Good Morning, Town!
Country
CzechoslovakiaCopyright
1976Production year
1976Premiere
31 December 1976Runtime
77 minDirector
Jiří HanibalCategory
filmGenre
dramaTypology
featuretheatrical distributionlongOriginal title
Dobrý den městoCzech title
Dobrý den městoEnglish title
Good Morning, Town!Summary
Director Jiří Hanibal is primarily known for his children’s films. Though a lesser-known work, Dobrý den město (Good Morning, Town!) is a worthy 1976 film that tells the story of a group of residents of the city of Kladno. The metropolis of Czechoslovakia’s industrial iron production industry serves as a perfect mid-70s backdrop for an ideologically “correct” tale of ordinary working class folk. Hanibal and screenwriter Tomáš Tintěra offer up four central protagonists spanning several generations. These include a young driver and soon-to-be father; a divorced single father bringing up an 11-year-old son; a foreman at the local iron mill going into retirement; and an elderly couple about to move into an apartment block. While the individual stories naturally conform to the ideological message sought by those in charge of the country’s cinema output, nonetheless a rare document of life in Kladno is unwittingly presented, showcasing the plight of an industrial town hit hard by pollution and the degradation of human individuality. The haunting music score by Luboš Fišer offers a distinct contrast to the outwardly positive stories portrayed on the screen.
Synopsis
The town is waking up. The bus driver Josef Král is saying goodbye to his wife Věra who is in a state of advanced pregnancy. At the rolling mill, the master craftsman Mareš is preparing for retirement, which is now only two days away. Elderly Šimon who grows and sells vegetables at the market has problems with his wife. Their little home has to give way to a new development but the wife Šimonka refuses to move out. The chairman of the workers'council has troubles with the miner Adam, who has started drinking. He doesn't know that Adam is getting divorced and fears he may lose his young son to his wife. His fears are soon confirmed and the wretched man opens his heart to the chairman and tells him that his now ex-wife has taken the boy. The chairman promises to help him, but only if he gets back to work. Mareš is also troubled. His younger son Honza has decided to give up his studies but has no idea what should he be doing. In a fit of anger, Mareš throws his son out of the house. Honza stops by at a friend's wedding party, where he meets a young girl, Magda. They dance together the entire night and during their early morning walk in the park they feel close to each other. Magda's optimism helps Honza recover his taste for life and he decides to complete his studies. The Šimon couple finally move to their new home, but the Šimonka is unhappy. In the evening, the husband drives their pregnant young neighbour Věra to the maternity hospital. When he returns home, his wife is gone; she has moved to their son's house. It is morning again. The town is pulsating with everyday life, in which joy alternates with sorrow and excitement with tranquillity.
Photos
Cast
Alois Švehlík
havíř Adam
Marie Málková
Marcela, Adamova manželka
Petr Starý
Martin, Adamův syn
Jaroslav Moučka
mistr ve válcovně Karel Mareš
Věra Tichánková
Marešova žena
Antonín Procházka
student Honza, syn Marešových
Jana Boušková
Magda
Arnošt Faltýnek
zelinář Šimon
Marie Motlová
zelinářova žena zvaná Šimonka
František Vicena
inspektor
Vítězslav Jandák
řidič autobusu Josef Král
Kateřina Macháčková
Věra, Josefova manželka
Karel Gult
gynekolog Míla, starší syn Marešových
Karel Augusta
vedoucí provozu inženýr Michálek
Ferdinand Krůta
předseda závodní rady Zdeněk Moutelík
František Němec
advokát JUDr. Slavík
Marcela Nohýnková
Eva, Mílova žena
Consuela Morávková
učitelka
Jana Švandová
Jana
Dáša Neblechová
jeřábnice
Martin Hron
řidič František
Milan Hein
Luděk, Honzův kamarád
Jiřina Bílá
sousedka Šimonových
Vlastimil Čaněk
předák na dole Rudolf Mašek
Bořík Procházka
Halama, Karlův kolega na oslavě
Karel Fridrich
valcíř
Pavel Jiras
valcíř
Bohumil Koška
valcíř
Dana Balounová
svačinářka
Zdeněk Deyl
svatebčan
Evžen Illín
svatebčan
Šárka Jerieová
svatebčanka
Milan Pěkný
svatebčan
Markéta Světlíková
svatebčanka
Žofie Veselá
svatebčanka
Vlasta Žehrová
svatebčanka
Helena Černá
svatebčanka
Adam Černý
svatebčan
Ivan Vorlíček
Jirka Melichar, Martinův spolužák
Vanda Švarcová
zdravotní sestra
Alena Augustová
dělnice
Jarmila Horská
servírka
Jaroslav Wagner
vrátný garáží
Vladimír Navrátil
advokát
Karel Smrž
harmonikář
Ljuba Konvalinková
maminka
Karel Šott ml.
výčepní
Crew and creators
Director
Second Unit Director
Assistant Director
Continuity
Screenstory
Screenplay
Dramaturg
Director of Photography
Second Unit Photography
Camera Operator
Production Designer
Assistent Production Designer
Set Designer
Jan Jindra, Václav Pošta, Jan Petrů
Costume Designer
Costumes
Make-Up Artist
Film Editor
Assistant Film Editor
Sound Designer
Production Manager
Unit Production Manager
Petra Havlínová, Ladislav Beneš
Unit Production Manager
Pavel Mangl
Cooperation
Eliška Moulisová (klapka), Ivan Minář (fotograf)
Music
Music Composed by
Music Performed by
FISYO (Music Conducted by Štěpán KoníčekFrantišek Belfín)
Songs
Čtyři páry bílých koní
Song Composer Karel Vacek
Singer sbor
Už troubějí na horách jeleni
Singer sbor
Production info
Original Title
Dobrý den město
Czech Title
Dobrý den město
English Title
Good Morning, Town!
Category
film
Typology
featuretheatrical distribution
Genre
drama
Origin country
Czechoslovakia
Copyright
1976
Production Year
1976
Production specifications
withdrawal from distribution 31 December 1986
Premiere
premiere 16 December 1976 /suitable for youths/ (kino Paříž, Praha)
premiere 31 December 1976 /suitable for youths/ (celostátní)
Production
Copyright Holders
Studio
Distribution
Creative Group
Dramaturgická skupina Miloše Brože, Miloš Brož (vedoucí dramaturgické skupiny)
Technical info
Duration typology
feature film
Duration in minutes
77 min
Original length in metres
2 145 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
