The Duck Trap

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1978

Production year

1977—1978

Premiere

29 December 1978

Runtime

82 min

Category

film

Genre

drama, crime

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Past na kachnu

Czech title

Past na kachnu

English title

The Duck Trap

Working title

V pátém voze jede vrah

Summary

Cameraman František Uldrich put across his refined visual sense for atmosphere during his collaboration with František Vláčil. However, he also influenced the form of a series of genre films. Among them is this 1978 crime drama directed by Karel Kovář. Uldrich also worked with this director, who made only two feature films, on the comedy Tím pádem (That’s Why, 1979). In Past na kachnu (The Duck Trap), a police investigation following the murder of an Austrian tourist takes place in the dreary, cheerless time of “normalisation” in Prague. Milan Sandhaus performs the role of Major Mlynář, who is investigating the case, a nasty affair revolving around gambling clubs and heroin smuggling. The actor playing the part of the shuffling taxi driver Koukal, who ceases to be of use to his accomplice, is Miroslav Macháček (who excels). The solid cast is further strengthened by Petr Čepek in the role of the pump man Richter.

Synopsis

Taxi driver Koukal is stopped by the police for a routine traffic check. In the boot of his car the police find the body of a naked man. Koukal is arrested even though he claims he knows nothing about it. The case is assigned to Major Mlynář. The police identify the corpse as that of an Austrian citizen called Mitrik. Koukal has been regularly driving people interested in gambling to a secret gaming den. The police are put onto the gambling den by another taxi driver, Kvěch, who admits that he drove Mitrik there. Mlynář and officer cadet Pecka feign interest in gambling and visit the gaming den incognito. After he is released from custody Koukal is murdered. Kvěch, the taxi driver Písecký and the waitress Záveská all find themselves on the suspect list. At the same time the Turk Oglu is arrrested on the frontier for smuggling heroin. The police find that he had a connection with Mitrik. Richter, who runs the gaming den, confesses that he found the Mitrik's corpse close to the gaming den and stuffed it into Kouka's boot for fear of a scandal. The police deduce that the murderer must speak German and that he knew Oglu. Oglu arranges a rendezvous with the murderer but it is Major Mlynář, who goes to the meeting. After an exciting chase the double murderer is caught. It is Kvěch. He killed Mitrik for money and drugs, and Koukal out of fear that his avaricious colleague would betray him.

Film online

Cast

Milan Sandhaus

kriminalista major Mlynář

Jiří Kodet

kriminalista poručík Muclinger

Ivan Vyskočil

kriminalista praporčík Pecka

Miroslav Macháček

taxikář Karel Koukal zvaný Hary

Jana Andresíková

servírka Renáta Záveská

František Němec

policejní lékař MUDr. Mlynář, majorův syn

Petr Čepek

pumpař Ladan Richter

Bronislav Poloczek

zelinář Ivo Richter

Jiří Němeček

vrchní Jonáš

Jiří Zahajský

taxikář František Kvěch

Jan Teplý

taxikář Jaroslav Písecký

Jaroslav Kohák

karbaník Tóny Větvička

Karel Hovorka

číšník

Josef Šebek

kriminalista Štádler

Antonín Brtoun

Ing. Kulich

Martha Elefteriadu

zpěvačka ve studiu

Jiřina Krejčíková

sekretářka Jiřina Motejlová

Jiří D. Novotný

televizní produkční

Jiří Adamec

televizní režisér

Milada Ježková

výčepní Richterová

V. Krasser

karbaník

Jaroslav Tomsa

Voice by Lubor Tokoš
karbaník/příslušník VB

Miloslav Homola

Weinsturf, zákazník Záveské

Bohumil Koška

vedoucí restaurace U labutí

Petr Kopřiva

barman v denním baru

Josef Brozman

Hůzl

Jan Cmíral

Voice by Jindřich Narenta
německý zákazník

Jan Řeřicha

mechanik Josef

Miroslav Sedlák

Turek Mohmadir Oglu

Josef Střecha

starší muž

Alois Vachek

muž se psem

Bohumil Vávra

starší vrchní

Karel Engel

příslušník VB v civilu

Josef Hrubý

příslušník VB v civilu

Miroslav Jíra

příslušník VB v civilu

Jaroslav Klenot

příslušník VB v civilu

Jiří Klenot

příslušník VB v civilu

Zbyněk Krákora

příslušník VB v civilu

Jindřich Sejk

příslušník VB v civilu

Oldřich Semerák

příslušník VB v civilu

Karel Vítek

příslušník VB v civilu

František Jákl

příslušník VB

Petr Jákl

příslušník VB

Crew and creators

Second Unit Director

Miloš Kohout

Assistant Director

Josef Loučím

Continuity

Olga Hrčková

Screenstory

Pavel Hanuš

Shooting Script

Karel Kovář

Dramaturg

Josef Bouček

Director of Photography

František Uldrich

Second Unit Photography

Vladimír Smutný

Camera Operator

Jiří Pechar

Production Designer

Zbyněk Hloch

Assistent Production Designer

Bohumil Nový

Set Designer

Ivo Černý, Miloš Osvald, Miroslav Matuška, Jiří Rulík

Costume Designer

Věra Faberová

Film Editor

Jiří Brožek

Assistant Film Editor

Eva Horázná, Rimma Stejskalová

Sound Designer

František Fabián

Production Manager

Jiří Krejčí

Unit Production Manager

Přemysl Pražský, Věra Winkelhöferová

Unit Production Manager

Ladislav Hanousek

Consultant

mjr. Miloslav Misauer

Cooperation

Nevjana Raduilská (klapka), Jan Kuděla (fotograf)

Music

Music Composed by

Martin Kratochvíl

Music Performed by

Jazz Q a hosté (Music Conducted by Martin Kratochvíl)

Songs

Horizont

Song Composer Martin Kratochvíl
Writer of Lyrics Oskar Petr
Singer Martha Elefteriadu

Production info

Original Title

Past na kachnu

Czech Title

Past na kachnu

English Title

The Duck Trap

Working Title

V pátém voze jede vrah

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

drama, crime

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1978

Production Year

1977—1978

Production specifications

literary Screenplay approved 19 August 1977
start of filming 10 October 1977
technical Screenplay approved 10 November 1977
end of filming 18 April 1978
projection approval 10 May 1978
withdrawal from distribution 31 December 1986

Premiere

premiere 29 December 1978 /suitable for youths/

Studio

Hostivař

Creative Group

Dramaturgická skupina Vladimíra Kaliny, Vladimír Kalina (vedoucí dramaturgické skupiny)

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

82 min

Original length in metres

2 372 meters

Distribution carrier

16mm, 35mm

Aspect ratio

1:1,66

Colour

colour

Sound

sound

Sound system/format

mono

Versions

Czech

Dialogue languages

Czech, German

Subtitles languages

without subtitles

Opening/End credits languages

Czech

Awards

Vítěz

Festival: 17. festival českých a slovenských filmů Hradec Králové

1979
Hradec Králové / Czechoslovakia
František Uldrich

Vítěz

Festival: 17. festival českých a slovenských filmů Hradec Králové

1979
Hradec Králové / Czechoslovakia
Karel Kovář