On the Tightrope
Country
CzechoslovakiaCopyright
1963Production year
1962—1963Premiere
25 October 1963Runtime
110 minDirector
Ivo NovákCategory
filmGenre
psychologicalTypology
featuretheatrical distributionlongOriginal title
Na laněCzech title
Na laněEnglish title
On the TightropeSynopsis
It is Saturday and the construction worker Kája Micka has just received his wages. His father, a brute and a notorious alcoholic, comes at once and extorts all the money out of him, as he has done many times before. Kája's mother, a tough and bitter woman, does not believe that Kája did not spend the money. She likes neither Kája nor his younger sister Růža. Her favourite is the elder son Rudolf, a cruel and selfish man who did not even invite his family, which he is ashamed of, to his wedding. Kája is deft and industrious and desperately tries to make the family look functional - he regularly searches for his father in the pubs and is kind to his mother even despite her assaults and slaps. He is the favourite of the group of friends with which he regularly goes to a country cottage, but all the same, from time to time they make fun of him for his constant lack of money. Kája is musically talented, plays guitar and studied civil engineering. However, the situation in his family forced him to leave school and work as an auxiliary worker. Some time ago, he loved one girl from the group, a hairdresser Bimba, but she preferred the well-established Hynek. Kája's life is paradoxically changed for the better by the tragic death of his drunk father, who is run over by a car. Kája leaves for the Kladno steel foundry and becomes one of the best workers with the support of the brickmaster Naxera. He also finds a new love, Alena, a girl working in the factory canteen.
Photos
Cast
Ladislav Janský
Voice by Josef Abrhám
Kája Micka zvaný Kočka
Evelyna Steimarová
kadeřnice Bimba, Kájova kamarádka
Jiří Bednář
Hynek, Kájův kamarád
Marie Krejčová
Voice by Zuzana Stivínová
Alena, dívka ze závodní jídelny
Jitka Zelenohorská
Růža, Kájova nejmladší sestra
Nina Popelíková
Kájova matka
Déda Papež
uhlíř Micka, Kájův otec
Slávka Špánková
Hanka, Kájova kamarádka
Karel Brožek
Kristus, Hančin manžel
Petr Haničinec
Rudolf, Kájův starší bratr
Aglaia Morávková
Eliška, Rudolfova žena
Vlado Müller
mistr Gustav Naxera
Dana Richterová
překladatelka Jiřina, vdova po letci
Věra Bublíková
vedoucí osobního oddělení
Vratislav Blažek
úředník v náborové kanceláři
Vladimír Krška
ošetřovatel v léčebně
Václav Lohniský
číšník v nádražní restauraci
Karel Novák
lékař
Karel Hábl
Voice by Petr Kostka
Pepek, Kájův kamarád
František Miška
Voice by Miloš Vavruška
Hynkův otec
Miluše Zoubková
Hynkova matka
Rudolf Vodrážka
přítel Hynkovy matky
Josef Skrčený
suchý chlapík, žadatel o práci
Ilona Kubásková
Pepkova matka
Alena Bradáčová
Rudolfova přítelkyně
Jiří Malásek
klavírista
Helena Nováčková
prodavačka oděvů
Jiřina Pehrová
pokladní
Vladimír Čech
Eliščin otec
Vladimír Svitáček
dělník
Josef Šulc
dělník
Antonín Novotný
dělník
František Suchomel
dělník
Vladimír Linka
zedník
Karel Černoch
zedník
Ivo Niederle
zedník
Vladimír Navrátil
zedník
Ladislav Šimek
mistr Robert
Mirko Musil
železničář
Jaroslav Moučka
železničář na motorce
Jaroslava Vošmiková
dívka
Karel Kocourek
zřízenec
Gustav Vondráček
pacient
Marcela Sedláčková
sousedka
Gabriela Kaulfusová
sousedka
Jaroslav Mařan
A. Hadrabová
Crew and creators
Director
Second Unit Director
Assistant Director
Dagmar Zelenková, Marie Kaplanová
Screenstory
Screenplay
Shooting Script
Director of Photography
Camera Operator
Vladimír Zajíc
Production Designer
Assistent Production Designer
Set Designer
Emanuel Dvořáček, Ivan Ernyei, Eva Slívová
Costume Designer
Costumes
Make-Up Artist
Film Editor
Assistant Film Editor
Sound Designer
Adolf Böhm, Bohumír Brunclík (zvukové efekty)
Special Effects
Production Manager
Unit Production Manager
Jaromír Lukáš, Jiří Kamarýt
Unit Production Manager
Dagmar Rašilovová
Cooperation
Emanuela Peterová (klapka)
Music
Music Composed by
Music Performed by
FISYO (Music Conducted by František Belfín), Jiří Jirmal /kytara/
Songs
Když jsem k vám chodíval přes ty lesy
Song Composer lidová píseň
Writer of Lyrics lidová píseň
Singer mužský hlas
Stavěli tesaři zedníkům lešení
Song Composer lidová píseň
Writer of Lyrics parafráze Stavěli tesaři hospodu
Singer sbor
Production info
Original Title
Na laně
Czech Title
Na laně
English Title
On the Tightrope
Category
film
Typology
featuretheatrical distribution
Genre
psychological
Origin country
Czechoslovakia
Copyright
1963
Production Year
1962—1963
Production specifications
literary Screenplay approved 6 August 1962
start of filming 17 September 1962
technical Screenplay approved 29 September 1962
end of filming 24 May 1963
projection approval 3 July 1963
withdrawal from distribution 1 September 1974
Premiere
premiere 25 October 1963 /unsuitable for youths/ (celostátní)
premiere 1 November 1963 /unsuitable for youths/ (kino Blaník /4 týdny/, Praha)
Production
Copyright Holders
Distribution
Creative Group
Tvůrčí skupina Švabík – Procházka, Jan Procházka (vedoucí dramaturg tvůrčí skupiny), Erich Švabík (vedoucí výroby tvůrčí skupiny)
Technical info
Duration typology
feature film
Duration in minutes
110 min
Original length in metres
3 145 meters
Distribution carrier
16mm, 35mm
Aspect ratio
1:1,66, 1:2,35
Colour
black & white
Sound
sound
Sound system/format
mono
Versions
Czech
Dialogue languages
Czech
Subtitles languages
without subtitles
Opening/End credits languages
Czech
