Novelist Jiří Marek contributed as screenwriter to numerous crime films and television series. Among his most enduring works is director Josef Macha’s 1970 drama Na kolejích čeká vrah (The Murderer Waits on the Rails). Marek based the film on a book by one of the founders of the Czech school of crime fiction, Eduard Fiker. The author’s experienced detective Kalaš returns after appearing in three previous movies, all by Petr Schulhoff: Strach (Fear) (1963), Vrah skrývá tvář (The Murderer Waits on the Rails) (1966) and Po stopách krve (On the Trail of Blood) (1969). In The Murderer Waits on the Rails the dependable Rudolf Hrušínský was replaced in the lead role by Jiří Sovák. In Mach’s picture Sovák is a sagacious Public Security (then police) investigator on the trail of a gang who have robbed millions from a train carrying state bank cash. The robbers have blown the train up and shot dead a random witness. Kalaš, the inexperienced young sub lieutenant Karlíček (Jaromír Hanzlík) and other members of his team gradually identify the members of the gang, among whom is, surprisingly, a bank employee. However, Kalaš must first prove the innocence of his colleague Lenk, a member of the team escorting the valuable railway cargo. (Lenk was played by Radoslav Brzobohatý, who in the first two movies in the series portrayed Kalaš’s close colleague Varga)… By contrast with Fiker’s original book Série C-L (Series C-L) (1958) and Schulhoff’s dark crime films corresponding to the atmosphere of the 1960s, Mach employs a lighter approach. The casting of Sovák in the lead role and the character of the novice Karlíček allow for a humorous distance and verbal wit. Alongside the dialogue and solid performances the picture – like every classically constructed crime movie – is naturally based on the ratcheting up of the atmosphere and gradual revelation of the truth.
An escort composed of Lieutenant Lenk, N.C.O. Vrána and bank officer Vojtíř transports a huge amount of new one-hundred crown banknotes in a special railway car. At the 196th kilometre, a village girl is waiting at the railway crossing and spots two men removing some packages from the track. The scene is immediately followed by the report of a gun and the unwanted witness is shot dead. Soon afterwards, on the 201st kilometre, the train explodes. Vrána and Vojtíř die and Lenk is taken to hospital with serious injuries. Criminologist Major Kalaš and the very young Second Lieutenant Karlíček patiently gather facts, leads and testimonies. Jareš, an officer of the state bank, diligently tries to help the investigation. The presumption that the banknotes were burned is soon disproven - someone bought a second-hand car with them. Meanwhile, the slowly recovering Lenk is suspected of colluding in the robbery. Kalaš organizes a re-enactment of the train journey during which it becomes clear that Lenk was neutralized by a blow to the head well before the train exploded. The investigators gradually discover the identities of the members of the gang, including Vojtíř, who was silenced by a bomb hidden in a thermos. At night, the members of the gang go to pick up the stolen banknotes from a shelter in a railway depot. The police pursue them and a gun battle breaks out. At the end, bank officer Jareš is revealed to be the leader of the gang.
major VB Kalaš
poručík VB Lenk
podporučík VB Karlíček
praporčík Vrána
kriminalista Loubal
kriminalista Trepinský
profesor Urban
ředitel státní banky Budínský
bankovní úředník Vojtíř
Josef Trojan
Trojanova žena
Roman Halík
bezpečnostní referent banky Václav Jareš
Anna Halamová
Helena Dvorská, Lenkova snoubenka
rotný VB Sláma
telefonista Tondl
nadporučík Lang
MUDr. Bouček, Trojanův lékař
sekretářka v bance
nadstrážmistr VB
soudní lékař MUDr. Chmel
úřednice na poště
pyrotechnik Bláha
železniční lékař
příslušník VB
pilot helikoptéry
zdravotní sestra Blanka
vedoucí autobazaru
výpravčí vlaku
železničář
železničář
bankovní úředník
bankovní úředník
číšník v Savarinu
příslušník VB
příslušník VB
Marta Křesinová, Dagmar Nováková
Eduard Fiker (Série C-L – román)
Miloslav Dvořák, Jiří Forst, Lubor Mašek
Antonín Navrátil, Vladislav Špidra
Alena Koubová
npor. VB Miroslav Mikeš
J. Navrátilová (klapka), Jaroslav Trousil (fotograf)
FISYO (Music Conducted by František Belfín)
Na kolejích čeká vrah
Na kolejích čeká vrah
The Murderer Waits on the Rails
Série C-L / Na kolejích číhá vrah
film
featuretheatrical distribution
detective
Czechoslovakia
1970
1969—1970
literary Screenplay approved 5 September 1969
technical Screenplay approved 16 September 1969
start of filming 24 October 1969
end of filming 2 April 1970
the first film copy approved 22 May 1970
projection approval 3 June 1970
withdrawal from distribution 30 June 1990
premiere 14 August 1970 /suitable for youths/ (celostátní)
premiere 20 August 1970 /suitable for youths/ (kina Letka /4 týdny/ a Flora /1 týden od 27. 8./, Praha)
Tvůrčí skupina Feix – Brož, Miloš Brož (vedoucí dramaturg tvůrčí skupiny a vedoucí dramaturgické skupiny), Karel Feix (vedoucí výroby tvůrčí skupiny), Dramaturgická skupina Miloše Brože (dokončení), Výrobní skupina Bohumila Šmídy (dokončení), Bohumil Šmída (vedoucí výrobní skupiny)
feature film
93 min
2 628 meters
16mm, 35mm
1:1,37
black & white
sound
mono
Czech
Czech
without subtitles
Czech