Shots in Marienbad
Country
Czechoslovakia, German Democratic RepublicCopyright
1973Production year
1973Premiere
15 February 1974Runtime
88 minDirector
Ivo TomanCategory
filmGenre
drama, historicalTypology
featuretheatrical distributionlongOriginal title
Výstřely v Mariánských LázníchCzech title
Výstřely v Mariánských LázníchEnglish title
Shots in MarienbadCo-production title
Schüsse in MarienbadWorking title
Profesor Lessing / Výstřely v Marienbadu / Theodor LessingSummary
This 1973 crime drama from director Ivo Toman and screenwriter Václav Gajer was inspired by real-life events. The story, set after the end of the Second World War, sees a group of crime investigators dust down a murder case file from 23 years ago – the unsolved shooting of a German anti-fascist, professor Lessing. But insufficient evidence exists to charge the suspected killer, Eckert. And so the investigators must undertake considerable footwork, travelling from the town of Mariánské Lázně to the Prague archives in search of evidence. The criminal drama unveils the details behind a politically-motivated murder, set against the attractive backdrop of the west Bohemian spa town. A co-production with East Germany’s DEFA, the film stars Václav Neužil in the lead role as inspector Šedý, and Josef Abrhám as assistant Hanousek. Karel Hlušička plays the accused Eckert.
Synopsis
On 30 August 1933, a German anti-fascist and philosopher, Professor Theodor Lessing was shot dead in Mariánské Lázně (Marianbad a well-known Czech spa). The murderer fled to Germany. - In 1945, after the World War II, the police in Mariánské Lázně look after the security, headed by CID inspector Šedý and his assistant Hanousek. Irma Stich, a German national, announces to them a twelve years old murder. She even knows the name of the murderer who now lives in the town and works for a local garage. Hanousek has no interest in an old crime, because the police are busy anyway. Šedý, however, remembers the Lessing's case and wants to investigate it. Hanousek apprehends the murderer whose name is Eckert, but they cannot find sufficient reasons for his conviction. Moreover, Eckert controverts all the accusations. Major Fulín, Šedý's superior, prohibits further investigation. Nevertheless, inspector continues on his own. A former colleague of Šedý's, Mr Pacák, brings the investigation forward by informing Šedý about further details. He takes Šedý to the archives in Prague to look up the evidence about Eckert's guilt. Šedý is able to carry out a re-enactment and convict him of the joint guilt in the murder. Eckert is sentenced to 12 years of imprisonment. After his release, he is expelled to Germany.
Photos
Cast
Václav Neužil
kriminální inspektor Josef Šedý
Josef Abrhám
inspektorův asistent Václav Hanous
Karel Hlušička
Rudolf Maxmilián Eckert alias Förster
Bohuslav Ličman
policista Paleček
Jaroslav Pospíšil
policista Hovorka
Karel Hábl
policista Veselý
Friederike Aust
Voice by Jorga Kotrbová
Irma Stichová
Bohumil Šmída
inspektor Pacák
Wilhelm Koch-Hooge
Voice by Jan Skopeček
antifašista Willi Habermann
Zdeněk Dítě
major Fulín
Adolf Filip
policejní rada Kareš
Vladimír Ptáček
policejní agent Eberman
Hana Čížková
Gerta
Brigitte Wähner
Voice by Eva Jiroušková
hostinská Krauseová
Zdeněk Kutil
Voice by Milan Mach
žalobce
L. H. Struna
Voice by Zdeněk Kryzánek
vrátný v archivu
Oto Ševčík
Voice by Bohumil Švarc
novinář
Pavel Pitner
Voice by Stanislav Fišer
novinář
Curt W. Franke
velitel Krejza
Thomas Kästner
garážmistr Müller
Walter Wystemp
strážmistr
Martin Angermann
dozorce
Victor Keune
Marcan
Günter Rüger
úředník
Hans Kopprasch
pekař Bür
Roland Kuchenbuch
Jan Stranner
Otto Manfred
příslušník RG
Hannes Stelzer
příslušník RG
Heinz-Karl Konrad
Voice by Karel Hlušička
Anton Eckert, Rudolfův bratr
Manfred Richter
Ernst Zitterbarth
Johannes Wieke
Malina
Vojtěch Švojgr
profesor Theodor Lessing
Jiří Slezák
dr. Schwarzkopf
Vladimír Kotrlík
soudce
Bert Schneider
obhájce
Jiří Šrámek
přísedící u soudu
Rudolf Wolf
zajatý německý důstojník
Pavel Pípal
policista-strážný
Lubomír Haluška
výrostek
Stanislav Trestr
výrostek
Olga Buzková
tanečnice
Jana Čižinská
tanečnice
Květuše Homolová
tanečnice
Karla Horká-Míchalová
tanečnice
Eva Krásná
tanečnice
Karla Krausová
tanečnice
Elena Lindauerová
tanečnice
Ivana Suchá
tanečnice
Jitka Vašutová
tanečnice
Eva Zakouřilová
tanečnice
Crew and creators
Director
Second Unit Director
Václav Gajer, Claus Dobberke
Assistant Director
Robert Vacík, Magdalena Davidová
Based on
Roman Cílek (Výstřely ve vile Edelweiss – reportáž)
Screenplay
Jiří Cirkl, Ivo Toman, Karel Cop (dialogy)
Shooting Script
Dramaturg
Werner Beck, Drahoslav Makovička
Director of Photography
Second Unit Photography
Camera Operator
Production Designer
Assistent Production Designer
Set Designer
Costume Designer
Costumes
Make-Up Artist
Film Editor
Assistant Film Editor
Sound Designer
Special Effects
Production Manager
Rudolf Wolf, Uwe Klimek
Unit Production Manager
Helmut Bransky, Miroslav Smrček, Jiří Ulrich
Unit Production Manager
Jana Černá
Consultant
František Kruml
Cooperation
Jitka Poledňáková (klapka), Miloš Schmiedberger (fotograf), Tiskový odbor Ministerstva vnitra ČSSR
Music
Music Composed by
Music Performed by
Hudba Pohraniční stráže Federálního ministerstva vnitra ČSSR (Music Conducted by Rudolf Rydval)
Production info
Original Title
Výstřely v Mariánských Lázních
Czech Title
Výstřely v Mariánských Lázních
English Title
Shots in Marienbad
Co-production Title
Schüsse in Marienbad
Working Title
Profesor Lessing / Výstřely v Marienbadu / Theodor Lessing
Category
film
Typology
featuretheatrical distribution
Genre
drama, historical
Origin country
Czechoslovakia, German Democratic Republic
Copyright
1973
Production Year
1973
Production specifications
literary Screenplay approved 15 December 1972
start of filming 12 February 1973
technical Screenplay approved 4 April 1973
end of filming 7 September 1973
projection approval 21 September 1973
withdrawal from distribution 31 December 1989
Premiere
festival premiere 17 January 1974 (25. filmový festival pracujících – leden ´74)
premiere 15 February 1974 /suitable for youths/ (celostátní)
premiere 21 February 1974 /suitable for youths/ (kino Jalta, Praha)
Copyright Holders
Studio
Distribution
Creative Group
Dramaturgická skupina Karla Copa, Karel Cop (vedoucí dramaturgické skupiny), Zakázková skupina, Václav Cajthaml (vedoucí Zakázkové skupiny), Berlin (DEFA)
Technical info
Duration typology
feature film
Duration in minutes
88 min
Original length in metres
2 490 meters
Distribution carrier
16mm, 35mm
Aspect ratio
1:1,37
Colour
colour
Sound
sound
Sound system/format
mono
Versions
Czech
Dialogue languages
Czech
Subtitles languages
without subtitles
Opening/End credits languages
Czech
