Attempted Murder

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1973

Production year

1973

Premiere

12 October 1973

Runtime

101 min

Category

film

Genre

psychological

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Pokus o vraždu

Czech title

Pokus o vraždu

English title

Attempted Murder

Summary

Providing a notable psychologically intense role for actor Karel Höger, this 1973 film tells the story of a well-circumstanced doctor, who descends into paranoia and pathological fear of an unknown attacker. A poisoned cat and a gunshot, which thankfully misses its target, lead Professor Trojan to believe that someone is trying to kill him. While investigating potential malevolent motives among his hospital colleagues, patients, and even family members, Trojan realises that the world is full of people who might want him dead... This clinical study of fear is the work of screenwriter Zdeňek Bláha and experienced director Jiří Sequens, who often made crime genre films during this period. Alongside a tremendous performance from Höger, Martin Růžek plays Trojan’s neighbour Šeda, while Josef Abrhám plays the lead character’s estranged son and Jana Brejchová his daughter-in-law.

Synopsis

The head of a Prague clinic, Professor Trojan, lives a quiet life in his flat in the Malá Strana (Lesser Tlen), one of Prague's historical and oldest boroughs. Old Zdena, the sister of his deceased wife, keeps house for him. His son Petr is also a doctor, but to his father's displeasure he has moved to the Moravian city of Brno with his wife Eva, a singer at the start of her career. Trojan has just one friend, the retired judge Karel Šeda. One day someone poisons Trojan's cat. On the same day someone shoots at the professor through the window of his flat. The professor at first shrugs off the incidents, but then he starts to be afraid. He thinks hard about his relationships at work and in the family. He wonders if his deputy Dvořáček, M.D., who has carelessly allowed a patient to steal some potassium cyanide, might not be trying to get rid of him. His son too only has an interest in him when he wants to borrow money. Petr and Eva come to Prague when Šeda writes and tells them about the episode. The death of the cat is explained, and turns out to be unconnected with the shooting. Trojan's subsequent visit to Moravia is pleasant only until the moment when his son asks for a loan. The rift seems to be definitive. Trojan is now consumed by fear. Šeda tells him about a man whom he sentenced years before for a crime of passion. Recently the murderer has finished his sentence and been released. Trojan no longer even trusts his friend, but after a bitter quarrel Šeda is shot in the street and seriously injured. The culprit is indeed the ex-prisoner, who had earlier confused the two men. Trojan will now have a difficult time repairing the damage done by his pathological suspicions.

Film online

Cast

Karel Höger

profesor MUDr. Petr Trojan, přednosta kliniky

Slávka Budínová

vrchní sestra Milena

Jana Brejchová

zpěvačka Eva Křížová, Trojanova snacha

Martin Růžek

soudce JUDr. Karel Šeda, Trojanův přítel

Zdeněk Řehoř

asistent MUDr. Dvořáček

Josef Abrhám

lékař Petr, Trojanův syn, Evin muž

Jaromír Hanzlík

kriminalista poručík Benda

Nina Popelíková

Zdena, Trojanova švagrová a hospodyně

Miriam Kantorková

MUDr. Vlachová

Václav Lohniský

pacient Pešl

Oldřich Vízner

vysokoškolák Pavel, Zdenin syn

Ivo Niederle

kriminalista Jenda

Otakar Brousek

MUDr. Landa

Bohuslav Čáp

Kouba, pomatený kuchař-vrah

Ľudovít Greššo

Voice by Oldřich Velen
stařeček ve sklípku

Eva Chaberová

mladší ošetřovatelka

Eva Vlachová

starší ošetřovatelka

Josef Kalena

nemocniční zřízenec

Petr Šelelyo

kameraman

Jiří Herman

kameraman

Petr Šťáhlavský

asistent kamery

František Klíma

asistent kamery

Jan Kadlec st.

asistent kamery

Karel Šašek

střihač

Dana Samcová

mikrofonistka

Jaroslav Kotrč

technik videa

Jan Pavlásek

zvukař

Bohumil Linka

technik záznamu

Miloslav Kašpar

magnetofonista

Karel Novák

měřící iženýr

Viktor Očásek

pacient Česal

Dagmar Bláhová

zdravotní sestra

Jaroslav Bystřický

technik záznamu

Vladimír Linka

kriminalista

Bohumil Koška

kriminalista

Jura Hudeček

hudebník

Pavel Pekárek

houslista

Milan Pacák

Dvořáčkův dvojník

Jiří Fictum

dubl za Karla Högera

Crew and creators

Second Unit Director

Jiří Mikeťuk

Assistant Director

Viktor Walter

Screenstory

Zdeněk Bláha

Shooting Script

Jiří Sequens

Director of Photography

Václav Hanuš

Second Unit Photography

Michal Kulič

Camera Operator

Luděk Kopal

Production Designer

Karel Černý

Assistent Production Designer

Miloš Červinka

Set Designer

Jaroslav Česal, Karel Kočí, Stanislav Krejča

Costume Designer

Lída Novotná

Film Editor

Jan Chaloupek

Assistant Film Editor

Jana Suková

Sound Designer

František Černý

Production Manager

Josef Císař

Unit Production Manager

Josef Hudlička, Olga Mimrová

Unit Production Manager

Jaroslava Pražská

Cooperation

Hana Jozífková (klapka), Vladimír Souček (fotograf)

Music

Music Composed by

Zdeněk Liška

Selected Music

Johann Sebastian Bach (Toccata a fuga d moll)

Music Performed by

FISYO (Music Conducted by František Belfín)

Songs

Grand prix

Song Composer Zdeněk Liška
Writer of Lyrics Vladimír Sís
Singer Jana Brejchová [dab]Hana Buštíkováskupina Bukanýři

Moje milé premilené čerešně

Singer sbor

Production info

Original Title

Pokus o vraždu

Czech Title

Pokus o vraždu

English Title

Attempted Murder

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

psychological

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1973

Production Year

1973

Production specifications

projection approval 12 July 1973
withdrawal from distribution 31 December 1986

Premiere

premiere 11 October 1973 /unsuitable for youths/ (kino 64 U Hradeb, Praha)
premiere 12 October 1973 /unsuitable for youths/ (celostátní)

Studio

Barrandov

Creative Group

Dramaturgická skupina Miloše Brože, Miloš Brož (vedoucí dramaturgické skupiny)

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

101 min

Original length in metres

2 826 meters

Distribution carrier

16mm, 35mm

Aspect ratio

1:1,66, 1:2,35

Colour

black & white

Sound

sound

Sound system/format

mono

Versions

Czech

Dialogue languages

Czech

Subtitles languages

without subtitles

Opening/End credits languages

Czech