Death Chooses
Country
CzechoslovakiaCopyright
1972Production year
1972Premiere
23 March 1973Runtime
92 minDirector
Václav VorlíčekCategory
filmGenre
detective, crimeTypology
featuretheatrical distributionlongOriginal title
Smrt si vybíráCzech title
Smrt si vybíráEnglish title
Death ChoosesSummary
In 1972, director Václav Vorlíček created one of the most overlooked items from his filmography – this crime drama, based on a screenplay by translator Jaroslav Kořán. Following a series of fantastical comedies, including “Pane, vy jste vdova!” (You Are a Widow, Sir, 1970) and Dívka na Koštěti (The Girl on the Broomstick, 1971), in Smrt si vybírá (Death Chooses, 1972) Vorliček focuses on gradually revealing the secret life of a postal driver. Radek Šimek has been shot, and colleague Honza Marek tries to solve the case by himself. The trail leads all the way to the members of the band Flamingo, primarily to beautiful singer Klára. Václav Postránecký plays the role of the amateur detective in this simple tale. Jana Šulcová stars as Klára (her singing parts are dubbed by the real singer of the actual Flamingo band, Marie Rottrová).
Synopsis
Radek Šimek, a mail-van driver, is shot dead behind the viaduct in the Prague quarter of Hlubočepy. Robbery is soon ruled out as a motive because Šimek was transporting only a small amount of money. Driver Honza Marek, who took turns with Šimek, starts investigating of his own accord. Although he co-owned a used Russian Volga car with Šimek, he realizes he knew very little about his friend's private life. He looks up Klára, the pretty singer of a music group called Flamingo, whose photograph he found in Šimek's book. The girl is shocked by the news that Šimek was murdered. At the time of the murder, she and her group were recording at the radio studio, so they have an alibi. Křížek, manager of the group, is known to the police as a hustler and profiteer. Honza starts running errands for the group with his car, just as Šimek did. Křížek sends him to the town of Liberec to find out if Šimek had delivered an antique gold watch to the foreign manager Dittmar as a bribe for a contract he promised. Klára accompanies Honza on the trip and the two young people become friends. Dittmar catches Honza in his room and beats him up. Later on, Honza finds the watch in a locker he and Šimek shared in the garage. His colleague Vodička hands the watch in to the police. Honza then finds out that Míra, the sound engineer who is platonically and jealously in love with Klára, never attended recording sessions with the group. Míra stops Honza's car at the same spot where he had stopped Šimek some time ago. Fortunately, his attempt to shoot his rival is not successful. Police cars and mail-vans alerted by Vodička prevent the murderer from escaping.
Film online
Photos
Cast
Václav Postránecký
řidič Honza Marek
Jana Šulcová
zpěvačka Klára Hirschová
Jan Libíček
Křížek, manažer skupiny Flamingo
Jaroslav Moučka
Vodička, Markův kolega
Jaroslav Drbohlav
zvukař Míra
Ladislav Mrkvička
kytarista Miky
Gustav Heverle
vyšetřovatel, kapitán VB
Petr Pospíchal
Horáček, pomocník vyšetřovatele
Lubor Tokoš
manažer Joachim Dittmar
Miloš Willig
průvodce v muzeu
Oldřich Velen
Voice by Eduard Cupák
lékař VB
Jana Andresíková
barmanka
Oskar Gottlieb
konferenciér
Karel Pavlík
Voice by Jiří Bruder
vedoucí pošty
Bohumil Šmída
expert na starožitnosti
Svatopluk Skládal
vrchní číšník
Richard Kovalčík
Voice by Oldřich Vízner
vedoucí skupiny Flamingo
Vladimír Figar
hráč na klávesové nástroje
Jan Hasník
kytarista skupiny Flamingo
Jiří Urbánek
baskytarista skupiny Flamingo
Radek Dominik
Voice by Jan Kanyza
bubeník skupiny Flamingo
Rudolf Březina
tenorsaxofonista skupiny Flamingo
Zdeněk Braunschläger
rozhlasový režisér
Jan Cmíral
nadstrážmistr VB
Jaroslav Klenot
příslušník VB
Jiří Mikota
příslušník VB
Jaroslav Tomsa
příslušník VB/vazoun
Miroslav Saic
mladý příslušník VB
Karel Černoch
hvězda pop music
Eugen Jegorov
hvězda pop music
Karel Štědrý
hvězda pop music
Karel Fridrich
vrátný v poštovních garážích
Věra Hanslíková
matka Radka Šimka
Richard Záhorský
otec Radka Šimka
Vít Pešina
listonoš a řidič
Václav Vondráček
poštovní úředník
Petr Jákl
vazoun
Miroslav Jíra
vazoun
Věra Kolářová
listonoška
Alexandra Koutná
blondýna
Jaroslava Pokorná
recepční hotelu Imperiál
Jiřina Bílá
uvaděčka
Ladislav Šimek
recepční
Miloslav Šindler
naskakující muž
František Jákl
listonoš
Eduard Žemla
novinář
Anna Zemková
zpěvačka v Liberci
Jindra Kvardová
zaměstnankyně muzea
Alexander Hemala
mladík na koncertě
Dubbing
Luděk Munzar
hlas lékaře
Karel Augusta
hlas příslušníka VB /mimo obraz/
Crew and creators
Director
Second Unit Director
Assistant Director
Continuity
Screenstory
Screenplay
Shooting Script
Dramaturg
Director of Photography
Second Unit Photography
Camera Operator
Production Designer
Assistent Production Designer
Set Designer
Bedřich Čermák, František Straka, J. Sieber
Costume Designer
Costumes
Make-Up Artist
Film Editor
Assistant Film Editor
Sound Designer
Production Manager
Unit Production Manager
Vlasta Mathauserová, Josef Mojžíš, Věra Winkelhöferová
Consultant
mjr. Miloslav Šimek, Josef Zelenka
Cooperation
Olga Hrčková (klapka), Jaromír Komárek (fotograf)
Music
Music Composed by
Music Performed by
FISYO (Music Conducted by Štěpán Koníček), skupina Flamingo (Music Conducted by Richard Kovalčík)
Songs
Život utíká
Song Composer Karel Svoboda
Writer of Lyrics Zdeněk Rytíř
Singer Jana Šulcová [dab]Marie Rottrová
Tak pouze láska kouzlit umí
Song Composer Karel Svoboda
Writer of Lyrics Vladimír Poštulka
Singer Milan Drobný
Mistrál
Song Composer Karel Svoboda
Writer of Lyrics Jiří Štaidl
Singer Karel Gott
Mandarín
Song Composer Karel Svoboda
Writer of Lyrics Vladimír Poštulka
Singer Jiří Korn
Bílé tulipány
Song Composer Karel Svoboda
Writer of Lyrics Vladimír Poštulka
Singer Naďa Urbánková
Production info
Original Title
Smrt si vybírá
Czech Title
Smrt si vybírá
English Title
Death Chooses
Category
film
Typology
featuretheatrical distribution
Genre
detective, crime
Origin country
Czechoslovakia
Copyright
1972
Production Year
1972
Production specifications
literary Screenplay approved 7 March 1972
start of filming 22 March 1972
technical Screenplay approved 11 May 1972
end of filming 23 October 1972
projection approval 7 November 1972
withdrawal from distribution 31 December 1986
Premiere
premiere 8 March 1973 /suitable for youths/ (kino Sevastopol, Praha)
premiere 23 March 1973 /suitable for youths/ (celostátní)
Production
Copyright Holders
Studio
Distribution
Creative Group
Dramaturgická skupina Miloše Brože, Miloš Brož (vedoucí dramaturgické skupiny), Výrobní skupina Jiřího Šebora, Jiří Šebor (vedoucí výrobní skupiny)
Technical info
Duration typology
feature film
Duration in minutes
92 min
Original length in metres
2 555 meters
Distribution carrier
16mm, 35mm
Aspect ratio
1:1,66
Colour
black & white
Sound
sound
Sound system/format
mono
Versions
Czech
Dialogue languages
Czech
Subtitles languages
without subtitles
Opening/End credits languages
Czech
Awards
Vítěz
Event: Prémie Českého literárního fondu za rok 1972
1973
Praha / Czechoslovakia
Václav Vorlíček
Vítěz
Event: Prémie Českého literárního fondu za rok 1972
1973
Praha / Czechoslovakia
Jaroslav Kořán
