Orange Boy

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1975

Production year

1975

Premiere

6 February 1976

Runtime

93 min

Category

film

Genre

psychological

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Pomerančový kluk

Czech title

Pomerančový kluk

English title

Orange Boy

Working title

Druhý dech

Summary

This 1975 drama from director Václav Matějka tells the story of a turbulent relationship between a mother and son. Lead character Petr is released from a correctional institute, where the young delinquent trained to become a cabinet maker. The young man moves back to living with his waitress mother and tries to build a new life. However, Petr disapproves of, and cannot live with, his mother’s second marriage. Fortunately, he is prevented from going off the rails by a group of workers building a new apartment complex... Matějka also served as the screenwriter of this narrative, fulfilling the ideological viewpoint of the time which emphasised how hard work can set right young offenders. Otakar Brousek Jr., takes the lead role, while Karolina Slunéčková portrays Petr’s mother. Her new partner is played by Josef Somr. Vladimír Menšík offers a strong performance as Petr's paternalistic boss Rána.

Synopsis

A quarrel between divorced waitress Mája and her fifteen-year-old son Petr ends with the boy physically attacking his mother, and he is sent to an institution for juvenile delinquents. Over three years Petr successfully trains and qualifies as a carpenter, but consistently refuses to see his mother. Nonetheless, the experienced director Janeš hopes that Petr will manage to make a new life for himself with his mother. Petr is now of age and returns to Prague. He doesn't hit it off with his mother's lover Šáňo, even though the still attractive Mája is very keen for the two to be friends. Petr starts working on the building site of a new housing estate in Foreman Rána's team. He works well, and when after a time he confesses to Rána that he has spent years in an institution, he finds that the foreman knew about it from the beginning. Petr's relations with his mother are marred by constant disputes. He is resentful that his mother's lover, who has promised her marriage, always takes precedence over him. At a works party Petr gets together with Rána's daughter Vendula. As a father the foreman isn't so liberal; at first he tries to stop the relationship but later he apologizes to Petr. While Petr is working in a new flat the future tenant arrives - it is Šáňo with a wife and children. Petr tells him what he thinks of him, but Mája later accuses Petr of interfering in her private life and the break seems to be final. Full of anger, the young man goes to see Janeš, who tries to get him to be more tolerant, explaining that his mother is afraid of growing old alone. Mája comes to see Petr to explain herself properly. She goes home alone, but she hopes that her son will come back to her in the end.

Cast

Otakar Brousek ml.

Petr Bystřický

Karolina Slunéčková

servírka Marie zvaná Mája, Petrova matka

Eduard Cupák

ředitel výchovného ústavu Janeš

Josef Somr

závozník Šáňo, Májin milenec

Vladimír Menšík

mistr truhlář Antonín Rána

Míla Myslíková

Ránova žena

Lenka Kořínková

Vendula, dcera Ránových

Miroslav Moravec

vychovatel Horák

Jan Pohan

vychovatel

Jana Boušková

Blanka, Petrova sousedka

Karel Augusta

truhlář Franta

Jiří Wohanka

truhlář zvaný Hezoun

Jan Faltýnek

kuchař Vratislav Majer zvaný Divíš

Eva Jiroušková

Šáňova žena

Ladislav Šimek

ředitel Kadlec

Svatava Šanovcová

vychovatelka

Svatopluk Skládal

mistr Kolář

Jiří Růžička

Drobeček, chovanec ústavu

František Dominik Staněk

Jáchym, chovanec ústavu

Vladislav Beneš

Slušňák, chovanec ústavu

David Filcík

Jiříček, chovanec ústavu

Jan Kraus

Fráňa, chovanec ústavu

Martin Podhajský

Pepíček, chovanec ústavu

Milan Šteindler

chovanec ústavu

Ilona Jirotková

Sonička, Hezounova snoubenka

Daniela Bakerová

doručovatelka

Karel Fridrich

vrchní Racek

Roman Hemala

budoucí nájemník

Libuše Matějová

nájemníkova žena

Miloslav Homola

host v restauraci

Martin Liška

Jarda, člen vedení

Václav Král

Ferdásek

Jindra Kvardová

Ferdásková

Pavel Pípal

vousatý řidič

Regina Lodrová

Maruška

Daniel Dvořák

chovanec ústavu

T. Kosař

chovanec ústavu

Jan Peterka

chovanec ústavu

P. Truneček

chovanec ústavu

Vlastimila Vlková

pomocnice v kuchyni Pechlátová

R. Kopecký

hudebník

J. Stehlík

hudebník

L. Forejt

hudebník

S. Ledvina

hudebník

V. Liška

hudebník

V. Neshyba

hudebník

J. Pokorný

hudebník

J. Pomezný

hudebník

Jan Šimek

hudebník

K. Vlček

hudebník

Roman Vychodil

Šánův syn

Karel Hovorka

soused Martínek

Jiří Poledne

Tony

A. Sivák

Béla

V. Křeček

zpěvák

D. Nikendysová

zpěvačka

Dubbing

Otakar Brousek

hlas psychologa

Crew and creators

Second Unit Director

Jiří Růžička st.

Assistant Director

Roman Pavlíček

Screenstory

Václav Matějka

Director of Photography

Ivan Šlapeta

Second Unit Photography

Richard Valenta

Camera Operator

Oldřich Kovář

Production Designer

Milan Nejedlý

Assistent Production Designer

Josef Kraus

Set Designer

Jaroslav Česal, Karel Kočí, Stanislav Krejča

Costume Designer

Marta Kaplerová

Make-Up Artist

František Čížek

Film Editor

Josef Valušiak

Sound Designer

Jiří Pavlík

Production Manager

Jan Balzer

Unit Production Manager

Zdeňka Černá, Oldřich Mach

Unit Production Manager

Jana Fischerová

Consultant

Zdeněk Mičulka

Cooperation

Helena Matušková (klapka), Miloslav Mirvald (fotograf)

Music

Music Composed by

Martin Kratochvíl

Music Performed by

FISYO (Music Conducted by František Belfín), Jazz Q (Music Conducted by Martin Kratochvíl)

Songs

Mám kopec smůly

Song Composer Martin Kratochvíl
Writer of Lyrics Vladimír Merta
Singer Otakar Brousek ml.

Stavěli tesaři zedníkům lešení

Singer V. KřečekD. Nikendysová

Na Vlachovce /Padla facka na sále/

Song Composer Arnošt Mošna
Writer of Lyrics Jan Korda
Singer V. Křeček

Týdny letí

Singer Lenka Filipová

Production info

Original Title

Pomerančový kluk

Czech Title

Pomerančový kluk

English Title

Orange Boy

Working Title

Druhý dech

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

psychological

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1975

Production Year

1975

Production specifications

withdrawal from distribution 31 December 1986

Premiere

premiere 6 February 1976 /suitable for youths/ (celostátní)
gala premiere 6 February 1976 (kino Hostinné, Hostinné)
premiere 4 March 1976 /suitable for youths/ (kina Sevastopol a Flora, Praha)

Studio

Barrandov

Creative Group

Dramaturgická skupina Karla Copa, Karel Cop (vedoucí dramaturgické skupiny)

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

93 min

Original length in metres

2 596 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