Playing with the Devil
Country
CzechoslovakiaCopyright
1956Production year
1956Premiere
26 April 1957Runtime
96 minDirector
Josef MachCategory
filmGenre
fairytaleTypology
featuretheatrical distributionlongOriginal title
Hrátky s čertemCzech title
Hrátky s čertemEnglish title
Playing with the DevilSummary
Writer Jan Drda made a screenplay adaptation of his fairytale play that tells the story of a devil and a woman, Káča, who are eager to marry. Josef Mach, who subsequently directed the feature film given the name Hrátky s čertem (1956), participated in turning the script into the screenplay. The protagonist of the merry narration is jolly ex-soldier Martin Kabát. He ventures into hell to rescue Princess Dišperanda and her maid Káča from the clutches of devils. It turns out that both of the women in seeking marriage have made a pact with the devil to acquire the husbands they long for. Fortunately, benevolent angel Theofil sides with Good against Beelzebub and his horned servants... Josef Bek stars as Martin, Eva Klepáčová as Káča and Alena Vránová portrays Dišperanda. The role of highwayman Sarka Farka is unforgettably delivered by Jaroslav Vojta.
Synopsis
The veteran soldier Martin does not frighten easily. He is not scared of the robber Sarka Farka, neither is he afraid of the devils in the Devil's Mill. In the forest he meets the hermit Školastykus, whose religious manners don't quite appeal to him. The Princes are arriving at the Royal Castle to court Princess Dišperanda who would gladly marry someone, but she doesn't like any of the noble suitors. Her maid Káča also longs for a wedding so the two girls sign a bond with the devil in exchange for his promise of handsome bridegrooms. Káča gives the two bonds to Martin by accident but Martin loses them that evening to the devilish Doctor Solfernus. The unfortunate Martin then sets off to Hell to get the bonds back, and to his surprise meets Káča there. He reaches Beelzebub, gets hold of the bonds and quickly tears them up. Angel Theofil saves Martin and Káča from the devils' rage, and they both make it back to Earth safely. The Princess finds a handsome bridegroom by herself - the huntsman Hubert. And Káča? Martin is going to find it hard to rid of her now.
Film online
Photos
Cast
Josef Bek
vysloužilý dragoun Martin Kabát
Eva Klepáčová
služka Káča
Alena Vránová
princezna Dišperanda
František Smolík
poustevník Školastykus
Jaroslav Vojta
loupežník Sarka Farka
Bohuš Záhorský
král
Stanislav Neumann
čert Omnimor
František Filipovský
čert Karborund
Josef Vinklář
mladý čert – myslivec Lucius
Ladislav Pešek
Belzebub, vládce pekla
Vladimír Ráž
doktor Solfernus, kníže pekla
Rudolf Deyl ml.
Belial, pobočník vládce pekla
Antonín Šůra
anděl Theofil
Josef Mixa
myslivec Hubert
Helena Kefurtová
zjevení nahé dívky se závojem
Jiřina Bílá
zjevení selky s jídlem
Ismenia Lehárová
zjevení orientální tanečnice
Jarmila Navrátilová
šlechtična
Bedřich Bozděch
sluha
František Černý
dvořan, vojenský hodnostář
Vítězslav Černý
čert
Alois Dvorský
bázlivý čert
Eman Fiala
komorník
Oskar Hák
kuchtík
František Holar
čert-vrátný
Bohuslav Kupšovský
lovčí
Viktor Očásek
čert
J. O. Martin
čert
Ota Motyčka
šlechtic
Václav Trégl
strážný na věži zámku
Lubomír Bryg
nápadník princ Isidor
Miloš Nesvadba
nápadník princ Romuald
František Paul
lokaj
Rudolf Princ
komorník
Martin Raus
šlechtic
Josef Steigl
šlechtic
Anita Janová
šlechtična
František Liška
Marcela Tatýrková
zjevení polonahé víly
Elena Tanasco
zjevení tanečnice v písmenu O
Crew and creators
Director
Second Unit Director
Assistant Director
Anna Pokorná, Věra Filipová
Based on
Jan Drda (Hrátky s čertem – divadelní hra)
Screenplay
Director of Photography
Second Unit Photography
Camera Operator
Production Designer
Art Director
Josef Lada, Vladimír Dvořák, František Pavlík (umělecký malíř)
Set Designer
František Suchý, Jaroslava Vilímková
Costume Designer
Costumes
Make-Up Artist
Film Editor
Sound Designer
Special Effects
Production Manager
Unit Production Manager
Music
Music Composed by
Songs
Martinova píseň /Chceš-li holka vědět/
Song Composer Jiří Srnka
Writer of Lyrics Jan Drda
Singer Josef Bek
Luciova píseň /V borovém na skále háji/
Song Composer Jiří Srnka
Writer of Lyrics Jan Drda
Singer Josef Vinklář
V tej hořejší hospodě muzika pěkně hraje
Song Composer Jiří Srnka
Writer of Lyrics Jan Drda
Singer Eva Klepáčová
Locations
bez exteriérů
Production info
Original Title
Hrátky s čertem
Czech Title
Hrátky s čertem
English Title
Playing with the Devil
Category
film
Typology
featuretheatrical distribution
Genre
fairytale
Origin country
Czechoslovakia
Copyright
1956
Production Year
1956
Production specifications
projection approval 30 December 1956
withdrawal from distribution 31 December 1994
Premiere
premiere 26 April 1957 /unsuitable for youths/ (kina Lucerna /10 týdnů/, Svornost /1 týden/, Bystrica /1 týden od 3. 5./, Oko /1 týden od 10. 5./, Mír /1 týden od 17. 5./, Revoluce /1 týden od 24. 5./, Aero /1 týden od 31. 5./, Arbes /1 týden od 7. 6./, Vzlet /1 týden od 14. 6./, Dukla /1 týden od 21. 6./ a Radost /1 týden od 28. 6./, Praha)
Production
Copyright Holders
Studio
Distribution
Creative Group
Tvůrčí skupina Feix – Daniel, František Daniel (vedoucí dramaturg tvůrčí skupiny), Karel Feix (vedoucí výroby tvůrčí skupiny)
Technical info
Duration typology
feature film
Duration in minutes
96 min
Original length in metres
2 740 meters
Distribution carrier
16mm, 35mm
Aspect ratio
1:1,37
Colour
colour
Sound
sound
Sound system/format
mono
Versions
Czech
Dialogue languages
Czech
Subtitles languages
without subtitles
Opening/End credits languages
Czech
