The End of Ghosts

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1952

Production year

1952

Premiere

14 August 1953

Runtime

76 min

Category

film

Genre

children, adventure

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Konec strašidel

Czech title

Konec strašidel

English title

The End of Ghosts

Synopsis

Jirka and Frantík are not part of the pioneer children's collective. They do not study enough and don't even take part in the competition to collect the most scrap and re-cycling material. After talking to their school mates both boys agree in the end to go off and look for scrap. They head for a seemingly empty villa which once belonged to the former owner of the local glassworks, Lorenz, who fled the country. When they enter the villa a ghostly mask appears before Jirka and he runs away. From that time on Frantík insists that the place is haunted. During the holidays the children are playing near the villa and their ball drops into the garden. While they are searching for their ball the children discover a secret corridor which leads to the cellar. There they encounter Lorenz who has secretly crossed the border. He is waiting for Soukup in the villa who is supposed to be providing him with plans from the glassworks for the production of reinforced glass. Lorenz threatens the children; he is armed, however, Jirka's and Frantík's brave intervention prevents anyone being killed or wounded. Meanwhile the police have entered the villa, who were alerted after it was discovered that Soukup had used force to get hold of the plans. The children are saved and Jirka and Frantík are praised for their courage. They are also finally accepted into the pioneer organization.

Cast

Bohuš Hradil

ředitel sklárny

Jaromír Spal

sklář Alois Mikeš

Oldřich Lukeš

předseda závodní rady Zapletal

Běla Jurdová

sekretářka ředitele sklárny

Jarmila Kurandová

babička Zapletalová

Jiří Suk

pohraničník Vrána

Antonie Hegerliková

Vránova žena

Štěpán Zemánek

velitel pohraniční stráže

Theodor Pištěk

strýček Martin, vedoucí sběrny surovin

Josef Beyvl

zřízenec Soukup

Vítězslav Vejražka

Lorenz, bývalý majitel sklárny

Josef Chvalina

Fikar, bývalý správce pily

Stanislav Fišer

svazák Rudla

Hynek Němec

dělník

Josef Steigl

vrátný Tomeš

Josef Feit

Toník, syn Vránových

Pavel Mareš

Lojzek, Mikešův syn

Alois Procházka

Jirka, Zapletalův syn

Zdeněk Celner

Honzík, Frantíkův bratr

Jarmila Pucholtová

Alenka, dcera Vránových

Jaroslav Viterna

chlapec

Lída Jirounková

dívka

Crew and creators

Assistant Director

Rudolf Kováč, Marta Klikarová, Jan Batík, Viktor Karásek

Director of Photography

Jindřich Novotný

Camera Operator

Kamil Kadeřábek

Production Designer

Ferdinand Fiala, Karel Škvor

Make-Up Artist

Karel Holek

Film Editor

Jan Kohout

Sound Designer

Adolf Nacházel

Special Effects

Stanislav Šulc, Josef Bůžek, J. Pintner

Production Manager

Bohuslav Kubásek

Unit Production Manager

Hubert Novotný

Consultant

Miroslav Bašta

Cooperation

P. Mrázová (fotografka)

Music

Music Composed by

Jan Kapr

Music Performed by

FISYO (Music Conducted by Milivoj Uzelac)

Songs

Země pionýrů

Singer dětský sbor

Production info

Original Title

Konec strašidel

Czech Title

Konec strašidel

English Title

The End of Ghosts

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

children, adventure

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1952

Production Year

1952

Production specifications

start of filming 7 May 1952
end of filming 4 October 1952
the first film copy approved 14 February 1953
date of censorship 25 February 1953 (konec povolení k promítání 25. 2. 1958)
withdrawal from distribution 30 June 1966

Premiere

premiere 14 August 1953 /suitable for youths/ (kina Armádní /2 týdny/, Blaník /2 týdny/, Pasáž /1 týden/, Arbes /1 týden od 28. 8./, Moskva /1 týden od 28. 8./, Kyjev /1 týden od 4. 9./, Odboj /1 týden od 4. 9./, Bystrica /1 týden od 11. 9./, Kotva /1 týden od 11. 9./, Dukla /1 týden od 18. 9./, Aero /1 týden od 25. 9./, Oko /1 týden od 25. 9./ a Revoluce /1 týden od 2. 10./, 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

76 min

Original length in metres

2 174 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