
date of censorship 31 December 1952 (konec povolení k promítání 31. 12. 1957)
withdrawal from distribution 31 August 1976

Premiere

premiere 3 April 1953 /suitable for youths/ (kina Alfa /5 týdnů/, Lucerna /4 týdny/, Blaník /1 týden od 10. 4./, Kyjev /1 týden od 24. 4./ a Bystrica /1 týden od 1. 5./, Praha)

Copyright Holders

Národní filmový archiv

Studio

Barrandov

Creative Group

Dramaturgická skupina Vladimíra Kabelíka (vývoj scénáře), Vladimír Kabelík (vedoucí dramaturgické skupiny)

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

80 min

Original length in metres

2 284 meters

Distribution carrier

16mm, 35mm

Aspect ratio

1:1,37

Colour

colour

Sound

sound

Sound system/format

mono

Versions

Czech

Dialogue languages

Czech, Slovak

Subtitles languages

without subtitles

Opening/End credits languages

Czech

Awards

Vítěz

Event: Anketa Týdeníku Televize, TV Plus a České televize – Hrdina filmového úsměvu tisíciletí (nejoblíbenější postava české filmové veselohry)

2000
Praha / Czech Republic
Jaroslav Marvan

Vítěz

Event: Umělecké prémie za rok 1952

1953
Praha / Czechoslovakia
Jan Stallich