Legenda, the Robber
Country
CzechoslovakiaCopyright
1972Production year
1972Premiere
9 March 1973Runtime
91 minDirector
Karel SteklýCategory
filmGenre
dramaTypology
featuretheatrical distributionlongOriginal title
Lupič LegendaCzech title
Lupič LegendaEnglish title
Legenda, the RobberSummary
During the first half of the 1970s, the ideologically motivated director Karel Steklý made a number of films that have almost come to define the cinematography of the “normalisation” era. The films Hroch (The Hippo, 1973), Za volantem nepřítel (An Enemy Is at the Wheel, 1974) and Tam kde hnízdí čápi (The Place Where Storks Nest, 1975) are typical products of their time, with reality made to cede to political demands. His film Lupič Legenda (Legenda, the Robber, 1972), which is set in 1905, shows how this process even encroached upon interpretations of history. The emerging political consciousness of the Czech labour movement thus finds its origins in the mutiny on the battleship Potěmkin. An old-world anarchist and gentleman-thief (played by Eduard Cupák) co-finances the strikers. A subplot deals with the hero’s private life and his relationship with his illegitimate son. The heavily politicised plot, which hinges upon the relationships between the Social Democrats, Anarchists and Communists, is somewhat confusing today. Legenda, the Robber remains absorbing, however, thanks to its excellent casting.
Synopsis
It is 1905. The police director gets Jindřich Legenda shadowed as, yet Legenda had served his sentence for a burglary, the jewels have not been found. Russian revolution encouraged also Czech workers to fight for their rights. Radical anarchists are followed by Legenda's friend Karel Wohryzek who was forced to collaborate with the police as he was convicted of pornography distribution. The step-father Doležal ties young Jirka to the piano to train. Jirka is Legenda's illegitimate son and his mother Emilka married Doležal after the burglar's sentence. Legenda finds out that Wohryzek had not distributed to the workers the revenue from selling a part of the jewels. The guests of the "U stromu" (Near the Three) pub learn about the Potěmkin cruiser mutiny and start to sing Russian songs. The police burst inside and Legenda misguides them by blaming the musician Doležal. He is seized but all the people claim they sang too and go to the Žižkov police station with him. Legenda tells Doležal he will return to Emilka and his son. Emilka gives Jindřich the hidden jewels. The jewels owner makes her husband, baron Kubinsky, buy them back from the burglar. Legenda arranges that Jirka who wants to become a engine-driver to have a ride at an engine. The boy gets injured at a demonstration and Doležal refuses to get a doctor. Legenda handles it all and Emilka shows Doležal the door. Jindřich starts to work in a press room of the social democratic daily Právo Lidu but he is sacked as Wohryzek discloses his past. Legenda suffers from intense tuberculosis but Wohryzek makes him burglar in Switzerland. Legenda gets safely back to Prague but workers refuse to take the money. Legenda throws the money to fire in front of a desperate Wohryzek. Both of them are convicted of burglary. Legenda being seized accidentally shoots dead a policeman and then he gives up for Jirka's sake as he is with him. When parting Jirka addresses him Dad for the first time.
Photos
Cast
Eduard Cupák
lupič a anarchista Jindřich Legenda
Vladimír Menšík
anarchista Karel Wohryzek
Bohuslav Čáp
muzikant Rudi Doležal
Eliška Havránková
Emilka, Doležalova manželka
Jiří Kúkol
Jirka, syn Doležalové
Jiří Holý
baron Hugo Kubinský
Consuela Morávková
manželka Kubinského
Vladimír Brabec
policejní komisař Eminger
Martin Růžek
policejní ředitel dvorní rada Křikava
Josef Beyvl
politik Plavec
Josef Větrovec
JUDr. František Jáchym
Jaroslav Satoranský
redaktor Práva lidu Tichý
Čestmír Řanda
ředitel věznice
Eduard Dubský
komisař Hlavatý
Josef Hlinomaz
MUDr. Vičar
Karel Vochoč
komisař
Ferdinand Krůta
cirkusák Janák
Miloš Nesvadba
šéf konfekce
Jaroslav Moučka
dělník a anarchista Matějka
Jan Skopeček
tajný Petříček
Tomáš Sedláček
princ Thurn
Ela Šárková
sousedka Paličková
Miloš Vavruška
policista u dvorního rady
Oldřich Velen
domovník
Ivan Vyskočil
básník
Raoul Schránil
sluha ve vile
Jaroslav Cmíral
výčepní
Ivo Gübel
faktor Huml
Hana Zagorová
zpěvačka Alice
Soňa Stenová
prostitutka
Karel Fořt
sluha Kubinského
Karel Hábl
Horowitz
Oldřich Hoblík
vrátný
Miloslav Homola
Hrbek
Rudolf Horák
dr. Neumann z Chicage ve varieté
Jarmila Horská
sousedka Brtková
Vladimír Hrubý
vikomt Kristian v němém filmu
Valerie Chmelová
vychovatelka Klotylda v němém filmu
Ilona Jirotková
žena bez hlavy
Václav Kaňkovský
soused brzdař
Jiří Lír
číšník v kavárně
Jana Posseltová
Merunková
Zdeněk Skalický
číšník
Josef Koza
sazeč
Josef Cmíral
příručí
Karel Klement
příručí
František Němec (2)
příručí
Petr Zámostný
příručí
Svatava Černá
zpěvačka
Ludmila Engelová
zpěvačka
Renée Nachtigallová
zpěvačka
Lubomír Pánek
zpěvák
Jiří Vondrovic
zpěvák
Zdeněk Dohnal
policista
Gustav Jankovský
policista
Bohumil Koška
policista
Vladimír Navrátil
policista
Miloslav Novák
policista
Pavel Osif
policista
Jaroslav Tomsa
policista
Karel Vítek
policista
Václav Fišer
zatýkající strážník
Jan Víšek
zatýkající strážník
Lubomír Krystlík
komisař
Karel Prchal
komisař
Willy Kuk-Znamínko
sluha
Josef Skrčený
zahradník
Kajetán Maudr
sluha v livreji
Mirko Musil
detektiv
Ivo Niederle
detektiv
Stanislav Šimek
šofér Šárl
Vladimír Pospíšil
kriminalista
Josef Maršík
kriminalista
Vladislav Špidra
kriminalista
František Svačina
artista Lojza
Vít Pešina
host
Petr Skarke
host
J. Vaněk
host
M. Svoboda
majitel bio
Jan Vlček
hlídač
Dubbing
Mirko Musil
hlas cirkusáka u orchestrionu/hlas policisty zatýkajícího Wohryzka
Václav Kaňkovský
hlas policisty odvádějícího Petříčka
Crew and creators
Director
Second Unit Director
Assistant Director
Vilém Kijonka, Hana Cvejnová
Screenstory
Screenplay
Shooting Script
Dramaturg
Director of Photography
Second Unit Photography
Camera Operator
Production Designer
Assistent Production Designer
Set Designer
Jiří Čermák, Karel Lukáš, Karel Smrž
Costume Designer
Costumes
Make-Up Artist
Film Editor
Assistant Film Editor
Sound Designer
Special Effects
Production Manager
Unit Production Manager
Karel Prchal, Jan Vild
Unit Production Manager
Jaroslava Semrádová
Consultant
Zdeněk Borkovec
Cooperation
Hana Macháčková (klapka), Miroslav Pešan (fotograf)
Music
Music Composed by
Selected Music
Jacques Offenbach (Orfeus v podsvětí)
Music Performed by
FISYO (Music Conducted by Štěpán Koníček), Zdeněk Jílek /klavír/
Songs
Koně, koně, koně
Song Composer Vlastimil Hála
Writer of Lyrics Zdeněk Borovec
Singer Hana Zagorová
Kalinka
Song Composer Ivan Petrovič Larionov
Dubinuška
Song Composer lidová ruská píseň
Production info
Original Title
Lupič Legenda
Czech Title
Lupič Legenda
English Title
Legenda, the Robber
Category
film
Typology
featuretheatrical distribution
Genre
drama
Origin country
Czechoslovakia
Copyright
1972
Production Year
1972
Production specifications
literary Screenplay approved 3 January 1972
start of filming 1 February 1972
technical Screenplay approved 17 March 1972
end of filming 4 September 1972
projection approval 27 September 1972
withdrawal from distribution 31 December 1986
Premiere
festival premiere 11 January 1973 (24. filmový festival pracujících – leden ´73)
premiere 9 March 1973 /suitable for youths/ (celostátní)
premiere 22 March 1973 /suitable for youths/ (kino Paříž, Praha)
Production
Copyright Holders
Studio
Distribution
Creative Group
Dramaturgická skupina Vojtěcha Trapla, Vojtěch Trapl (vedoucí dramaturgické skupiny)
Technical info
Duration typology
feature film
Duration in minutes
91 min
Original length in metres
2 575 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
