The Cock Scares Death Away
Country
CzechoslovakiaCopyright
1961Production year
1961Premiere
18 May 1962Runtime
93 minDirector
Vladimír ČechCategory
filmGenre
drama, spyTypology
featuretheatrical distributionlongOriginal title
Kohout plaší smrtCzech title
Kohout plaší smrtEnglish title
The Cock Scares Death AwayWorking title
Operace Buster, Hrst prachuSynopsis
In the summer 1950, agent Ertl is sent from the West to a small town in the Beskids Mountain where he is to establish contact with the saboteurs Hanák and Kopal. Together, they will develop a network of spies and saboteurs in the Czechoslovak Republic, and retrieve an arms depot that the German Wehrmacht has left in the mountains. But Ertl is caught and the police send their man Borek with a radio transmitter to join the saboteurs. The men are hiding at the kulak Nejdek's house, from which later they move to stay with Pastyřík in the mountains where they are joined by young Jožka. Kopal and Hanák distrust Borek and put him to a test: they ask him to shoot the communist Kořánová. Borek sends a message to his superiors asking for advice, but the warning fails to reach them in time. Guarded by the hostile Kopal and Jožka, Borek shoots past Kořánová and declares to his warder-companions that the woman is dead. On their way back, Borek must hand in his weapon to Kopal. There is a car waiting on the road to take them across the border but then, all of a sudden, Pastyřík's little daughter Cilka, who has secretly followed Hanák, calls out after Borek. There is a shoot-out and Borek is killed. The police arrest the entire group.
Photos
Cast
Otakar Brousek
agent Ertl
Karel Höger
diverzant Ervín Kopal
Josef Bek
diverzant Metud Hanák
Július Pántik
příslušník SNB Borek
Otomar Krejča
statkář Nejdek
Jiřina Štěpničková
Nejdkova žena
Libuše Geprtová
Bětka, dcera Nejdkových
Jan Tříska
Jožka, Bětčin přítel
Jiřina Petrovická
členka představenstva Helena Kořánová
Marcela Jandová
Cilka
Bohuš Záhorský
Pastyřík, otec Cilky
Jana Drbohlavová
Lída
Václav Sloup
Tonda, Lídin snoubenec
Jiří Dohnal
náčelník SNB Kolman
Milka Balek-Brodská
venkovanka s hráběmi
Gabriela Bártlová-Buddeusová
Věrka, prodavačka v bufetu
Karel Bezděk
sedlák
Jan Pohan
učitel
Radoslav Brzobohatý
příslušník SNB Zika
Taťána Fischerová
dcera Kořánové
Elena Hálková
hospodská
Hana Hamplová
Lišková
Věra Hanslíková
venkovanka
Jaroslav Heyduk
Pálek
Alexandra Myšková
Františka, Pálkova žena
Zdeněk Jelínek
příslušník SNB
Karel Kocourek
dělník
Ilona Kubásková
trafikantka
Otto Lackovič
Soukup
Martin Liška
příslušník SNB
Josef Lhoták
sedlák
Oldřich Lukeš
sedlák
Václav Podhorský
sedlák
Josef Příhoda
sedlák
Zdeněk Skalický
sedlák
Mirko Musil
vesničan
Josef Svátek
vesničan
Zdeněk Jelen
radista
Milan Neděla
řidič
Hynek Němec
dělník
Jaroslav Synák
Malčák
Václav Švec
muž ve světlém klobouku
Jana Werichová
venkovanka
Jiřina Bílá
venkovanka
Jaroslav Zrotal
řečník
Josef Větrovec
muž v hospodě
Libuše Švormová
svazačka
Antonín Kandert
Tondův otec
J. Reis
příslušník SNB
Crew and creators
Director
Second Unit Director
Assistant Director
Screenstory
Screenplay
Shooting Script
Director of Photography
Second Unit Photography
Camera Operator
Production Designer
Assistent Production Designer
Set Designer
Jiří Kalina, Josef Pavlík
Costume Designer
Costumes
Make-Up Artist
Film Editor
Assistant Film Editor
Sound Designer
František Černý, Bohumír Brunclík (zvukové efekty)
Production Manager
Unit Production Manager
Václav Cajthaml, Růžena Hulínská
Unit Production Manager
Jiří Mařas
Consultant
Karel Kalivoda
Cooperation
Jana Rozbrojová (klapka), Josef Vítek (fotograf)
Music
Music Composed by
Music Performed by
FISYO (Music Conducted by Štěpán Koníček), Dětský pěvecký sbor (Music Conducted by Bohumil Kulínský), Dvořákovo kvarteto
Songs
Škoda lásky
Song Composer Jaromír Vejvoda
Sluníčko svítí, nese nám kvítí
Singer Dětský pěvecký sbor
Production info
Original Title
Kohout plaší smrt
Czech Title
Kohout plaší smrt
English Title
The Cock Scares Death Away
Working Title
Operace Buster, Hrst prachu
Category
film
Typology
featuretheatrical distribution
Genre
drama, spy
Origin country
Czechoslovakia
Copyright
1961
Production Year
1961
Production specifications
literary Screenplay approved 15 March 1961
technical Screenplay approved 7 June 1961
start of filming 26 June 1961
end of filming 23 November 1961
projection approval 28 December 1961
withdrawal from distribution 31 December 1975
Premiere
preview 27 April 1962 (kino Sevastopol /1 týden/, Praha)
premiere 4 May 1962 /suitable for youths/ (kina Arbes /1 týden/, Kotva /2 týdny/ a Mír /1 týden od 11. 5./, Praha)
premiere 18 May 1962 /suitable for youths/ (celostátní)
Production
Copyright Holders
Studio
Distribution
Creative Group
Tvůrčí skupina Šmída – Fikar, Ladislav Fikar (vedoucí dramaturg tvůrčí skupiny), Bohumil Šmída (vedoucí výroby tvůrčí skupiny)
Technical info
Duration typology
feature film
Duration in minutes
93 min
Original length in metres
2 660 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
