Riders of the Sky
Country
CzechoslovakiaCopyright
1968Production year
1968Premiere
20 December 1968Runtime
91 minDirector
Jindřich PolákCategory
filmGenre
warTypology
featuretheatrical distributionlongOriginal title
Nebeští jezdciCzech title
Nebeští jezdciEnglish title
Riders of the SkySummary
The 1968 drama Nebeští jezdci (Riders of the Sky), directed by Jindřich Polák, was one of the first “serious” features to which Zdeněk Mahler contributed as a screenwriter. Although the director had planned several other projects on the same subject, his ambitions were quashed by the onset of the “normalisation” era. But this dramatic story of Czechoslovak airmen in British RAF service is a good demonstration of Polák’s universal talent (his other works include the popular children’s “Tau” TV series, which led to the 1988 Pan Tau (Tau) feature-length movie, and the family-fantasy Návštěvníci (The Visitors, 1993) TV shows. Nebeští jezdci turned out to be a film that was later banned due to “normalisation” restrictions and censorship. Based on a 1964 novel by Filip Jánský, the film depicts true historical events, through the eyes of the fictitious crews of the RAF’s No. 276 Squadron. The protagonists are two Englishmen, a Canadian telegraph operator, and three Czechoslovak airmen: Captain Pavel Kolář, and gunners Študent and Prcek. Air strikes on German territory become an everyday but still dangerous routine. Študent is grievously injured during an attack on Nuremberg, in which he suffers burns and spinal damage. After his recovery, he realises the war is far from over for him. Jiří Bednář stars as Študent, Jiří Hrzán as Prcek, and Svatopluk Matyáš as Captain Kolář. Jana Nováková plays Patricia, a member of the Women's Auxiliary Air Force and Študent’s love interest. Director of photography Jan Němeček shot the film in black and white, so that he could use authentic aerial footage. The name of the film was inspired by a country and western song Ghost Riders in the Sky by American songwriter Stan Jones, and the piece itself features in the film. The rest of the music was composed by Evžen Illín.
Synopsis
The white gravestones at the military cemetery in English Brookwood display many Czech names. These were members of the British army of Czechoslovak origin who fought here and died for their homeland in the Second World War. The cries of the wounded and dying shift the story a quarter-century back. The crew of one of the bombers is composed of a Slovak captain, Pavel, an English co-pilot and navigator, a Canadian radioman and a pair of Czech gunners, nicknamed Student [Študent] and Shorty [Prcek]. Up to now, they have been lucky and have returned unharmed from all their raids over Germany. The routine is unchanging: raid – rest – briefing. Shorty keeps commenting on everything sarcastically and is protected from making terrible social gaffes only by his poor knowledge of English. When his colleagues translate his proclamations into English, they mellow them out considerably. Student loves pretty Patricia, a member of the Women's Auxiliary Air Force, and even visits her family. During a raid over Nuremberg, Student is severely wounded, ending up in a hospital with burns and spinal injuries. He refuses to see Patricia, who wants to visit him, and she eventually gets close to the airplane's captain, Pavel. A Czech fighter who suffered severe burns to the face commits suicide. Student returns to the garrison. During the next flight over the Channel, his plane has a fight with a German fighter that results in both machines falling into the sea. Shorty dies and there are only two people remaining in the inflatable boat – Student and the German pilot.
Film online
Photos
Cast
Jiří Bednář
palubní střelec seržant Malý zvaný Študent
Jiří Hrzán
palubní střelec seržant Novák zvaný Prcek
Svatopluk Matyáš
pilot a kapitán letadla Pavel Kolár
Elsie Randolph
zdravotní sestra Hendersonová
Jana Nováková
Patricia Watkinsonová, příslušnice WAAF
Joan Seton
Watkinsonová, matka Patricie
Charles Cameron
Bradley
Winston Chrislock
navigátor Tommy
Geoffrey Russell-Jones
zpravodajský úředník
Vojtěch Holý
Voice by Michal Dočolomanský
navigátor George
Josef Váša
druhý pilot Frank, syn hraběte z Norfolku
Victor Carter
velitel perutě Batchelor
Ivan Krajíček
brýlatý mechanik
Jaroslav Rozsíval
starší mechanik
M. Jiránek
mechanik
Karel Hála
popálený stihač
Jan Kaplický
střelec Jimmy
Zlata Adamová
příslušnice WAAF
Marie Cingrošová
příslušnice WAAF
Jana Sedlmajerová
příslušnice WAAF
V. Haníková
příslušnice WAAF
A. Schulcová
příslušnice WAAF
R. Suková
příslušnice WAAF
J. Škrabanová
příslušnice WAAF
J. Zouplnová
příslušnice WAAF
Ivan Foltýn
letec
Jaroslav Toms
letec
S. Bílek
letec
Z. Janda
letec
J. Melichar
letec
M. Mokrowiecki
letec
Kazimierz Siedlaczek
letec
Milan Morávek
kněz
Celestýn Mrázek
důstojník
Zdeněk Novotný
důstojník
M. Kollert
operační důstojník
Bedřich Šetena
střelec
Otakar Šindelář
startér
Jaroslav Vlk
policista
Antonín Kubový
strážný
Ladislav Bezubka
hudebník-vedoucí souboru
Karel Kos
hudebník
Václav Král
hudebník
Čestmír Preclík
hudebník
L. Černý
hudebník-kontrabasista
J. Kopeček
hudebník-trombonista
L. Kinkal
hudebník-klavírista
S. Rádl
hudebník
Zdeněk Šedivý
hudebník
Karel Hruška (3)
tanečník
Josef Chrastil
tanečník
S. Stropnická
tanečnice
Gunter Schoss
německý stíhač
Z. Káš
meteorolog
F. Kunc
zbrojíř
F. Choura
řidič
Josef Hýbler
pořadatel
M. Grygar
člen posádky
Oldřich Unger
námořník
J. Fuka
velitel
Jaroslav Doktor
pilot při pohřbu
N. Brábníková
R. Kohoutová
I. Sigrotová
Crew and creators
Director
Second Unit Director
Assistant Director
Continuity
Based on
Filip Jánský (Nebeští jezdci – román)
Screenplay
Shooting Script
Dramaturg
Director of Photography
Second Unit Photography
Rudolf Milič ml.
Camera Operator
Production Designer
Assistent Production Designer
Set Designer
Šmíd, Václav Pošta, Ladislav Winkelhöfer
Costume Designer
Costumes
Make-Up Artist
Film Editor
Assistant Film Editor
Sound Designer
Bedřich Poledník, Bohumír Brunclík (zvukové efekty)
Special Effects
Production Manager
Unit Production Manager
Jaroslav Vlk, František Jaderník
Unit Production Manager
Consultant
Jaroslav Doktor, Joyce Kadečková (jazyková poradkyně)
Cooperation
Jarmila Kostolná (klapka), Zdeněk Dukát (fotograf), Oldřich Hrdlička, Jiří Michalovič, Milan Nejedlý, Jiří Doležal, Martin Günther Britting, plk. Jaroslav Hlaďo, plk. Václav Mejda, plk. František Kaválek, Josef Hlaváč, bývalí českoslovenští letci Royal Air Force
Music
Music Composed by
Selected Music
Georg Friedrich Händel (Mesiáš – oratorium)
Music Performed by
FISYO (Music Conducted by František Belfín), Orchestr Ladislava Bezubky
Songs
Riders in the Sky
Song Composer Stan Jones
Sentimental Journey
Song Composer Bud Green
Hokey Cokey
Song Composer Jimmy Kennedy
Valčík na rozloučenou
Song Composer lidová skotská píseň
Škoda lásky
Song Composer Jaromír Vejvoda
Writer of Lyrics Václav Zeman
Singer sbor
Production info
Original Title
Nebeští jezdci
Czech Title
Nebeští jezdci
English Title
Riders of the Sky
Category
film
Typology
featuretheatrical distribution
Genre
war
Origin country
Czechoslovakia
Copyright
1968
Production Year
1968
Production specifications
literary Screenplay approved 19 May 1965
technical Screenplay approved 19 December 1967
start of filming 30 January 1968
end of filming 17 July 1968
the first film copy approved 9 October 1968
projection approval 18 October 1968
withdrawal from distribution 31 August 1976
withdrawal from distribution 31 July 1993
Premiere
premiere 14 November 1968 /suitable for youths/ (kino Sevastopol /7 týdnů/, Praha)
premiere 20 December 1968 /suitable 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
91 min
Original length in metres
2 578 meters
Distribution carrier
16mm, 35mm
Aspect ratio
1:1,37
Colour
black & white
Sound
sound
Sound system/format
mono
Versions
Czech
Dialogue languages
Czech, English, German, Slovak, Polish
Subtitles languages
Czech
Opening/End credits languages
Czech
Awards
Vítěz
Event: Anketa Filmového podniku Praha podle názoru pražských diváků
1969
Praha / Czechoslovakia
