Hawk Versus Turtle-Dove

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1953

Production year

1952—1953

Premiere

27 November 1953

Runtime

104 min

Category

film

Genre

drama

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Jestřáb kontra Hrdlička

Czech title

Jestřáb kontra Hrdlička

English title

Hawk Versus Turtle-Dove

Synopsis

After the death of the lord of Supov, inspector Hrdlička is fired from the castle. He moves to Prague with his wife and daughters Irena and Julča. He hopes to find a lucrative position here, and the wife hopes that in Prague she will find a rich husband for Irena. But fortune is not smiling on Hrdlička, and the high expenses that the wife and Irena make get him into debt with the usurer Jestřáb. From the entire family, only Julča manages to cope with the misfortune and works, although she very much misses the gardener Karel who stayed at Supov. Hrdlička can't even pay the interest on his loans and after a while Jestřáb arrives at their house for inspection. There, he sees the beautiful Julča, and is prepared to defer Hrdlička's payment if Julča becomes his son's governess. Julča agrees to this to save her father and goes to Supov which Jestřáb has bought. Here, Jestřáb is harassing her one evening. Karel interferes and they are both fired. The situation with the Hrdlička family in Prague has become even worse in the meantime. The hoped for positions have melted away and Hrdlička lost another 100 guldens which he payed to a fake employment agent. Hrdlička shoots himself in despair. His wife and Irena end up as courtesans and are arrested for card-sharping. Only Julča and Karel are determined to live to see happier times together.

Note

Ota Hofman dramatized the story while he was still at FAMU. Vladimír Borský also wrote the screenplay while at FAMU. The Role Jestřáb was originally played by Jiří Plachý. After his unexplained death (on December 2nd, 1952) Jaroslav Marvan took over his role. Plachý´s last completed role thus became Josef Roškot in Moon Over the River.

Cast

František Smolík

inspektor v. v. F. J. Hrdlička

Jaroslav Marvan

lichvář Jestřáb

Vlasta Fabianová

Hermína, Hrdličkova žena, rozená z Podvalských

Taťána Vavřincová

Irena, dcera Hrdličkových

Vlasta Fialová

Julie, dcera Hrdličkových

Jan Pivec

podvodník Romanov

František Kreuzmann

advokát JUDr. Zamotal

Josef Bek

zahradník Karel Šimák

Jiří Steimar

továrník hrabě Supovský

Eva Klenová

hraběnka Supovská

Zdeněk Kryzánek

hrabě Walewský, Romanovův kumpán

Vladimír Jedenáctík

baron Kotowský, Romanovův kumpán

Vladimír Hlavatý

Toník Svoboda

Jiřina Šejbalová

majitelka módního salonu

Josef Bělský

továrník v karetní společnosti

Oldřich Musil

recepční v hotelu

Světla Svozilová

služebná u Jestřábů Rozina

Karel Hovorka

písař při exekuci

Gabriel Hart

klenotník

Milada Gampeová

Hermínina matka

Emil Dlesk

muž na dražbě

Antonín Soukup

muž na dražbě

Věra Váchová

žena v kavárně

Josef Příhoda

preclíkář

Bohumil Machník

vrátný U Zlatého rouna

Anna Pitašová

žena ve společnosti

Manon Chafour

tanečnice

Ladislav Mandík

Crew and creators

Assistant Director

Jiří Mikeťuk, Eva Kolářová

Based on

Svatopluk Čech (Jestřáb kontra Hrdlička – povídka)

Shooting Script

Vladimír Borský

Director of Photography

Václav Hanuš

Camera Operator

Josef Hanuš

Production Designer

Bohuslav Kulič

Set Designer

Jan Janda

Costume Designer

J. M. Gottlieb

Make-Up Artist

Otakar Košťál

Sound Designer

Adolf Böhm

Production Manager

Jiří Šebor

Unit Production Manager

Jaroslav Řeřicha

Cooperation

Karel Šebík (fotograf)

Music

Music Composed by

Jiří Srnka

Music Performed by

FISYO (Music Conducted by Milivoj Uzelac)

Production info

Original Title

Jestřáb kontra Hrdlička

Czech Title

Jestřáb kontra Hrdlička

English Title

Hawk Versus Turtle-Dove

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

drama

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1953

Production Year

1952—1953

Production specifications

start of filming 28 October 1952
the first film copy approved 24 August 1953
date of censorship 28 October 1953 (konec povolení k promítání 28. 10. 1958)
withdrawal from distribution 31 December 1973

Premiere

premiere 27 November 1953 /unsuitable for youths/ (kina Armádní /3 týdny/, Blaník /3 týdny/, Lucerna /4 týdny/, Moskva /1 týden od 18. 12./, Revoluce /1 týden od 18. 12./, Arbes /1 týden od 25. 12./, Kotva /1 týden od 25. 12./, Kyjev /1 týden od 25. 12./, Oko /1 týden od 25. 12./, Aero /1 týden od 31. 12./, Bystrica /1 týden od 31. 12./ a Dukla /1 týden od 31. 12./, Praha)

Copyright Holders

Národní filmový archiv

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

104 min

Original length in metres

2 974 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