You Don’t Strike a Woman Even with a Flower
Country
CzechoslovakiaCopyright
1966Production year
1966Premiere
13 January 1967Runtime
95 minDirector
Zdeněk PodskalskýCategory
filmGenre
comedyTypology
featuretheatrical distributionlongOriginal title
Ženu ani květinou neuhodíšCzech title
Ženu ani květinou neuhodíšEnglish title
You Don’t Strike a Woman Even with a FlowerWorking title
Donchuán proti své vůli / Ženu ani květinouSummary
Jana Brejchová and Vlastimil Brodský were partners both off and on screen. In 1966, they appeared together in this relationship comedy from director Zdeňek Podskalský, written by experienced screenwriter Jaroslav Dietl. The 46-year-old Brodský plays musician Ludvík Podzimka, whose timidity and lack of good looks actually serve as an attraction to many women. But the tender-hearted, married Don Juan just has too many women on his plate. When beautiful compère Bohunka enters his life (played by the then 26-year-old Brejchová), Ludvík gets more than he bargained for. Bohunka insists on marriage, but he refuses to get divorced... Jiřina Bohdalová, Karolina Slunéčková and Květa Fialová play the other women in Ludvík’s life.
Synopsis
Shortish forty-year old Ludvík Podzimek, lute and flute player in a Prague orchestra, is far from being an attractive man. He is nevertheless generally considered a great 'Don Juan'. Women take up with him out of a certain motherly compassion and Ludvík's tender heart does not allow him to split with any of them. His lovers thus accumulate and cause him numerous troubles. Once he spends a night in a duvet box in the apartment of his former schoolmate Blažena whose husband returned home unexpectedly. His wife Zdena gets her revenge in saddling family friend Helena - of whom she is jealous - with him. Ludvík moves in with his male friend Břetislav. Pretty compere Bohunka accompanies the orchestra tour and falls in love with the Ludvík, making this plain to him in Prague when they accidentally meet in a wine cellar. Intellectual Dáša labels Ludvík a "passive erotic hack". Ludvík gives in to Bohunka's love. Their first night of love is interrupted by the arrival of the girl's parents. Bohunka proudly takes Ludvík away from the house and they both end up in a police station, for a man dressed only in pyjamas and a girl in a night dress cause turmoil on the crowded streets. The relationship continues but Ludvík is somehow not going to get divorced. Out of spite, Bohunka decides to marry another but runs away from the altar. She begins to pursue Ludvík and is gradually joined by the rest of his lovers. The unhappy man escapes. He then publishes an ad in the Lonely Hearts column, looking for yet another woman...
Film online
Photos
Cast
Vlastimil Brodský
hudebník Ludvík Podzimek
Jana Brejchová
konferenciérka Bohunka Jamborová
Jiřina Bohdalová
Helena Drozdová
Květa Fialová
Voice by Alena Kreuzmannová
intelektuálka Dáša
Jan Libíček
hobojista Břetislav
Josef Zíma
dirigent Arnošt Moravec
Ilja Prachař
JUDr. Vilém Jambor, otec Bohunky
Nina Popelíková
Jamborová, matka Bohunky
Vladimír Hlavatý
rekvizitář Čapek
Karolina Slunéčková
Blažena, Ludvíkova bývalá spolužačka
Zdeněk Dítě
Miloš, Blaženin manžel
Slávka Budínová
Zdena, Podzimkova žena
Marie Brožová
Podzimkova matka
Václav Lohniský
poručík VB
Vladimír Menšík
strážmistr SNB
Eduard Pergner
rotný SNB
Miloš Kopecký
muž za novinami
Klaudie Ferbrová
stará paní se psem
Jana Březinová
Arnoštova žena
Josef Mráz
opilý atomový fyzik, Dášin přítel
Vítězslav Černý
výtržník v úřadovně VB
Jiřina Steimarová
sousedka
Zdeněk Týle
soused
Vladimír Linka
hudebník
František Brož
hudebník
Eman Fiala
hudebník
Karel Hovorka
hudebník
Ivo Husák
hudebník
Lubomír Pánek
hudebník
Jaroslav Boťa
hudebník
Karel Kos
hudebník
Novák
hudebník
Jiří Hlava
hudebník
Pulkráb
hudebník
Ladislav Tvrz
hudebník
Karel Huth
hudebník
Helena Růžičková
Helenina sousedka
Marcela Sedláčková
žena s kyticí
Jarmila Švabíková
prodavačka prádla
Dališová
návštěvnice koncertu
Josef Vondráček
rozcuchaný muž
Vladimír Zátka
Ludvík, syn Podzimkových
Richard Záhorský
ženichův otec
Martin Štěpánek
Dášin mladík
Zdeněk Podskalský
rozčílený řidič
Crew and creators
Director
Second Unit Director
Assistant Director
Continuity
Screenstory
Screenplay
Shooting Script
Director of Photography
Second Unit Photography
Camera Operator
Production Designer
Assistent Production Designer
Set Designer
Ivan Ernyei, Josef Pavlík
Costume Designer
Costumes
Make-Up Artist
Film Editor
Assistant Film Editor
Sound Designer
Production Manager
Unit Production Manager
Růžena Hulínská, Karel Vejřík
Unit Production Manager
Consultant
Cooperation
Věra Houšková (klapka), Karel Šebík (fotograf)
Music
Music Composed by
Music Performed by
FISYO (Music Conducted by Milivoj UzelacŠtěpán Koníček)
Songs
Olivo, olivo zelená
Singer Vokální soubor Jiřího Linhy
Léta plynou jako voda pode mlejnem
Singer Vokální soubor Jiřího Linhy
Production info
Original Title
Ženu ani květinou neuhodíš
Czech Title
Ženu ani květinou neuhodíš
English Title
You Don’t Strike a Woman Even with a Flower
Working Title
Donchuán proti své vůli / Ženu ani květinou
Category
film
Typology
featuretheatrical distribution
Genre
comedy
Origin country
Czechoslovakia
Copyright
1966
Production Year
1966
Production specifications
literary Screenplay approved 11 June 1965
technical Screenplay approved 11 December 1965
start of filming 28 January 1966
end of filming 18 July 1966
projection approval 6 September 1966
withdrawal from distribution 30 September 1976
Premiere
premiere 13 January 1967 /unsuitable for youths/ (celostátní)
premiere 20 January 1967 /unsuitable for youths/ (kina 64 U Hradeb /1 týden/ a Blaník /4 týdny od 27. 1./, Praha)
Production
Copyright Holders
Studio
Distribution
Creative Group
Tvůrčí skupina Feix – Brož, Miloš Brož (vedoucí dramaturg tvůrčí skupiny), Karel Feix (vedoucí výroby tvůrčí skupiny)
Technical info
Duration typology
feature film
Duration in minutes
95 min
Original length in metres
2 713 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
