Chance Meeting

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1964

Production year

1964

Premiere

26 March 1965

Runtime

94 min

Category

film

Genre

drama, social, psychological

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

První den mého syna

Czech title

První den mého syna

English title

Chance Meeting

Summary

Adolescents’ troubles are at the centre of this 1964 drama made by Ladislav Helge. In the film, which modestly ties in with the works of other Czechoslovak New Wave directors, Petr Kostka plays the labourer Oldřich. He runs into 17-year-old youth Žluťásek while in a pub celebrating the birth of his son. The night the two subsequently spend together in the drunk tank convinces Oldřich to take an interest in Žluťásek’s life. The young man doesn’t work and hangs out with a group led by the washed out actor Ancek (Luděk Munzar). Oldřich, in vain, tries to help Žluťásek... První den mého syna offered a huge acting opportunity for the then 22-year-old Vladimír Pucholt (Žluťásek). He had already been given roles by Miloš Forman in his 1963 films Černý Petr (Black Peter) and in his 1964 short comedy Kdyby ty muziky nebyly (If Only They Ain't Had Them Bands), as well as the starring role in his successful 1964 musical comedy and drama Starci na chmelu (Hop-Pickers).

Synopsis

Wandering around wine bars and pubs drinking, thirty-year old worker Oldřich, who is celebrating the birth of his son, meets a seventeen-year old lad called Yellow T-shirt Boy [Žluťásek]. Yellow T-shirt Boy is a problematic young man. Forced to leave his job because he kept provoking conflicts, he now finds some satisfaction as a member of a gang led by the failed actor Ancek. He gets no support at home either; his father has vanished without a trace and his mother has been unable to cope. Oldřich learns all this in the small hours of the following day, after waking up next to Yellow T-shirt Boy sobering-up station. The new father is so moved by the young man's life that he starts taking care of the boy. Yellow T-shirt Boy is distrustful at first but is finally glad to have found a friend in Oldřich. He invites him to join Ancek's gang. Oldřich sees that Ancek is a cynical man who teaches the young boys to steal and drink, and he confronts Ancek. There is a fight. Ancek is stronger and overpowers him. Embarrassed by the defeat, Oldřich abandons Yellow T-shirt Boy, who has stood by and kept out of the fight. He leaves with a tirade of scolding and offensive words. The sad boy in his yellow T-shirt is alone again.

Cast

Petr Kostka

Oldřich Olejník

Vladimír Pucholt

Jiří Kouba zvaný Žluťásek

Luděk Munzar

Ancek, šéf party

Klára Babrajová

Maruška, přítelkyně Jiřího

Ladislav Suchánek

vrátný

Helena Kružíková

Koubová, Žluťáskova matka

František Němec

Karel zvaný Kajman, člen party

Jaroslav Dufek

Vondráček, mistr elektrikářů

František Šlégr

vinárník Švach

Zdeněk Jaša

Dráp, člen party

Miloslav Kročil

mladý elektromontér

Jana Gýrová

dívka v telefonní budce

Dubbing

Oldřich Musil

hlas taxíkáře

Zdeněk Řehoř

hlas lékaře

Jaroslav Moučka

hlas mistra montérů

Crew and creators

Second Unit Director

Václav Matějka

Assistant Director

Drahomíra Králová

Based on

Ivan Kříž (První den mého syna – novela)

Director of Photography

Jiří Tarantík

Second Unit Photography

Jan Kváča

Camera Operator

Bohumil Paris

Production Designer

Miroslav Hrachovec

Set Designer

Ladislav Krbec, Miloš Osvald, Jiří Rulík

Assistant Film Editor

Růžena Hejsková

Sound Designer

Roman Hloch, Bohumír Brunclík (zvukové efekty)

Production Manager

Ladislav Terš

Unit Production Manager

Miloš Stejskal, Karel Prchal

Unit Production Manager

Marie Zemanová

Cooperation

Doriana Felberová (klapka), František Mališ (vrchní osvětlovač)

Music

Music Composed by

Svatopluk Havelka

Music Performed by

FISYO (Music Conducted by František Belfín)

Songwriter

skupina The Shadows

Songs

Sedí sokol na javori

Song Composer lidová píseň
Writer of Lyrics lidová píseň
Singer Petr KostkaLadislav Suchánek

Vínečko bílé

Song Composer František Hřebačka-Mikulecký
Writer of Lyrics František Hřebačka-Mikulecký
Singer Petr KostkaLadislav Suchánek

Schody do nebe

Song Composer Karel Kopecký
Writer of Lyrics Jindřich Faktor
Singer mužský sbor

Production info

Original Title

První den mého syna

Czech Title

První den mého syna

English Title

Chance Meeting

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

drama, social, psychological

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1964

Production Year

1964

Production specifications

literary Screenplay approved 31 October 1962
technical Screenplay approved 13 April 1964
start of filming 8 June 1964
end of filming 30 October 1964
projection approval 22 December 1964
withdrawal from distribution 6 April 1973

Premiere

preview 5 March 1965 (kino Sevastopol /1 týden/, Praha)
premiere 19 March 1965 /unsuitable for youths/ (kino Lucerna /1 týden/, Praha)
premiere 26 March 1965 /unsuitable for youths/ (celostátní)

Creative Group

Tvůrčí skupina Šebor – Bor, Vladimír Bor (vedoucí dramaturg tvůrčí skupiny), Jiří Šebor (vedoucí výroby tvůrčí skupiny)

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

94 min

Original length in metres

2 671 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