Trailer Folk

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1966

Production year

1965—1966

Premiere

23 December 1966

Runtime

85 min

Director

Martin Frič

Category

film

Genre

drama

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Lidé z maringotek

Czech title

Lidé z maringotek

English title

Trailer Folk

Summary

This drama from one of the classic directors, Martin Frič, was inspired in 1966 by the short-story series of the same name by Eduard Bass and his famous book Cirkus Humberto (Circus Humberto), which František Filip adapted into a television series in 1988. The then 64-year-old director, along with screenwriter Antonín Máša, combined a mosaic of human stories into a well-knit narrative. The protagonist, young circus acrobat Vincek Bonžur (Jan Tříska), falls fatefully in love with beautiful equestrienne Nina Gruzie (Emília Vášáryová). However, the girl’s father, Lotyš (Martin Růžek), is not favourably inclined towards the relationship and neither is pragmatic reality. Under the gathering pressure, Nina’s pure nature is gradually overtaken by cold calculation... The bitterly poetic narrative takes full advantage of the atmosphere of the circus, thanks in part to production and technical support that was somewhat above what was typically accessible in the then Czechoslovakia – Frič was able to take advantage of wide-angled, colour material.

Synopsis

The young equestrian acrobat Nina Georgia [Nina Gruzia] is the National Circus's biggest star. Her Latvian father and Georgian mother disapprove of her growing love for the fellow equestrian and acrobat Vincek. They want a rich husband for their beautiful daughter. A disabled artiste warns Vincek of the danger of the acrobatic numbers with which the youth charms Nina. He once added a somersault to his performance and ended up with the injury that ruined him. Now he longs to buy the trained dogs from the tamer Reimann. Vincek is called up for military service. Nina promises to wait for him. Several years go by and Vincek is looking for his circus. He joins Leopold Čongr's wrestling team for a while. Then he finds the National but Nina is no longer in the circus; she and her family have gone to Russia. Vincek and his colleague Reimann go to Warsaw. Then Vincek joins a small group of tightrope artists, whose leader Marie falls in love with him. Vincek persuades them to travel east. He finally finds Nina in the Kuzněcký Circus and leaves Marie. But Nina has changed. She marries an old prince for money. Vincek returns to the National. One day, Nina shows up in his trailer dressed up in expensive clothes and the two begin living together. Vincek serves her slavishly and becomes a general laughing-stock. The love doesn't last long and Nina returns to her wealthy world. The old clown dies and the miserable Vincek takes over and performs his number. After the clown's funeral, he decides to stay in the circus and wait for Nina.

Cast

Jan Tříska

akrobat Vincek Bonžůr

Emília Vášáryová

krasojezdkyně Nina Gruzia

Martin Růžek

Lotyš, otec Niny

Dana Medřická

Gruzínka, matka Niny

Čestmír Řanda

principál cirkusu National

Ilja Prachař

cvičitel psů Reimann

Jarmila Smejkalová

Reimannova žena

Josef Větrovec

akrobat Vencl

Jiřina Štěpničková

akrobatka Žanda, Venclova manželka

Slávka Budínová

provazolezkyně Marie

Vlastimil Brodský

kulhavý artista zvaný Beznohý

Jaroslav Rozsíval

kotlář Ferdinand Vaňátko

Nina Popelíková

Karolin, Ferdinandova snoubenka

Josef Hlinomaz

zápasník Leopold Čongr

Václav Sloup

Čongrův syn

Jiří Sedlmayer

Čongrův syn

Vladimír Menšík

Ferdinandův kamarád

Mirko Musil

Ferdinandův kamarád

Bohumil Švarc

elegantní muž v obecenstvu

Oldřich Velen

Gardinský

Václav Trégl

nádražní posluha

Jan Maška

průvodčí ve vlaku

Josef Burda

muž s novinami

Jiřina Bílá

žena v obecenstvu

Stanislav Langer

kníže, ženich Niny

Isabella Hornová

mladá dívka

Zdeněk Hodr

vetešník

Jan Pohan

důstojník

Jaroslav Čejka

dubl za Jozefa Kronera – klaun

František Janeček (2)

dubl za Jana Třísku – artistické scény

Harald Štipka

dubl za Jana Třísku – artistické scény

A. Lisner

dubl za Josefa Větrovce – artistické scény

A. Vinický

dubl za Emíliu Vášáryovou – artistické scény

Michal Pavlata

Mariin syn

Eduard Pavlíček

muž s kufrem

J. Janečková

mladá akrobatka

K. Knot

artista

E. Omastová

artistka

Crew and creators

Director

Martin Frič

Second Unit Director

Miroslav Kubišta

Assistant Director

Josef Sandr

Based on

Eduard Bass (Lidé z maringotek – povídková kniha), Eduard Bass (Cirkus Humberto – román)

Shooting Script

Martin Frič

Director of Photography

Jan Stallich

Second Unit Photography

Stanislav Kautský

Camera Operator

Jaroslav Kaiser

Production Designer

Jan Zázvorka

Assistent Production Designer

Karel Vacek

Set Designer

Jaroslav Ciboch, Miroslav Fára, Karel Lukáš, Karel Smrž

Costume Designer

Adolf Wenig

Film Editor

Jan Kohout

Assistant Film Editor

Jarmila Müllerová

Sound Designer

Emanuel Formánek

Special Effects

Trikový ateliér FSB

Production Manager

Ladislav Terš

Unit Production Manager

Ctibor Novotný, Karel Prchal

Consultant

Zbyslaw Podstata

Cooperation

Ladislava Boudová (klapka), Karel Ješátko (fotograf)

Music

Music Composed by

Zdeněk Liška

Music Performed by

FISYO (Music Conducted by František Belfín)

Choreographer

Jiřina Kottová

Production info

Original Title

Lidé z maringotek

Czech Title

Lidé z maringotek

English Title

Trailer Folk

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

drama

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1966

Production Year

1965—1966

Production specifications

literary Screenplay approved 5 September 1962
technical Screenplay approved 21 July 1965
start of filming 26 November 1965
end of filming 3 June 1966
projection approval 23 September 1966
withdrawal from distribution 30 September 1976

Premiere

premiere 23 December 1966 /suitable for youths/ (kino Blaník /4 týdny/, Praha)
premiere 23 December 1966 /suitable for youths/ (celostátní)

Studio

Barrandov

Creative Group

Tvůrčí skupina Šmída – Fikar, Ladislav Fikar (vedoucí dramaturg tvůrčí skupiny), Bohumil Šmída (vedoucí výroby tvůrčí skupiny)

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

85 min

Original length in metres

2 402 meters

Distribution carrier

16mm, 35mm

Aspect ratio

1:1,66, 1:2,35

Colour

colour

Sound

sound

Sound system/format

mono

Versions

Czech

Dialogue languages

Czech

Subtitles languages

without subtitles

Opening/End credits languages

Czech