Threat

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1978

Production year

1977—1978

Premiere

17 November 1978

Runtime

85 min

Category

film

Genre

drama

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Hrozba

Czech title

Hrozba

English title

Threat

Summary

Major changes are taking place at a prominent metallurgical enterprise: the experienced but ailing head of operations Budil is being replaced and workers are struggling to install a new exhauster. While the offended Budil, who has sacrificed everything for his work, struggles to accept his young substitute, a catastrophe is brewing in the gasworks. It threatens to destroy an entire city… Due to his previous filmmaking activities and political views, director Zdeněk Sirový was made to repent in the 1970s. Together with screenwriter Jiří Křižan they were later allowed to make three adventure films based on the short stories of Jack London; Kaňon samé zlato (A Canyon Full of Gold, 1970), Poslední výstřel Davida Sandela (David Sandel’s Last Shot, 1971) and Claim na Hluchém potoku (The Claim at the Deaf Creek, 1971) as well as two films about industry; Hrozba (Threat, 1978) and Paragraf 224 (Paragraph 224, 1979). With the popular Vladimír Menšík in the lead role, the film bears some of the hallmarks of a typical Hollywood disaster movie.

Synopsis

In a gas shop of a large metallurgical plant a new modern exhauster will be put into operation. The operation manager, engineer Budil learns shortly before that from his boss that he will be transferred to a less demanding work due to his bad health condition. He shall be replaced by a fresh university graduate, engineer Ondřej Kašík. Budil is deeply offended, work means everything for him, and even his marriage is in crisis because of that. Kašík would like to get advise from his former colleague how to deal with people but Budil has only ironic remarks. Also other workers in the plant have their personal problems. Power engineering specialist Landa learns that his beloved small daughter was injured in a car accident, the assiduous dispatcher Pernica is solving over the phone complaints of his handicaped wife. Shortly after the new facility is put in operation there is a crisis. To the gas-holder comes also air which might create an explosive mixture. Letting out the gas-holder would cause an economic damage. Budil's opinion of the young colleague will change when Kašík identifies quickly the cause of the wrong operation. During the reparation the young serviceman Šimčík dies but the city is saved. Budil's relationship with his wife gets better and he decides to undertake a treatment with her support. Landa's small daughter has been operated successfully.

Cast

Vladimír Menšík

inženýr Pavel Budil

Ladislav Frej

hlavní energetik Ing. Viktor Landa

Vladimír Durdík

Voice by Viktor Preiss
inženýr Ondřej Kašík

Jaroslav Rozsíval

starý Kašík

Jiří Wohanka

dispečer Honza Pernica

Milena Dvorská

Daniela, Budilova žena

Eliška Sirová

Julinka, Landova dcera

Pavel Zedníček

údržbář František Šimčík

Dušan Blaškovič

inženýr Včelařík

Stanislav Remunda

hlavní ekonom Josef Hynek

Zdeněk Ornest

vedoucí inženýr Tomáš Křenek

Karel Hlušička

MUDr. Šrámek

Miroslav Zounar

inženýr Navrátil

Jana Šulcová

Věra, Pernicova žena

Hana Čížková

modelka Irena

Milan Sandhaus

řidič Kramoliš

Rostislav Kuba

vlasatý mladík

Jana Gýrová

Lenka, Landova bývalá žena

Alois Švehlík

Jarek Pitron, Lenčin nový manžel

Emma Černá

sekretářka Karlička Bechná

Alena Procházková

zdravotní sestra

Jiří Kodet

sochař Franta

Jindřich Sejk

velitel požárníků

Václav Roštlapil

řidič gazu

Jeroným Horák

řidič škodovky

Karel Bělohradský

řidič Volhy

Jaroslav Fukala

údržbář Kozák

Karel Engel

montér s knírkem

Jan Kuželka

tlustý montér

Milan Jonáš

obsluha u benzinové pumpy

Lena Birková

členka operačního týmu

René Mucha

člen operačního týmu

Vladimír Navrátil

člen operačního týmu

Petr Skarke

člen operačního týmu

Miloslav Šindler

člen operačního týmu

Jiřina Zemanová

členka operačního týmu

Marie Viková

manželka řidiče

Jitka Zelenohorská

sekretářka u Křenka

Miroslav Jíra

strážmistr VB

Bohuslav Čvančara

hradlař

Jiří Kalenský

dubl za Milana Sandhause

Jaroslav Tomsa

dubl za Pavla Zedníčka

Crew and creators

Second Unit Director

Milan Jonáš

Assistant Director

Jitka Hoferková

Dramaturg

Josef Bouček

Director of Photography

Jiří Macák

Second Unit Photography

Eduard Kadeřábek

Camera Operator

Jan Hanzal

Production Designer

Jindřich Goetz

Assistent Production Designer

Petr Bárta

Set Designer

Jiří Žák, Vladimír Ježek, Jiří Pavlásek, Ladislav Winkelhöfer

Costume Designer

Zdena Kadrnožková

Film Editor

Zdeněk Stehlík

Assistant Film Editor

Miloslava Kostková

Sound Designer

Jiří Lenoch

Special Effects

Trikový ateliér FSB

Production Manager

Jaroslav Solnička

Unit Production Manager

Milan Štěch, Jiří Rössler

Consultant

Ing. Josef Pop, Slavomír Jašek

Cooperation

Irena Sedláčková (klapka), Ivan Minář (fotograf), zaměstnanci NHKG Ostrava

Music

Music Composed by

Luboš Fišer

Music Performed by

FISYO (Music Conducted by Štěpán Koníček)

Production info

Original Title

Hrozba

Czech Title

Hrozba

English Title

Threat

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

drama

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1978

Production Year

1977—1978

Production specifications

literary Screenplay approved 16 June 1977
start of filming 16 September 1977
technical Screenplay approved 10 October 1977
end of filming 24 March 1978
projection approval 28 March 1978
withdrawal from distribution 31 December 1986

Premiere

premiere 17 November 1978 /suitable for youths/

Creative Group

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

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

85 min

Original length in metres

2 418 meters

Distribution carrier

16mm, 35mm

Aspect ratio

1:1,66, 1:2,35

Colour

colour

Sound

sound

Sound system/format

mono

Versions

Czech

Dialogue languages

Czech

Subtitles languages

without subtitles

Opening/End credits languages

Czech

Awards

Vítěz

Festival: 17. festival českých a slovenských filmů Hradec Králové

1979
Hradec Králové / Czechoslovakia
Vladimír Menšík