Sherlock Holmes’ Desire
Country
CzechoslovakiaCopyright
1971Production year
1971Premiere
3 March 1972Runtime
97 minDirector
Štěpán SkalskýCategory
filmGenre
comedyTypology
featuretheatrical distributionlongOriginal title
Touha Sherlocka HolmeseCzech title
Touha Sherlocka HolmeseEnglish title
Sherlock Holmes’ DesireSummary
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s legendary sleuth also inspired countless other authors. One such example are the works of Czech writer, composer, musician and teacher Ilja Hurník. Four of Hurník’s short stories served as an inspiration for this 1971 crime comedy from director Štěpán Skalský. Hurník also co-wrote the script, which centres on Sherlock Holmes’ decision to retire from sleuthing and exclusively dedicate his time to playing the violin. Fortunately for us, the moderately talented violin player encounters crime, even in the world of music. This enables the retired detective to once again put his analytical mind to use… Skalský’s comedy is certainly no complex crime story, but nonetheless provides plenty of entertainment, mainly thanks to the brilliant on-screen chemistry between actors Radovan Lukavský and Václav Voska as Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson.
Synopsis
The genius detective Holmes is honoured by the king - in spite of it he informs Dr Watson he wants to change the job. He gets bored by crime investigation and wants to devote himself to playing the violin. Watson, passionately admiring his famous friend, is not able to tell him he is not as great in music as in criminology. Being an Opera visitor, Holmes finds out easily who knocked out the tenor singer Pizzeli by a washbowl just before the beginning of the performance. The perpetrator is a singer named Wrubelski who soon punishes himself. He starts as a back-up but his heavy cold causes his artistic flop. Holmes exercises the violin play every day and Watson quietly suffers. The manslayer, trying to kill the detective, always fails. Holmes performs at a charity garden-party. Though he manages to persuade the people of his perfect memory by replaying the whole piece after having been interrupted, he gets applause for his performance from the ladies rather for his celebrity. Being the only candidate, the disguised Holmes is accepted as an assisting violinist in the Badford symphonic orchestra. The rehearsals, conducted by the hot-tempered conductor Yawayoga, run in an atmosphere of rows and offence. Finally the conductor disappears. Holmes is right to tell the conductor has been killed by a timpanist who was jealous of a beautiful cello player. However, he cannot tell by his ear which timpani are hiding the dead body. The murderer laughs at him; so the detective finally understands he has not a fine ear for music and ceases his musical career.
Photos
Cast
Radovan Lukavský
detektiv Sherlock Holmes
Václav Voska
dr. Watson, Holmesův přítel
Vlasta Fialová
vdova Beatrice M. Abrahamová
Marie Rosůlková
lady Oberonová
Bohuš Záhorský
koncertní mistr
Eduard Kohout
dirigent Joseph
Miroslav Macháček
hudební kritik lord Biddleton
Vlastimil Brodský
zpěvák Wrubelski
Juraj Herz
dirigent Yaguo Yawayoga
Josef Kemr
tympanista Gibbs
Marie Drahokoupilová
cellistka Elisa
Václav Lohniský
místoředitel Badfordského symfonického orchestru
Václav Trégl
vrátný
Vladimír Menšík
inspektor Rawlin
Milan Riehs
tenor Antonio Pizzelli
Vladimír Stach
ředitel opery
Pavel Landovský
zločinec Zabiják
Josef Patočka
sir Arthur Conan Doyle na obraze
Josef Somr
klavírní doprovazeč
Zdeněk Hodr
lékař
Pavel Pekárek
houslista
Václav Vydra ml.
ministr
Aleš Helcelet
zloděj
Otto Budín
účetní
Viktor Očásek
houslista Hanwell
Ivan Vyskočil
mládeneček Willy
Václav Kotva
fagotista
Josef Hlinomaz
cellista
Vladimír Huber
koncertní mistr
Otto Šimánek
seržant
Karel Pavlík
intendant
Oldřich Velen
hobojista
Věra Ferbasová
dáma na koncertě
Klementina Zunová
dáma na koncertě
Zora Božinová
sopranistka
Stanislav Hájek
inspicient
Jiří Hálek
tajemník ministra
Milan Kindl
zločinec
Viktor Maurer
zločinec/tajný/mladík v lóži
Eduard Pavlíček
lord sbormistr
Vladimír Svitáček
bobbie /anglický strážník/
Jarmila Šmídová
sousedka v lóži
Magda Špaková
Butterfly
Stanislav Juna
asistent
Antonín Zacpal
král Jiří V.
Karel Augusta
tajný
Adolf Filip
tajný
Marie Durnová
dívka v lóži
Eugen Jegorov
policista
Karel Bělohradský
policista
František Brož
hudebník
Otto Cirhan
hudebník
Josef Domažlický
hudebník
Josef Frcek ml.
hudebník
Josef Frcek st.
hudebník
Tomáš Hála
hudebník
Emil Klán
hudebník
Karel Křiváček
hudebník
Antonín Kubín
hudebník
Ladislav Kučera
hudebník
Antonín Kühnel
hudebník
Robert Kühnel
hudebník
Jiří Machula
hudebník
Karel Moudrý
hudebník
Bohumil Pešek
hudebník
Jan Polák (hudebník)
hudebník
Vendelín Průcha
hudebník
Josef Schwarz
hudebník
František Šmíd
hudebník
Václav Štadlman
hudebník
Bohumil Vratislavský
hudebník
Miloslav Vrba
hudebník
Miroslav Zídek
hudebník
Tomáš Pokorný (2)
hudebník
Luisa Kollingerová
dirigentka smíšeného sboru
Jan Pracner
kamelot
Crew and creators
Director
Second Unit Director
Assistant Director
Vilém Kijonka
Continuity
Based on
Ilja Hurník (Symfonie s úderem kotlů ze sbírky Muzikální Sherlock – povídka), Ilja Hurník (Jarní píseň ze sbírky Kapitolské husy – povídka), Ilja Hurník (Toselliho serenáda ze sbírky Kapitolské husy – povídka), Ilja Hurník (Fantóm opery ze sbírky Kapitolské husy – povídka)
Screenplay
Shooting Script
Dramaturg
Director of Photography
Camera Operator
Antonín Šimral
Production Designer
Assistent Production Designer
Set Designer
Zdeněk Jeřábek, Josefa Tomanová, Miloš Sršeň
Costume Designer
Costumes
Make-Up Artist
Film Editor
Assistant Film Editor
Sound Designer
Special Effects
Production Manager
Unit Production Manager
Unit Production Manager
Cooperation
Bohumila Schmidtová (klapka), Miloslav Mirvald (fotograf)
Music
Music Composed by
Selected Music
Enrico Toselli (Serenáda /Serenata/), Giacomo Puccini (Manon Lescaut), Richard Wagner (Jízda valkýr), Robert Schumann (Snění /Träumerei z Kinderszenen/), Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy (Jarní píseň), Joseph Haydn (Londýnská symfonie č. 94 G dur /Paukenschlag-Symphonie/)
Music Performed by
FISYO (Music Conducted by František Belfín)
Songs
Když zřím vás, ctěná slečno /árie rytíře de Grieux/
Song Composer Giacomo Puccini
Writer of Lyrics Václav Juda Novotný
Singer Vlastimil Brodský [dab]
Slavíček zpívá
Song Composer Ilja Hurník
Writer of Lyrics Ilja Hurník
Singer sbor
Production info
Original Title
Touha Sherlocka Holmese
Czech Title
Touha Sherlocka Holmese
English Title
Sherlock Holmes’ Desire
Category
film
Typology
featuretheatrical distribution
Genre
comedy
Origin country
Czechoslovakia
Copyright
1971
Production Year
1971
Production specifications
literary Screenplay approved 11 December 1970
technical Screenplay approved 4 February 1971
start of filming 31 March 1971
end of filming 23 July 1971
the first film copy approved 15 September 1971
projection approval 2 December 1971
withdrawal from distribution 31 December 1986
Premiere
premiere 2 March 1972 /suitable for youths/ (kina Letka a Kotva, Praha)
premiere 3 March 1972 /suitable for youths/ (celostátní)
Production
Copyright Holders
Studio
Distribution
Creative Group
Dramaturgická skupina Vojtěcha Cacha, Vojtěch Cach (vedoucí dramaturgické skupiny), Výrobní skupina Bohumila Šmídy, Bohumil Šmída (vedoucí výrobní skupiny)
Technical info
Duration typology
feature film
Duration in minutes
97 min
Original length in metres
2 725 meters
Distribution carrier
16mm, 35mm
Aspect ratio
1:1,66
Colour
colour
Sound
sound
Sound system/format
mono
Versions
Czech
Dialogue languages
Czech
Subtitles languages
without subtitles
Opening/End credits languages
Czech
