Crime in the Night-Club
Country
CzechoslovakiaCopyright
1968Production year
1968Premiere
20 December 1968Runtime
83 minDirector
Jiří MenzelCategory
filmGenre
music, comedyTypology
featuretheatrical distributionlongOriginal title
Zločin v šantánuCzech title
Zločin v šantánuEnglish title
Crime in the Night-ClubSummary
Following Zločin v dívčí škole (The Crime at the Girls’ School, 1965), director Jiří Menzel returned to his collaboration with novelist Josef Škvorecký. But prior to this 1968 motion picture, he had become famous for creating Ostře sledované vlaky (Closely Watched Trains, 1966) and the stylish Rozmarné léto (Capricious Summer, 1967), a bittersweet comedy based on a novel by Vladislav Vančura. The story of Zločin v šantánu (Crime in the Night-Club), played out according to a screenplay Menzel devised with Škvorecký, takes place in the timeless atmosphere of an elegant cabaret. The star turn at the venue is the beautiful singer Clara Regina (Eva Pilarová). A minister who is smitten with the performer gifts her pearl necklace, but it is stolen by her husband, a magician. He blames the theft on shy assistant Pepíček (Jiří Suchý), who, along with defence lawyer (Jiří Šlitr), falls victim to blind justice in an unfair world full of intrigue… The form of this outwardly noncommittal crime musical, featuring the songs of Šlitr and Suchý, is influenced by the dark atmosphere that pervaded society after the Prague Spring efforts at reform were crushed in August 1968: the two convicts, performed by this duo from Prague’s Semafor theatre, can now do nothing but sing.
Synopsis
The charming singer Clara Regina has many admirers. Even the minister of justice fights for her favour, especially enchanted by Clara's lullaby. The singer is also secretly loved by assistant Pepíček Janáček. Clara's successes with men are watched with displeasure by her jealous husband, Ikaro Volante. The minister sends a bouquet and a pearl necklace to the singer. The juggler Piterman steals the pearls but frames Pepíček. At court, Pepíček is defended by the inexperienced lawyer Vilém Bojanovský. During the process, it turns out that the pearls are fake. The minister denies this, but, just to make sure, has the juggler eliminated when the next investigation leads to him. Pepíček is accused of Piterman's murder. When the defender with the help of his colleague Stella proves Pepíček innocent, the public prosecutor orders the defender arrested as well. Vilém has an alibi, but the minister who can prove it denies everything. The two men, Pepíček and Vilém, are sentenced and imprisoned in one cell. In the backyard of the prison, gallows are built. The desperate Clara entreats for them with the minister who promises to help only if she sings his favourite lullaby to him. He, however, sends a special agent after the messenger carrying the letter granting the two prisoners pardon. Pepíček and Vilém, standing under the gallows, say their last wish - to sing a song. They sing until everybody at the place of execution falls asleep, but the messenger with the promised pardon is still not coming...
Photos
Cast
Eva Pilarová
zpěvačka Klára Králová uměleckým jménem Clara Regina
Jiří Suchý
zřízenec Pepíček Janáček
Jiří Šlitr
JUDr. Vilém Bojanovský
Jitka Zelenohorská
Vilémova pomocnice Stella
Vlastimil Brodský
ministr spravedlnosti
Jiří Grossmann
eskamotér Piterman
Ferdinand Krůta
vrhač nožů Bobby Akurát
Jan Libíček
detektiv
Rudolf Hrušínský
farář
Jan Přeučil
skákač Ikaro Volante, manžel Clary
Ladislav Vodička
Gub, agent pro zvláštní úkoly
Zdeněk Svěrák
státní žalobce
Václav Kotva
soudce
Karel Hovorka
inspicient
Josef Škvorecký
rektor
Vratislav Blažek
ceremoniář
Eugen Jegorov
posel
Josef Langmiler
profesor
Karel Mareš
režisér/fízl
František Husák
Viktor/promovanec František Husák
Václav Halama
kulisák
Petr Kopřiva
číšník/promovanec
Jan Pech
fotograf
Milan Kindl
přísedící
Antonín Kryl
přísedící
Jindra Rathová
zapisovatelka
Jana Drchalová
artistka Lilly
Jiří Hálek
hasič
Vladimír Hrabánek
promovanec
František Řehák
fízl
Vladimír Valenta
fízl
Vladimír Stach
fízl
Ladislav Šimek
fízl
Jan Cmíral
fízl
Antonín Pražák
fízl
Pavel Bošek
novinář
Ladislav Smoljak
novinář
Miloslav Balcar
novinář
Alois Vachek
starý profesor
Bohumil Koška
porotce
Rudolf Kalina
porotce
Jan Vlček
porotce
K. Gabriel
porotce
Jiří Menzel
klaun
Emil Iserle
fotograf
Irena Pejšková
baletka
Stanislav Juna
promotor
Vratislav Blažek
ceremoniář
Karel Kochman
policajt
Stanislav Hájek
muž v černém
Miloš Kohout
muž v černém
M. Mareš
muž v černém
Marcela Mlacovská
dívka
Zuzana Minichová
květinářka
Miloň Novotný
fotograf
Pavel Navara
vazoun
Karel Engel
vazoun
Otakar Rademacher
vazoun
Jaroslav Tomsa
vazoun/dubl za Jiřího Šlitra
N. Slavčev
vazoun
Milan Dvořák
vedoucí hudebník
Petr Hejduk
hudebník
František Sojka
hudebník
Karel Turnovský
hudebník
Bohumil Zoula
hudebník
Rudolf Růžička (hudebník)
hudebník
I. Rajman
policajt
J. Kratochvíl
Voice by Jiří Menzel
promovanec
Julie Kučerová-Nezavdalová
stařenka v obecenstvu u soudu
Jiří Kasík
dubl za Vlastimila Brodského
P. Stejskal
dubl za Jiřího Grossmanna
Dubbing
Karel Velebný
hlas
Crew and creators
Director
Second Unit Director
Assistant Director
Continuity
Screenstory
Screenplay
Shooting Script
Dramaturg
Director of Photography
Second Unit Photography
Camera Operator
Production Designer
Assistent Production Designer
Set Designer
Miroslav Fára, Karel Kočí, Václav Podhorský
Costume Designer
Costumes
Make-Up Artist
Film Editor
Assistant Film Editor
Sound Designer
Production Manager
Unit Production Manager
Richard Němec, Artur Stacha
Unit Production Manager
Z. Čajkinová
Cooperation
Jitka Faktorová (klapka), Josef Janoušek (fotograf), Miloš Schmiedberger (fotograf)
Music
Music Composed by
Music Performed by
FISYO (Music Conducted by Štěpán Koníček), Orchestr divadla Semafor, Milan Dvořák
Songs
Ach, miluji vás
Song Composer Jiří Šlitr
Writer of Lyrics Jiří Suchý
Singer Jiří ŠlitrEva Pilarová
Balada pod šibenicí
Song Composer Jiří Šlitr
Writer of Lyrics Jiří Suchý
Singer Jiří SuchýJiří Šlitr
Kolena
Song Composer Jiří Šlitr
Writer of Lyrics Jiří Suchý
Singer Eva Pilarová
Boubelatá Betty
Song Composer Jiří Šlitr
Writer of Lyrics Jiří Suchý
Singer Jiří SuchýJiří ŠlitrEva Pilarová
Co já všechno dovedu
Song Composer Jiří Šlitr
Writer of Lyrics Jiří Suchý
Singer Jiří Šlitr
Ukrejvám rozpaky
Song Composer Jiří Šlitr
Writer of Lyrics Jiří Suchý
Singer Eva PilarováJiří Šlitr
Ukolébavka
Song Composer Jiří Šlitr
Writer of Lyrics Jiří Suchý
Singer Eva Pilarová
Kočičí bál
Song Composer Jiří Šlitr
Writer of Lyrics Jiří Suchý
Singer Jiří SuchýJiří Šlitr
Na shledanou
Song Composer Jiří Šlitr
Writer of Lyrics Jiří Suchý
Singer Jiří Suchý
Poklad
Song Composer Jiří Šlitr
Writer of Lyrics Jiří Suchý
Singer Eva Pilarová
Slavně pějí sbory
Singer dětský sbor
Nebe na zemi
Song Composer Jaroslav Ježek
Production info
Original Title
Zločin v šantánu
Czech Title
Zločin v šantánu
English Title
Crime in the Night-Club
Category
film
Typology
featuretheatrical distribution
Genre
music, comedy
Origin country
Czechoslovakia
Copyright
1968
Production Year
1968
Production specifications
literary Screenplay approved 29 November 1967
technical Screenplay approved 2 February 1968
start of filming 18 April 1968
end of filming 5 July 1968
the first film copy approved 20 September 1968
projection approval 26 September 1968
withdrawal from distribution 14 December 1972
Premiere
festival premiere 10 October 1968 (19. filmový festival pracujících – podzim ´68 /kino Sevastopol, Praha/)
premiere 10 October 1968 /unsuitable for youths/ (kino Sevastopol /5 týdnů/, Praha)
premiere 20 December 1968 /unsuitable for youths/ (celostátní)
Production
Copyright Holders
Studio
Distribution
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
83 min
Original length in metres
2 354 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
