The Star

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1969

Production year

1969

Premiere

19 December 1969

Runtime

90 min

Category

film

Genre

drama

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Hvězda

Czech title

Hvězda

English title

The Star

Summary

One of the final roles performed by Jiřina Štěpničková in the fertile 1960s was that of aged film star Slávka Hradilová refusing to make peace with having reached the end of her professional life. Although Slávka could take solace in her role as a mother and grandmother, she still yearns to perform once again in front of the camera. Only when confronted with naked reality is she forced to admit that her acting days are irretrievably over… In addition to Štěpničková, whose professional career the film evokes to some extent, seasoned director Jiří Hanibal succeeds in casting in his tragicomedy several other stars of the interwar period. These include Zita Kabátová, Nataša Gollová and Marie Glázrová. The part of Slávka’s former acting colleague, who is content working as a keeper in the docks, was played by Gustav Nezval. Hanibal’s casting even includes such minute details as giving the small part of a wardrobe mistress to a seasoned actor of minor roles in the 1930s, Nita Romanečová.

Synopsis

Slávka Hradilová, now almost in her sixties, used to be a film star years ago. She keeps herself in good shape and occasionally appears in TV ads. She, however, does not conceal her desire to get a great film role. Her female friends of the same age whom she meets regularly admire her a little, are envious of her a little, but at the same time laugh at her behind her back. Slávka has a married daughter and a teenage granddaughter but that does not make her happy enough. She helps her friend Alena, who had published an ad in the Lonely Hearts column, to test her wooers but herself is not interested in any more late love affairs. One day, she finally receives a film script. Brightening up, she arrives to the film studios where she used to reign as a queen. The role is smaller than she expected but nevertheless she is unable to handle it. Her routine gestures and mimicry are obsolete. She grasps that the director is not going to engage her. She is deeply disappointed and feels she has lost her sense of life. She visits her former film partner Roman who, satisfied, works as a guard in a dock and reminds her of their gorgeous adventures and parties they experienced long ago. He also talks with disdain about both his and her acting talent - they were no real actors, only following the period ideal of film stars at that time. Slávka, surprisingly, feels invigorated and decides to write a book about her acting fame.

Cast

Jiřina Štěpničková

herečka, Slávka Hradilová

Nelly Gaierová

Alena, Slávčina přítelkyně

Zita Kabátová

Marie, Slávčina přítelkyně

Marie Vášová

Káťa, Slávčina přítelkyně

Marie Glázrová

Olga, Slávčina přítelkyně

Andrea Čunderlíková

Hanka, Slávčina vnučka

Květa Fialová

Věra, Slávčina dcera

Jiří Adamíra

Petr, Slávčin zeť

Miroslav Homola

maskér Pepíček Říha

Gustav Nezval

Roman, Slávčin bývalý filmový partner

Josef Abrhám

režisér Jirák

Bohuš Záhorský

nápadník-truhlář Šrámek

Bedřich Prokoš

nápadník-realista

Josef Beyvl

nápadník-krajan z Nového Zélandu

Eduard Dubský

nápadník-světák

Nataša Gollová

herečka Ludmila Urbánková

Jan Vostrčil

kapelník Šebek

Karel Dellapina

Dvořák, host na pohřbu

Václav Halama

Ferdáček, host na pohřbu

Eva Svobodová

Františka Poštolková, host na pohř

Helena Kotoučová

Dvořáková, host na pohřbu

Jaroslava Obermaierová

host na premiéře

Michal Pavlata

host na premiéře

Jiří Valenta

ceremoniář

Viktor Sodoma

mladík v kině

Stanislav Litera

příslušník VB

Antonín Suchánek

asistent výroby

Ladislav Adam (2)

stěhovák

Kamil Blahovec

stěhovák

Josef Hlinomaz

společník Urbánkové na premiéře

Jan Kropáček

společník Urbánkové na premiéře

J. Černohorský

milenec

Renata Jirousová

milenka

Vojtěch Kheck

taxikář

Antonín Navrátil

smutný mladík

Jana Sedlmajerová

dívka v reklamě

Ina Vnoučková

uvaděčka

Crew and creators

Second Unit Director

Ota Koval

Assistant Director

Karel Kovář

Shooting Script

Jiří Hanibal

Dramaturg

Alena Urbánková, Pavel Hajný

Director of Photography

Josef Vaniš

Second Unit Photography

Václav Helliman

Camera Operator

Bohumil Vodička

Production Designer

Jiří Hlupý

Assistent Production Designer

Marta Kaplerová

Set Designer

Čestmír Diviš, Vladimír Ježek, Karel Kracík, Ladislav Winkelhöfer

Costume Designer

Jan Kropáček

Film Editor

Zdeněk Stehlík

Assistant Film Editor

Jana Šimůnková

Sound Designer

Adam Kajzar

Special Effects

Trikový ateliér FSB

Production Manager

Miloš Stejskal

Unit Production Manager

Renée Lavecká, Ludmila Venclíková

Unit Production Manager

Antonín Suchánek

Cooperation

Ivana Nevolová (klapka), Jan Kuděla (fotograf)

Music

Music Composed by

Jiří Sternwald

Songs

Kdo ví, co zítřek dá?

Song Composer Jiří Sternwald
Singer Jiřina Štěpničková

Production info

Original Title

Hvězda

Czech Title

Hvězda

English Title

The Star

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

drama

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1969

Production Year

1969

Production specifications

literary Screenplay approved 5 February 1969
start of filming 9 April 1969
end of filming 13 June 1969
the first film copy approved 19 September 1969
projection approval 9 October 1969
withdrawal from distribution 31 December 1975

Premiere

premiere 19 December 1969 /suitable for youths/ (celostátní)
premiere 25 December 1969 /suitable for youths/ (kino Paříž /3 týdny/, Praha)

Studio

Barrandov

Creative Group

Tvůrčí skupina Šmída – Daniel, František Daniel (vedoucí dramaturg tvůrčí skupiny), Bohumil Šmída (vedoucí výroby tvůrčí skupiny)

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

90 min

Original length in metres

2 539 meters

Distribution carrier

16mm, 35mm

Aspect ratio

1:1,66, 1:1,85

Colour

black & white

Sound

sound

Sound system/format

mono

Versions

Czech

Dialogue languages

Czech

Subtitles languages

without subtitles

Opening/End credits languages

Czech