The Gold Fish
Country
CzechoslovakiaCopyright
1977Production year
1977Premiere
7 April 1978Runtime
87 minDirector
Otakar FukaCategory
filmGenre
detective, crimeTypology
featuretheatrical distributionlongOriginal title
Zlaté rybkyCzech title
Zlaté rybkyEnglish title
The Gold FishSummary
Eva Prošková’s literary works inspired just one film that made it to the silver screen, namely this 1977 picture from Otakar Fuka. Numerous other works by the author were adapted for television productions, and the writer herself contributed to the script of the 1977 TV crime story Přízrak (Phantom) directed by Dušan Klein. Prošková’s story Prostý případ statistiky (A Simple Case of Statistics) included in the compilation Tajemství obří číše (The Secret of a Giant Goblet, 1973) describes the search for the murderer of Ms Nejtková. In the investigation as presented by Zlaté rybky (The Gold Fish), captain Hora (Radovan Lukavský) runs into trouble with the victim’s husband. He claims to be the culprit and to have wounded himself with a shotgun afterwards. And there is another mystery: the tender-heartedness shown by the murderer towards the fish in the tank… On the one hand, the motion picture displays good filmmaking craftsmanship, but on the other it does not avoid a somewhat over-prejudiced stance against abusers of medical drugs. On the acting side, Oldřich Vízner excelled in the part of a young drug addict suspected of involvement in the crime.
Synopsis
Ms Cajthaml heard shooting in the house and called the police. In the neighbouring apartment the police found dead bodies of the owners. Eva Nejtková was already dead, her husband was injured by a shotgun. There are several suspicious matters in the investigation. The murderer pierced Eva's head with a fire-hook, breaking a huge aquarium. Then he picked the fish and put it into a smaller aquarium. Why did he do so? Captain Hora and his team collect information about the Nejteks' and their acquaintances. The first significant trace is provided by a person who is investigated by the police because of drug trading. He confesses to provide drugs for Eva Nejtková, who distributed them to drug addicts. The investigation is, however, complicated by deranged Nejtek, who declares to have killed Eva. The inquiry is directed to several areas, as long as a former drug addict Hanták appears on the scene. Hora met him a few years ago when Hanták was unjustly arrested together with a group of drug pill users, who robbed a pharmacy. Upon being released from prison, he began to take drugs, too, but his attending doctor Kučera asserted he had got over the addiction. Hora has him under control and visits him several times. Depressed Hanták eventually confesses to the murder of Eva Nejtková. He hit her because she refused to give him drugs. But he felt sorry for the fish and rescued it.
Film online
Photos
Cast
Radovan Lukavský
kriminalista kapitán Hora
Oldřich Vízner
narkoman Jaroslav Hanták
Adolf Filip
Zdeněk Nejtek
Jana Andresíková
Eva, Nejtkova žena
Jan Kanyza
nadporučík Beránek
Jiří Krampol
podporučík Krátký
Ivan Vyskočil
taxikář Mandel
Karol Tyrlik
Voice by Petr Oliva
poručík Novák
Ladislav Potměšil
podporučík David
Ota Sklenčka
psychiatr docent Kučera
Jiří Kodet
průvodčí Karásek
Marie Motlová
sousedka Cajthamlová
Jana Robenková
uvaděčka Svozilová, Hantákova bytná
Jan Kotva
řidič VB
Milan Riehs
policejní lékař MUDr. Rezek
Karel Augusta
překupník Vaněček
Danuše Klichová
sekretářka Alice
Vítězslav Jirsák
strážmistr Franěk
Karolina Slunéčková
účetní Šlechtová, Nejtkova milenka
Ilona Jirotková
Voice by Andrea Čunderlíková
sekretářka Jiřina
Roman Hemala
Voice by Lubomír Kostelka
číšník Hovorka
Vlastimil Bedrna
číšník
Isabella Tylínková
Mázlová, Mandelova milenka
Jana Riháková
dívka narkomanka
Zdeněk Mlčoch
příslušník VB
Jiří Vondráček
vlasatý mladík
Julius Neumann
brýlatý mladík
Lena Birková
přítelkyně Nejtkové
Zdena Burdová
přítelkyně Nejtkové
Vladimír Zoubek
barman
Jitka Zelenohorská
uniformované sekretářka VB
Pavel Robin
tetovaný narkoman
Jan Kuželka
prodavač ve stavebninách
Vít Pešina
podpraporčík VB
Karel Fridrich
soused v teplákové bundě
Vladimír Huber
recepční
Milan Pěkný
holohlavý muž
Zdeněk Vašátko
kapelník
Jan Mayer (2)
hudebník
Oldřich Čech
hudebník
Juraj Tatran
hudebník
Jiří Bálek
fotograf VB
Jiří Nebeský
příslušník VB v civilu
Ladislav Pálek
technik VB
Hana Bartáková
stará prostituka na VB
Crew and creators
Director
Second Unit Director
Assistant Director
Jiří Býček
Continuity
Based on
Hana Prošková (Prostý případ statistiky – novela)
Screenplay
Shooting Script
Dramaturg
Director of Photography
Second Unit Photography
Camera Operator
Production Designer
Assistent Production Designer
Set Designer
Vladimír Foukal, Zdeněk Jeřábek, Rudolf Kinský
Costume Designer
Costumes
Make-Up Artist
Film Editor
Assistant Film Editor
Sound Designer
Special Effects
Production Manager
Unit Production Manager
Jana Koubová, Ladislav Beneš
Unit Production Manager
Consultant
MUDr. Jaromír Rubeš, Jindřich Kühnel
Cooperation
Irena Gregorová (klapka), Josef Vítek (fotograf)
Music
Music Composed by
Music Performed by
FISYO (Music Conducted by František Belfín)
Production info
Original Title
Zlaté rybky
Czech Title
Zlaté rybky
English Title
The Gold Fish
Category
film
Typology
featuretheatrical distribution
Genre
detective, crime
Origin country
Czechoslovakia
Copyright
1977
Production Year
1977
Production specifications
literary Screenplay approved 20 December 1976
start of filming 1 February 1977
end of filming 13 September 1977
projection approval 27 September 1977
withdrawal from distribution 31 December 1986
Premiere
preview 2 March 1978 (kino Světozor, Praha)
premiere 7 April 1978 /unsuitable for youths/
Production
Copyright Holders
Studio
Distribution
Creative Group
Dramaturgická skupina Karla Copa, Karel Cop (vedoucí dramaturgické skupiny)
Technical info
Duration typology
feature film
Duration in minutes
87 min
Original length in metres
2 497 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
