The Janura family move granny back to Prague so that she can live out the remainder of her life with her family. Unfortunately, the only spare room they have is the old servant's room with its window facing the lift shaft. As soon as she arrives granny starts doing various chores and the whole family, including the children, become accustomed to her services. What is less pleasant for them, however, is the way she occasionally interferes with their private lives. She notices, for example, that her son-in-law fancies a young singer and she tries to save her daughter's marriage. The widower Poláček is the first to bring the old lady's attention to the fact that her family is using her, and he invites her to come and live with him. She does not heed his words, however, she does feel lonely at Christmas: there is not a single present for her under the Christmas tree. Poláček sends a letter to a magazine about granny and entitles it " A Cog in the Wheel". Mrs Janura, an editor for a woman's magazine, answers the letter. She criticizes the family described in the letter as a typical example of petty-bourgeois exploitation. After reading the magazine, granny leaves her family and finds a job as a cloakroom attendant. Things do not work out for the family without her, however, and granny again catches sight of her son-in-law with the singer. So she returns and the humbled family promise to rectify things. After some time, it is not granny who goes off on a long-desired holiday by the sea, but Mr and Mrs Janura, in order that they strengthen their marriage.
babička Skořepová
Zdenka Janurová, dcera paní Skořepové
Karel Janura, zeť paní Skořepové
Jana, dcera Janurových
Petřík, syn Janurových
babiččin nápadník Poláček
operetní zpěvačka Jiřina Slavíková
Arnošt, Janin přítel
tajemník Petránek
lékař
suchá babička
sousedka Janurových
redaktorka
hospodyně Rezková
klavírista
konferenciér silvestrovské zábavy
číšník
babička v redakci
babička v redakci
babička v redakci
babička v redakci
babička v redakci
babička ve frontě u mlékárny
vrátný v redakci
školník
čalouník
muž v komisi
muž v komisi
orchestr
dirigent
hlas v rozhlase
FISYO (Music Conducted by Štěpán Koníček), Karel Krautgartner
Song Composer Julius Kalaš
Writer of Lyrics Bedřich Bobek
Páté kolo u vozu
Páté kolo u vozu
The Fifth Wheel to a Coach
film
featuretheatrical distribution
comedy
Czechoslovakia
1957
1957
literary Screenplay approved 13 March 1957
technical Screenplay approved 17 May 1957
start of filming 29 July 1957
end of filming 10 November 1957
projection approval 19 January 1958
withdrawal from distribution 31 August 1976
preview 11 April 1958 (kino Sevastopol /1 týden/, Praha)
premiere 18 April 1958 /unsuitable for youths/ (kina Blaník /5 týdnů/, Svornost /1 týden/, Mír /1 týden od 2. 5./ a Arbes /1 týden od 16. 5./, Praha)
Tvůrčí skupina Šmída – Kunc, František Břetislav Kunc (vedoucí dramaturg tvůrčí skupiny), Bohumil Šmída (vedoucí výroby tvůrčí skupiny)
feature film
90 min
2 557 meters
16mm, 35mm
1:1,37
black & white
sound
mono
Czech
Czech
without subtitles
Czech