An Unusual Class
Country
CzechoslovakiaCopyright
1964Production year
1964Premiere
30 April 1965Runtime
88 minDirector
Josef PinkavaCategory
filmGenre
comedyTypology
featuretheatrical distributionlongOriginal title
Neobyčejná třídaCzech title
Neobyčejná třídaEnglish title
An Unusual ClassSummary
Among the numerous movies made for children and young adults by Josef Pinkava in the 1960s was this 1964 comedy about an all-girl graduating class. The girls are in constant conflict with Křivka, their unfair teacher of Czech. Things escalate during a winter school trip to the Giant Mountains (Krkonoše), but they fare much better with the grumpy foreman in the engineering plant where they go for practical training. Graduation brings an end to the girls’ joys and woes. Real life awaits... As a light comedy this motion picture presents an idealised picture of student life in the contemporary era: the girls show a moral conscience in dropping their efforts at proving their teacher’s guilt, and pledge not to cheat during examinations. The film, starring Helga Čočková and Evelyna Steimarová as students, cannot compare to titles dealing with the same topics that were made during the Czechoslovak New Wave, such as Věra Chytilová’s short documentary Pytel blech (A Bag of Fleas, 1962) or Miloš Forman’s Černý Petr (Black Peter, 1963).
Synopsis
The last grade of the twelve-year secondary school is attended only by girls. At school, they have turned famous for the mischief they get into but their class-teacher Kotková likes them and watches both their joys and distresses with understanding. The girls' production training takes place in a vast machine-tool factory, where they sometimes have conflicts with the leading master, whom they nickname Grouch [Bručoun]. At school, the girls suspect the Czech language teacher Křivka of unjust marking. One day, a competition for the best class in school results is announced; the winners are going to go for a trip to the Giant Mountains. Eventually both the school-leaving classes go. In the mountains, the girls enjoy their winter revel until Křivka bans them from attending a carnival. Four students refuse to obey his ban. At the carnival, Křivka asks Drahuše, who's wearing a Gypsy mask, to dance and the girl, under the pretext of reading his palm, tells him about all his bad qualities. The offended Křivka fails to disguising her identity. After the students return from the mountains, time runs fast. The girls reconcile with Grouch, talk about love, pretend to have astonishing boyfriends and prepare for graduation. They also try to convict Křivka of injustice, but Drahuše eventually switches off the tape recorder, which was to deliver the needed proof. With the graduation, the jolly years are over and the girls, moved, say farewell both to the Grouch and Professor Kotková.
Photos
Cast
Helga Čočková
studentka Drahuše Chvojková
Natálie Maslovová
předsedkyně třídy Pavlína Janečková
Evelyna Steimarová
studentka Katka
Karel Urbánek
profesor češtiny Křivka
Vladimír Hlavatý
mistr v továrně Brouček zvaný Bručoun
Zora Rozsypalová
třídní profesorka Kotková
Halina Píchová
Miriam, studentka s drdolem
Daniela Pokorná
Maruš Dostálová, rozjedená studentka
Libuše Rafajová
brýlatá Marcela zvaná Markétka
Jarmila Rázlová
Jiřina, studentka z III. A
Helena Říhová
studentka Barbora, fotografka
Táňa Stará
studentka Zuzana
Eva Vodičková
vzorná studentka Andělka
Alexandra Gasnárková
studentka Štěpánka Havlíková
Marie Čtvrtníčková
studentka
Běla Hájková
studentka
Anna Hýbnerová
studentka
Anna Kašová
studentka
Lída Milevská
studentka
Karel Meister
ředitel školy zvaný Sokrates
Svatopluk Matyáš
profesor matematiky Houdek
František Šec
Dostál
Josef Zach
Kouřil
Alois Müller
Bedřich Havlík, otec Štěpánky
Milena Asmanová
Havlíkova žena
Josef Haukvic
Chvojka, otec Drahuše
Jitka Rákosníková
Chvojkova žena
Zdeněk Blažek
učitel Angličanů
Miloš Jahoda
Ivo Brandejs
Radim Cvrček
mladý dělník
Jaroslav Těšitel
student III. A
Jan Odl
student III. A
Jiří Havel
Katčin přítel
Ladislav Frej
stavař Tomáš Štrojsa
Eva Pilarová
ona sama
Waldemar Matuška
on sám
Helena Blehárová
ona sama
Jaromír Hnilička
on sám
Gustav Brom
on sám
Orchestr Gustava Broma
orchestr na maturitním plese
Commentary
Crew and creators
Director
Assistant Director
Marta Novotná, Radim Cvrček
Based on
Danielle Dušková (Neobyčejná třída – novela)
Screenplay
Dramaturg
Director of Photography
Camera Operator
Production Designer
Set Designer
František Santarius, Vilém Janík
Costume Designer
Costumes
Make-Up Artist
Film Editor
Sound Designer
František Strangmüller, Bohumír Brunclík (zvukové efekty)
Production Manager
Unit Production Manager
Unit Production Manager
Cooperation
Emil Bártek (fotograf)
Music
Music Composed by
Music Performed by
FISYO (Music Conducted by František Belfín), Orchestr Gustava Broma (Music Conducted by Gustav Brom), Rytmická skupina Miroslava Kefurta
Songs
Svět je karneval
Song Composer Evžen Illín
Writer of Lyrics Zdeněk Borovec
Singer Eva PilarováWaldemar Matuška
Dobře, že tě lásko mám
Song Composer Evžen Illín
Writer of Lyrics Zdeněk Borovec
Singer Eva Pilarová
Včera neděle byla
Song Composer Jiří Šlitr
Writer of Lyrics Jiří Suchý
Singer dívčí sbor
Oliver Twist
Song Composer Karel Mareš
Writer of Lyrics Rostislav Černý
Singer Eva PilarováWaldemar Matuška
Jednoduchá píseň na dvou tónech
Singer Gustav BromJaromír Hnilička
Amare
Singer Helena Blehárová
Já jsem zamilovaná
Song Composer Jaromír Vomáčka
Writer of Lyrics Zdeněk Borovec
Singer Yvetta Simonová
Production info
Original Title
Neobyčejná třída
Czech Title
Neobyčejná třída
English Title
An Unusual Class
Category
film
Typology
featuretheatrical distribution
Genre
comedy
Origin country
Czechoslovakia
Copyright
1964
Production Year
1964
Production specifications
literary Screenplay approved 24 August 1963
technical Screenplay approved 15 January 1964
start of filming 15 February 1964
end of filming 16 July 1964
projection approval 9 November 1964
withdrawal from distribution 30 September 1991
Premiere
preview 26 March 1965 (kino Sevastopol /2 týdny/, Praha)
premiere 9 April 1965 /suitable for youths/ (kina Lucerna /3 týdny/ a Ořechovka /1 týden od 23. 4./, Praha)
premiere 30 April 1965 /suitable for youths/ (celostátní)
Production
Copyright Holders
Distribution
Technical info
Duration typology
feature film
Duration in minutes
88 min
Original length in metres
2 502 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
Awards
Vítěz
Exhibition: 5. celostátní přehlídka československých filmů pro děti a mládež Gottwaldov
1966
Zlín / Czechoslovakia
Josef Pinkava
Vítěz
Festival: 1. mezinárodní festival filmů pro děti a mládež Gottwaldov
1965
Zlín / Czechoslovakia
Vítěz
Festival: 1. mezinárodní festival filmů pro děti a mládež Gottwaldov
1965
Zlín / Czechoslovakia
