Clucking Hens and the King
Country
CzechoslovakiaCopyright
1974Production year
1973—1974Premiere
14 June 1974Runtime
81 minDirector
Jaromír BorekCategory
filmGenre
psychologicalTypology
featuretheatrical distributionlongOriginal title
Kvočny a KrálCzech title
Kvočny a KrálEnglish title
Clucking Hens and the KingSummary
Mirroring the story found in Miloš Forman’s Lásky jedné plavovlásky (Loves of a Blonde, 1965), this 1974 film from Jaromír Borek is based on a novel by Karel Štorkán. Young workwoman Jana lives in a small town, which, thanks to its large textile plant, has a major demographic skew towards women. Instead of Forman’s bitter-sweet take on a socially awkward situation, Kvočny a Král (Clucking Hens and the King) offers a cautionary tale about how a delinquent, criminally inclined young man is guided towards a righteous path by a young woman’s love. While the role of Jana went to experienced young actress Milena Steinmasslová, the role of Jirka, the reformed former head of criminal gang “Král”, is played by Erik Tabery. This grandson of actor-writer-director Zdeňek Štěpánek, and father of journalist Erik Tabery, Jr., returned to the silver screen as a film actor only one more time, in Tchán (Father-in-Law, 1979). The part of Jan’s brother Pindi, who gives in to the allure of the gang, is played by Vladimír Dlouhý.
Synopsis
Police find a girl with a bleeding face in a small town park at night. First the girl, a textile factory worker Jana, refuses to talk, and then she decides to tell the truth. After her father's death she, by herself, takes care of her younger brother called Pinďa. She does not like the influence that a gang of older boys from the factory exercise over her brother. The gang leader Jirka, called Král (King), is admire by local girls whose number exceeds boys in the town because there are many textile factories where only girls are working. They easily yield to him and then he easily gets rid of them. Jana is a hard nut for him. She refuses his purposeful courtesy and thus she unintentionally gets his attention. Král inspires the gang on how to get money by stealing textile from the factory warehouse. While the others wait, Jirka starts to date Jana and he turns better under her influence. Once he had not finished a high school in a near town as he was unjustly blamed of stealing. Now he wants to misuse Jana and get the keys through Jana to the warehouse. He confesses Jana, but she is shocked and rejects his apology. The gang decides to steal even without Král and Jana trying to warn Pinďa is attacked by one of the boys. The thieves including Jana's brother were taken up. In front of the police station Jirka is waiting for Jana.
Photos
Cast
Milena Steinmasslová
textilní dělnice Jana Doubravová
Erik Tabery
Jiří Dvořáček zvaný Král, vůdce party
Vladimír Dlouhý
Janin bratr Pinďa
Jan Kraus
Vabi
Zdeněk Loveček
Motejlek
Miloš Ryčl
Charly
Jaroslav Pešice
Voice by Josef Abrhám
tovární mistr Jaroslav Pacovský
Eva Čeřovská
Božena
Alice Hašová
Magda
Dalibora Horáčková
Mamina
Eva Lichnovská
Naďa
Oldřich Velen
praporčík VB
Michal Pavlata
nadstrážmistr VB
Viktor Maurer
mistr Periskop
Karel Augusta
řidič
Mirko Musil
nádražák
Eva Bartošová
Zuzana
Milena Borovičková
Ofina
Lejla Bernášková
Rezina
Eva Harantová
Baronka
Ivana Havlíková
Špejle
Věra Havránková
Hlavatka
Eva Karletzová
Pihatka
Helena Kořínková
Midina
Hana Sládková
Puflík
Jaroslava Šimonová
Ilona
Jiřina Uhrová
Jeňa
Julius Neumann
ušatec
František Kraus
děda s rýčem
Tomáš Krčma
skokan do vody
Jaroslav Smola
obtloustlý příslušník VB
Jiří Ondráček
dubl – plochodrážní jezdec
Pavel Strnad
dubl – plochodrážní jezdec
Alexandr Pogorelský
dubl – plochodrážní jezdec
zaměstnanci podniku Benar Benešov nad Ploučnicí
zaměstnanci podniku Velveta Varnsdorf
Crew and creators
Director
Second Unit Director
Assistant Director
Zdeněk Touš
Continuity
Screenstory
Based on
Karel Štorkán (Kvočny a Král – povídka)
Screenplay
Shooting Script
Dramaturg
Director of Photography
Second Unit Photography
Camera Operator
Karel Hurský
Production Designer
Set Designer
Jan Hodný, Jaroslav Chytrý, Karel Kočí
Costume Designer
Costumes
Make-Up Artist
Film Editor
Assistant Film Editor
Sound Designer
Production Manager
Unit Production Manager
Unit Production Manager
Jaroslav Smola
Cooperation
Daniela Pilařová (klapka), Vladimír Souček (fotograf)
Music
Music Composed by
Music Performed by
FISYO (Music Conducted by Štěpán Koníček)
Songwriter
Writer of Lyrics
Singer
Songs
Kolem páté
Song Composer Aleš Sigmund
Writer of Lyrics Aleš Sigmund
Singer Martha ElefteriaduTena Elefteriadu
Production info
Original Title
Kvočny a Král
Czech Title
Kvočny a Král
English Title
Clucking Hens and the King
Category
film
Typology
featuretheatrical distribution
Genre
psychological
Origin country
Czechoslovakia
Copyright
1974
Production Year
1973—1974
Production specifications
literary Screenplay approved 29 May 1973
start of filming 25 June 1973
technical Screenplay approved 9 August 1973
end of filming 4 February 1974
projection approval 7 February 1974
withdrawal from distribution 31 December 1989
Premiere
premiere 6 June 1974 /suitable for youths/ (kino Sevastopol, Praha)
premiere 14 June 1974 /suitable for youths/ (celostátní)
Production
Copyright Holders
Studio
Distribution
Creative Group
Dramaturgická skupina Oty Hofmana, Ota Hofman (vedoucí dramaturgické skupiny)
Technical info
Duration typology
feature film
Duration in minutes
81 min
Original length in metres
2 275 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
Awards
Vítěz
Festival: 12. filmový festival mladých Trutnov
1974
Trutnov / Czechoslovakia
Vítěz
Festival: 11. filmový festival mladých Trutnov
1973
Trutnov / Czechoslovakia
Karel Štorkán
