The Murderer Hides His Face

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1966

Production year

1965—1966

Premiere

28 October 1966

Runtime

92 min

Category

film

Genre

drama, crime

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Vrah skrývá tvář

Czech title

Vrah skrývá tvář

English title

The Murderer Hides His Face

Summary

Director Petr Schulhoff created a popular series of crime dramas with plainclothes detective Major Kalaš as the central character. The crime thriller Vrah skrývá tvář (The Murderer Hides His Face, 1966) was followed by Po stopách krve (On the Trail of Blood, 1969) and Diagnóza smrti (Diagnosis of Death, 1979). The first two stand out for their bleak and “paranoid” atmosphere, which audiences seemed to connect with, and the excellent performance by Rudolf Hrušínský in the role of Major Kalaš. Together with his trusty sidekick First Lieutenant Varga (Radoslav Brzobohatý) Major Kalaš endeavours to unravel the murder of a nurse. They uncover links to another murder committed three months previously which point the investigation towards a sexually motivated mass murderer. When another crime is committed the circle of suspicion narrows but the perpetrator is only discovered thanks to a brilliant crime reconstruction staged by Kalaš… Popular psychiatrist, doctor Plzák appeared as himself, just as he did in Takže ahoj (So Bye-bye, 1970) and V hlavní roli Oldřich Nový (Starring Oldřich Nový, 1980).

Synopsis

In the forest near the village of Drahovice, a nurse from the local health centre, Marcela Brychová, is found murdered. Three months ago, another young woman died nearby and a sexual motive was proved in the case of her murder. In the case of Brychová, the motives are not so clear. Two criminologists from Prague - Major Kalaš and Lieutenant Varga - patiently collect all available leads and question the villagers. Marcela's husband, who is serving his military duty, might have a motive - having had learned from his mother that his wife had been cheating on him. The detectives also find Marcela's lover, window-dresser Kyncl. Gamekeeper Bureš and divorced physician Wintr, the latter being Marcela's employer, are also suspects. Moreover, the imbecile horse herdsman Michal was in the forest in the critical time. The alibis of all the suspects are gradually proved. Then, the body of the young woman accountant from the local cooperative is found murdered. Before she left to visit her mother, the cooperative manager Král advanced her one thousand crowns, and robbery is thus a possible motive. The autopsy, however, again proves sexual violence. Michal may know something, but he falls down from an attic. The circle tightens. The investigators are helped by the psychological portrait of the murderer. Král's brother Jiří, governing the local chateau, has a very young step-daughter named Radka. She, too, was attacked a year ago, but survived the assault. During the re-enactment of the girl's attack, the investigators break through her psychological trauma. Radka's reaction proves her step-father's guilt of the sexual attack.

Film online

Cast

Rudolf Hrušínský

major SNB Kalaš

Radoslav Brzobohatý

nadporučík SNB Varga

Jiří Pleskot

poručík VB Louda

Ferdinand Krůta

Jiří Král, správce ze zámečku

Ludmila Roubíková

Králová, správcova žena

Zuzana Ondrouchová

Radka, dcera Králové

Zdeněk Kutil

vedoucí statku Král, Jiřího bratr

Jaroslav Moučka

hajný Bureš

Josef Bláha

MUDr. Wintr, drahovický doktor

Jindřich Světnica

pasák koní Michal, místní blázen

Jarmila Doležalová

Táňa Válková, přítelkyně Brychové

František Peterka

reklamní aranžér Jiří Kyncl

Zdeněk Šňupárek

Voice by Oldřich Velen
lékař z pitevny

Věra Tichánková

tchyně Brychová

Josef Šebek

vojín Brych, manžel Brychové

Lola Skrbková

Horáková, Michalova babička

Miloš Willig

nadrotmistr VB

Helena Růžičková

zaměstnankyně statku

Vladimír Foukal

řidič Tatry 603

Robert Morávek

Voice by Karel Pavlík
lékař kriminálky

Jarmila Rašilovová

Marcela Brychová

A. Prudká

Kramářová

Crew and creators

Second Unit Director

Miloš Kohout, Marta Kunstová

Assistant Director

Stanislava Hutková

Shooting Script

Petr Schulhoff

Director of Photography

Jiří Vojta

Second Unit Photography

Jiří Stöhr

Camera Operator

Emil Hora

Production Designer

Jan Oliva

Assistent Production Designer

Jan Kňákal

Set Designer

Karel Kracík, Ladislav Winkelhöfer

Costume Designer

Marta Bártová

Assistant Film Editor

Helena Lehovcová

Sound Designer

Jiří Kejř

Production Manager

Jiří Krejčí

Unit Production Manager

Vlasta Kolbasová, Josef Mojžíš

Unit Production Manager

Milena Andrejsková

Consultant

kpt. Josef Vaněček, MUDr. Miroslav Plzák, MUDr. Zdeněk Šňupárek

Cooperation

Hana Cillerová (klapka), Jaroslav Chlasták (fotograf)

Music

Music Composed by

Pavel Blatný

Music Performed by

FISYO (Music Conducted by František Belfín)

Songs

Musím vám již sbohem dáti

Singer ženský sbor

Production info

Original Title

Vrah skrývá tvář

Czech Title

Vrah skrývá tvář

English Title

The Murderer Hides His Face

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

drama, crime

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1966

Production Year

1965—1966

Production specifications

literary Screenplay approved 30 July 1965
technical Screenplay approved 8 September 1965
start of filming 11 October 1965
end of filming 7 March 1966
projection approval 17 May 1966
withdrawal from distribution 1 September 1974

Premiere

premiere 7 October 1966 /unsuitable for youths/ (kina 64 U Hradeb /1 týden/ a Blaník /5 týdnů od 25. 11./, Praha)
premiere 28 October 1966 /unsuitable for youths/ (celostátní)

Creative Group

Tvůrčí skupina Novotný – Kubala, Bedřich Kubala (vedoucí dramaturg tvůrčí skupiny), Ladislav Novotný (vedoucí výroby tvůrčí skupiny)

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

92 min

Original length in metres

2 626 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

Awards

Vítěz

Event: Odměna vedení Československého filmu za nejúspěšnější film roku 1966

1967
Praha / Czechoslovakia
Petr Schulhoff