Hurly-Burly on the E-4 Road
Country
CzechoslovakiaCopyright
1979Production year
1979Premiere
18 April 1980Runtime
87 minDirector
Stanislav StrnadCategory
filmGenre
comedyTypology
featuretheatrical distributionlongOriginal title
Poprask na silnici E 4Czech title
Poprask na silnici E 4English title
Hurly-Burly on the E-4 RoadSummary
Although primarily a television director, Stanislav Strnad nonetheless made several feature films, including Můj brácha má prima bráchu (My Brother Has a Marvellous Brother, 1975) and its sequel Brácha za všechny peníze (What a Brother I Have, 1978). In 1979, Strnad directed the “normalisation” era comedy Poprask na silnici E4. The protagonists of this unusual road movie – tagged as one of the era's “building a better future” productions – are three employees of a brickworks in Čičenice, who decide to head out to Turnov to acquire a new locomotive. But their journey across Prague in search of an important invoice is unexpectedly delayed and complicated by certain events, including an inventory taking place in the Čičenice brickworks. Two popular actors of the day take the lead roles in this light-hearted tale: experienced engine driver Kudrna is played by Josef Bláha and the nimble Karel Kaplan is played by Jiří Štěpnička. Petr Svoboda (popular on Czech Television for his portrayal of fairytale princes) rounds out the trio as Šinták.
Synopsis
A small locomotive has come to the end of its working life at the Čičenice brickworks. The brickworks director sends his employees Kudrna, Kaplan and Šinták to Turnov for another. On their way the men are supposed to stop at a Prague hospital to get the director of the housing co-operative Dr Marek to sign an invoice for the supply of a wagon of bricks for internal construction, because the brickworks is expecting an audit. The brickworks employees load the locomotive in Turnov and set off on the return journey. In Prague Kudrna at first has no success looking for Marek and it is only with the help of his son he finds him and Marek confirms the invoice. Meanwhile Kaplan and Šinták are waiting in the truck in the carpark in front of the hospital. When Kudrna has been gone for a long time, Kaplan decides to sleep over at his aunt's place, but the aunt has just that evening left for a spa and so he stays in the flat by himself. He oversleeps, and then in his confusion runs out of the flat and slams the door behind him. While he is trying to get back inside, the tenants who don't know him call the police. Since he doesn't have his documents with him, it takes a long time for the police to agree to let him go. Kudrna and Šinták drive off without him. Meanwhile the auditors have arrived at the brickworks and discovered the absence of the invoice, but in the end Kudrna gets it there, and so everything turns out all right.
Photos
Cast
Josef Bláha
strojvůdce Bohouš Kudrna
Jiří Štěpnička
Karlík Kaplan
Petr Svoboda
Petr Šinták
Karel Vochoč
provozní vedoucí cihelny Vojta
Dagmar Veškrnová
zdravotní sestra Helenka
Míla Myslíková
vdova Jarunka, Petrova nevlastní matka
Antonie Hegerliková
sekretářka Anička
Sylva Sequensová
Miluška, Petrova sestra
Antonín Hardt
náměstek
Ferdinand Krůta
kontrolor Říha
Vladimír Krška
kontrolor Pražák
Jiří Vala
cihlář Takáč
Jan Kraus
cihlář Ferdinand zvaný Ferko, Takáčův syn
Jan Faltýnek
cihlář Géza, Takáčův syn
René Gabzdyl
cihlář Laco, Takáčův syn
Jan Kuželka
Pišta, Takáčův syn
Jaroslav Moučka
náčelník VB
Miroslav Homola
Voice by Dalimil Klapka
zahradník
Nataša Gollová
Hana Lišková, Karlíkova teta
Valentina Thielová
zdravotní sestra Blanka
Jiří Bruder
žárlivec Jelínek
Laďka Kozderková
Milada, Jelínkova žena
Stanislav Fišer
poručík VB
Tomáš Sedláček
praporčík VB
Mirko Musil
Voice by Ferdinand Krůta
správce hřiště
Zdeněk Šavrda
zřízenec na příjmu
Oldřich Velen
lesní technik
Jan Schánilec
MUDr. Marek, vedoucí bytového družstva
Petr Skarke
motohlídka VB
Petr Hanus
motohlídka VB
René Přibil
motohlídka VB
Karel Bělohradský
řidič autojeřábu
Vladimír Míka
student Bertík, Kudrnův syn
Vítězslav Černý
popelář
Pavel Robin
řidič popelářského vozu
Karel Charvát
technik v cihelně
Jarmila Derková
pokladní ČSAD
Eduard Dubský
starší pán
Karel Fořt
hlídač parkoviště
Jarmila Beránková
Markova sousedka
Blažena Kramešová
úřednice VB
Josef Kubíček
příslušník VB na nádraží Pankrác
Ladislav Krečmer
pomocník VB
Ivo Niederle
trenér košíkové
Milan Neděla
pacient Mařan
Ema Skálová
hluchá sousedka Kosová
Miloš Skalka
konferenciér
Václav Štekl
malíř čar na silnici
Josef Střecha
soused
Alena Frimlová
sousedka
Jarmila Orlová
sousedka
Eva Svobodová
sousedka
Pavel Zedníček
Voice by Petr Skarke
řidič škodovky
Alena Kreuzmannová
Voice by Ludmila Roubíková
žena v autobuse
Jaroslava Tichá
žena v autobuse
Vladimír Navrátil
pacient
Karel Šott ml.
pacient
Milan Mach
hostinský Valnoha
Zdeněk Skalický
číšník
Lubomír Bryg
muž s činkou
Crew and creators
Director
Second Unit Director
Helena Rohanová
Assistant Director
Tomáš Urban, N. Bongová
Continuity
Screenstory
Screenplay
Shooting Script
Dramaturg
Director of Photography
Second Unit Photography
Camera Operator
Bohumír Schwarzer
Production Designer
Assistent Production Designer
Set Designer
Jaroslav Česal, Jan Hodný, Karel Kočí, Jiří Matějka
Costume Designer
Costumes
Make-Up Artist
Film Editor
Assistant Film Editor
Sound Designer
Production Manager
Unit Production Manager
Unit Production Manager
Cooperation
Dana Průchová (klapka), Ivan Minář (fotograf), Jaroslav Trousil (fotograf)
Music
Music Composed by
Selected Music
Giuseppe Verdi (Rigoletto /Ó, jak je měnivé/)
Music Performed by
FISYO (Music Conducted by František Belfín)
Songs
Ó, jak je měnivé
Song Composer Giuseppe Verdi
Singer Josef Bláha
A já sám vždycky sám
Song Composer lidová píseň
Production info
Original Title
Poprask na silnici E 4
Czech Title
Poprask na silnici E 4
English Title
Hurly-Burly on the E-4 Road
Category
film
Typology
featuretheatrical distribution
Genre
comedy
Origin country
Czechoslovakia
Copyright
1979
Production Year
1979
Production specifications
literary Screenplay approved 26 February 1979
start of filming 21 March 1979
technical Screenplay approved 6 April 1979
end of filming 22 October 1979
projection approval 2 November 1979
withdrawal from distribution 31 December 1986
Premiere
premiere 18 April 1980 /unsuitable for youths/
Production
Copyright Holders
Studio
Distribution
Creative Group
Dramaturgická skupina Miroslava Hladkého, Miroslav Hladký (vedoucí dramaturgické skupiny)
Technical info
Duration typology
feature film
Duration in minutes
87 min
Original length in metres
2 483 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
