The musical film Romance for a Crown directed by Zbyňek Brynych (1927–1995) is a story of a complicated first meeting of young apprentice Píďa (Erik Pardus) and apprentice Maruna (Miroslava Šafránková) of a similar age. Various situations in their relationship, disagreements and attempts at getting back together, are set in the world of Czech pop music scene at the time. Helena Vondráčková, Karel Gott, Naďa Urbánková, Jiří Schelinger and Karel Svoboda, the music composer who is also author of the music in this film, play themselves in this film. – The couple starts dating and they usually go to a dance club. These two characters search, pass, lose and find each other again with songs about the power of love and the beauty of youth playing in the background. The narrative line of their first meeting is dominant, the whole world revolves around Píďa and Maruna. Scenes with individual musicians and lyrics of their songs are directly related to the experiences of the young couple. Pop-music stars not only comment on these events with their concerts, but also directly influence them. Píďa gets behind the scenes, where he gets to know all the musicians and, like Maruna, wins them over with his wit and charm. The young man kisses Helena Vondráčková and Naďa Urbanková, Karel Gott wants to hire him to arrange the sound in his studio. Vondráčková and Urbanková learn about Maruna at the same time, so they advise and help Píďa. It turns out that love, friendship, and optimistic songs are not just empty phrases for musicians. The love of the main couple is a proof that idealistic-sounding verses and choruses can also be experienced in the real life. – The film features appearance by the Ladislav Štaidl Orchestra, the František Ringo Čech Band and Jiří Brabec's Country Beat. For the important producer František Milič, a frequent collaborator of Otakar Vávra (for example on the trilogy Jan Hus, 1954; A Hussite Warrior, 1955; Against Everybody, 1956) and Jiří Krejčík (Mrs Dulská's Morals, 1958; A Higher Principle, 1960; Labyrinth of the Heart, 1961), this film was his last work before dying in 1981.
An apprentice of the Tesla company in Hloubětín in Prague, called Píďa comes from Pardubice city and the new employee Maruna comes from Šlapanice village - they don't know Prague well. Therefore they make a date at the Wenceslas Square in the centre. Píďa is chatty, has a sense for humour and is therefore popular. Girls from the warehouse overhear as he is arranging his first date and they decide to follow the couple. Píďa buys two cinema tickets and Maruna imposes at least one crown upon him. The girls break their first shy sentences with teasing and Píďa is offended and leaves. He gives the small bouquet for Maruna to a passing-by singer Vondráčková. A driver who runs into a standing small Fiat car thinks that Píďa is the car owner and he imposes 100 crowns upon him for a repair. For this money Píďa invites accidentally met girls for a discotheque to the Socialist Youth Movement Junior Klub. Now it is Maruna who is offended. During the crazy night Píďa meets pop singers who as an inseparable group perform in various Prague establishments for young people. Several times he also gets a hundred-crown-note: from a slot machine, as a loan from the singer Urbánková, from a fresh father for a bouquet of flowers which he got from the singer Vondráčková for Maruna. A few times in the night he has just one crown left. In the end the singers takes Píďa to a music studio for a recording. A night full of singing and mutual meetings and leave-takings is over. Píďa is taken by the singers to his hostel and he even gets a kiss. In the end the couple in love make it up again and Píďa confesses his love to Maruna.
učeň Josef Vorel zvaný Píďa
učnice Maruna
učeň Vašek
řidič volhy
přeborník v herně
vrchní Lojzík v Klubu SSM Junior
konferenciérka
konferenciér
kuchařka
učnice Renata
učnice Zuzana
učnice Jitka
učnice Šárka
učnice Marcela
učnice Vlaďka
učnice Alena
učeň Karel
učeň Jirka
učeň Rudolf
učeň Petr
učeň Standa
učeň Honza
učeň Miloš
učeň Martin
on sám, zpěvák
on sám, zpěvák
ona sama, zpěvačka
ona sama, zpěvačka
on sám, zpěvák
členka skupiny Babety
členka skupiny Babety
členka skupiny Babety
členka skupiny Babety
Daniela
kostymérka
Vostřáb
hospodářka Kalíšková
dívka Jarmila
mistr v Tesle
montér Volejníček
dívka Eva
novopečený otec
dívka Milena
barmanka v Junioru
Blanka, Vaškova nová známost
on sám, hudební režisér
Voice by Lubor Tokoš
příslušník VB
hudebník
hudebník
hudebník
hudebník
hudebník
hudebník
hudebník
hudebník
hudebník
hudebník
hudebník
hudebník
hudebník
hudebník
hudebník
hudebník
hudebník
hudebník
hudebník
hudebník
hudebník
hudebník
hudebník
hudebník
hudebník
hudebník
hudebník
hudební technik
hudební technik
hudební technik
hudební technik
hudební technik
hudební technik
hudební technik
hudební technik
on sám, textař
květinářka
hlas vedoucího internátu
Zdena Lukášová
Věra Justová
Jiří Bžoch, Jan Jindra, Karel Kracík, Dana Smržová
Milena Andrejsková, Věra Winkelhöferová
Eliška Moulisová (klapka), Miloslav Mirvald (fotograf)
Fryderyk Chopin (Valčík cis-moll op. 64)
Orchestr Ladislava Štaidla (Music Conducted by Ladislav Štaidl), Country Beat Jiřího Brabce (Music Conducted by Jiří Brabec), Sedm strýců (Music Conducted by Luděk Švabenský), Skupina Františka R. Čecha
Song Composer Ladislav Štaidl
Writer of Lyrics Zdeněk Rytíř
Singer Karel Gottskupina Babety
Song Composer Jindřich Brabec
Writer of Lyrics Zdeněk Borovec
Singer Naďa Urbánková
Song Composer Karel Svoboda
Writer of Lyrics Zdeněk Borovec
Singer Karel Gott
Song Composer Karel Svoboda
Writer of Lyrics Zdeněk Borovec
Singer Rudolf Cortés
Song Composer Karel Svoboda
Writer of Lyrics František Ringo Čech
Singer Jiří SchelingerHelena VondráčkováKarel Gott
Song Composer Karel Svoboda
Writer of Lyrics František Ringo Čech
Singer Jiří Schelinger
Song Composer Karel Svoboda
Writer of Lyrics Zdeněk Borovec
Singer Helena Vondráčková
Song Composer Karel Svoboda
Singer Karel Gottskupina Babety
Song Composer Karel Svoboda
Writer of Lyrics Zdeněk Borovec
Singer Helena Vondráčková
Romance za korunu
Romance za korunu
Romance for a Crown
film
featuretheatrical distribution
music
Czechoslovakia
1975
1975
withdrawal from distribution 31 October 1985
preview 20 July 1975 (Sportovní hala Parku kultury a oddechu Julia Fučíka, Praha)
premiere 24 October 1975 /suitable for youths/ (celostátní)
premiere 6 November 1975 /suitable for youths/ (kino 64 U Hradeb, Praha)
Dramaturgická skupina Miloše Brože, Miloš Brož (vedoucí dramaturgické skupiny)
feature film
92 min
2 637 meters
16mm, 35mm
1:1,66
colour
sound
mono
Czech
Czech
without subtitles
Czech