The First and the Last
Country
CzechoslovakiaCopyright
1959Production year
1958Premiere
24 July 1959Runtime
78 minDirector
Vladimír ČechCategory
filmGenre
drama, psychologicalTypology
featuretheatrical distributionlongOriginal title
První a posledníCzech title
První a posledníEnglish title
The First and the LastSynopsis
Newly widowed old Mr Benda lives in a corner house on Loretto square in Prague. The funeral is yet to take place but people already have their eye on Benda's large two-roomed flat. His elderly neighbour, Mrs Prokopová, even wants to move in with the new widower. Slávka, a young restorer, is working up at Prague Castle repairing monuments. Her husband Olda is a plumber. They do not own a joint flat so, after work, they have to travel across different parts of Prague, each to their own home. Slávka hates to intrude upon the old man but her hopeless situation leads her to Benda's front door. She hides the fact that she is married and persuades him to rent her one of his rooms. The sincere young woman soon wins the affection of her landlord. Benda is thus disappointed to discover one day that Slávka has a male visitor. The young woman confesses to being married and Benda asks her to leave. The next day he has a heart attack, however, and Slávka promises the doctor that she and Olda will look after him so that he doesn't have to go in to hospital. Benda is grateful to them for their help and agrees to have them both move in with him.
Photos
Cast
Zdeněk Štěpánek
průvodce Kamil Benda
Miriam Hynková
restaurátorka Slávka
Miloš Hlavica
instalatér Olda, Slávčin muž
Milka Balek-Brodská
Voice by Marie Rosůlková
švadlena Prokopová, Bendova sousedka
Emil Bolek
kostelník Tomáš
Martin Růžek
hostinský Tarbus
Stella Zázvorková
Frantina, Tarbusova žena
Stanislav Neumann
starý opilec Satrapa
Elena Hálková
Satrapová
Růžena Štěpánová
servírka Dorotka
Josef Hlinomaz
instalatér
Vladimír Hrubý
kominík
Felix le Breux
lékař
Jindřich Bonaventura
instalatér
Eva Svobodová
trafikantka
Václav Wasserman
zahradník
Ota Motyčka
řidič Vejdělek
Alois Dvorský
penzista
Josef Steigl
pokladní v muzeu
Jan Maška
správce muzea
Karel Kocourek
vrátný v muzeu
Josef Pehr
malíř
Vladimír Čech
karbaník
Crew and creators
Director
Second Unit Director
Assistant Director
Eliška Vojtová, František Katnar
Screenstory
Screenplay
Shooting Script
Director of Photography
Camera Operator
Production Designer
Assistent Production Designer
Art Director
Set Designer
Josefa Koníčková, František Zajíček
Costume Designer
Costumes
Make-Up Artist
Film Editor
Sound Designer
Production Manager
Unit Production Manager
Vladimír Vojta
Cooperation
Jiří Mucha (umělecká spolupráce), Jan Pařík (fotograf), Petr Zora (fotograf)
Music
Music Composed by
Music Performed by
FISYO (Music Conducted by Štěpán Koníček)
Production info
Original Title
První a poslední
Czech Title
První a poslední
English Title
The First and the Last
Category
film
Typology
featuretheatrical distribution
Genre
drama, psychological
Origin country
Czechoslovakia
Copyright
1959
Production Year
1958
Production specifications
literary Screenplay approved 5 June 1957
technical Screenplay approved 6 August 1958
start of filming 28 August 1958
end of filming 12 November 1958
projection approval 19 May 1959
withdrawal from distribution 1 April 1966
Premiere
preview 17 July 1959 (kino Sevastopol /1 týden/, Praha)
premiere 24 July 1959 /unsuitable for youths/ (kina Jalta /3 týdny/, Arbes /1 týden/, Kyjev /1 týden/, Odboj /1 týden/, Revoluce /1 týden/, Eden /½ týdne/ a Oko /1 týden od 31. 7./, Praha)
Production
Copyright Holders
Studio
Distribution
Creative Group
Tvůrčí skupina Hanuš – Träger, Ladislav Hanuš (vedoucí výroby tvůrčí skupiny), Josef Träger (vedoucí dramaturg tvůrčí skupiny)
Technical info
Duration typology
feature film
Duration in minutes
78 min
Original length in metres
2 225 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
