The Runaway

Country

Czechoslovakia, German Democratic Republic

Copyright

1961

Production year

1961

Premiere

31 August 1962

Runtime

64 min

Category

film

Genre

children, adventure

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Uprchlík

Czech title

Uprchlík

English title

The Runaway

Co-production title

Igelfreundschaft

Working title

Přátelství s ježkem / Přátelství pionýrů

Synopsis

German boy Heiner lives in the frontier village of Jugenthal in the German Democratic Republic. One day, he finds a hedgehog with a ring on its hind leg. He carries the animal home and takes comfort from him. Children from Jugenthal are invited by the children from the Czech village of Malešice for a visit. They are all looking forward to the visit and prepare small gifts for their Czech friends. In Malešice, Heiner meets Jana, who shows him how to dance the polka and prides herself with the rabbits they breed in the family. Heiner confesses to having no idea of how to breed these small creatures. At the same time, Jana sadly complains to him that her little hedgehog Vašek is missing. After the sign on the hedgehog's bowl, identical with the one on the ring, Heiner realizes that the pet he found was Jana's, but does not want to give it up. Upon his return from Malešice, he suffers from twinges of conscience, performs poorly at school and shuns his friends' company. When, after some time, there arrives a gift from the Czech children - their most beloved little white rabbit - he decides to return the hedgehog. While crossing the border, he loses his way, ends up in a swamp and is found and saved by the Czech frontier guard. Jana is very happy to reunite with her dear and newly discovered pet.

Note

Writer Jan Procházka collaborated only on the first version of the script.

Cast

Anna Kotroušová

Jana

Michael Nathan

Felix

Horst Kube

Heinerův otec, horník

Karla Runkehl

Heinerova matka

Otto Dierichs

učitel

Oldřich Lukeš

Janin otec, kapitán pohraničníků

Adolf Král

pohraničník František

Dieter Perlwitz

německý pohraničník

Stanislav Oubram

pohraničník

Zdeněk Novotný

pohraničník

Joachim Krause

Tipp

Klaus Schulz

Horst

Crew and creators

Second Unit Director

Zdenka Petřková

Assistant Director

Eva Mičulková, Miloslav Čech

Based on

Martin Viertel (Ježčí přátelství /Igelfreundschaft/ – povídka)

Director of Photography

Josef Novotný

Production Designer

Jaroslav Krška, Paul Lehmann

Set Designer

Erwin Haberland, Karel Lukáš

Sound Designer

Karel Zákora, Kurt Eppers

Production Manager

Jiří Bečka, Hans Mahlich

Unit Production Manager

Jan Kadlec, Heinz Fröhlich

Cooperation

Karel Dobřichovský (fotograf), Miloš Šauer (fotograf)

Dialogues of Czech version

Rudolf Vodička

Direction of Czech version

Irena Skružná

Music

Music Composed by

Miloš Vacek

Music Performed by

FISYO (Music Conducted by Štěpán Koníček)

Songs

Celá země jarem zkrásnělá

Singer dětský sbor

Vstaňte již, zní kohouta hlas

Singer dětský sbor

Production info

Original Title

Uprchlík

Czech Title

Uprchlík

English Title

The Runaway

Co-production Title

Igelfreundschaft

Working Title

Přátelství s ježkem / Přátelství pionýrů

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

children, adventure

Origin country

Czechoslovakia, German Democratic Republic

Copyright

1961

Production Year

1961

Production specifications

literary Screenplay approved 17 June 1961
start of filming 29 June 1961
technical Screenplay approved 12 July 1961
end of filming 13 October 1961
projection approval 12/1961
withdrawal from distribution 31 August 1976

Premiere

premiere 31 August 1962 /suitable for youths/ (celostátní)
premiere 19 October 1962 /suitable for youths/ (kino Tatra /1 týden/, Praha)

Copyright Holders

Národní filmový archiv

Creative Group

Tvůrčí skupina Hanuš – Jelínek, Ladislav Hanuš (vedoucí výroby tvůrčí skupiny), Václav Jelínek (vedoucí dramaturg tvůrčí skupiny)

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

64 min

Original length in metres

1 812 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