How to Take in a Lawyer

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1980

Production year

1979—1980

Premiere

12 September 1980

Runtime

76 min

Category

film

Genre

comedy

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Jak napálit advokáta

Czech title

Jak napálit advokáta

English title

How to Take in a Lawyer

Working title

Historky z motorismu

Summary

For a short period it seemed the actor Miloš Kopecký was enjoying playing only lawyers. A year after Jaromil Jireš’s successful tragicomedy Causa Králík (The Rabbit Case, 1979) he appeared in director Vladimír Čech’s easygoing picture Jak napálit advokáta (How to Take in a Lawyer, 1980). It was to be the last film in the director’s long career. It tells the story of the lawyer Hořic who specialises in motoring disputes. In the course of his practice he meets with a variety of clients. The conscientious small-town lawyer does not resolve any vitally serious disputes, although sometimes he has to attend interrogations or do a little detective work. He determines the correct amount of compensation during a car crash, he establishes the innocence of a man who has hit a cyclist and comes across a fraud involving emergency vehicles. In addition to the masterful Kopecký, the film’s talented cast included Marie Rosůlková as the hero’s mother.

Synopsis

Attorney Hořic is a specialist for cases connected with motoring. He approaches to his work unconventionally, he does not hesitate to search for evidence right in the terrain and he is willing to take various risks in the name of truth. He walks around a case just when the police question the parties of the crash of two car, a Trabant and a Simca. The owner of the Simca car, Kopera, whose wife was injured in the crash, suggests to Dymeš who caused the accident to settle all out of court. He asks for five thousand crowns. Dymeš hesitates, the amount is too high for him. Therefore he turns to the attorney Hořic. Hořic finds out that Kopera extremely exaggerated the seriousness of the injury of his wife as he was convinced that Dymeš will give him the money. In another case a young driver Čižma runs over an old cyklist. Hořic is sure the young man covers somebody. He finds out by investigation that the car was rented and had bad breaks. Another case is brought to the attorney by his mother. Her neighbour Cíglerová's husband - a truck driver - died two years ago. The lady thinks now she could get a compensation if it is proven that the accident was not caused only by her husband. Hořic´s search confirms Cígler's guilt and on the top of it he finds a trace of fraud with crashed cars. In the evening Hořic picks up his girlfriend Kováříková. During a ride through night Prague two cars stick to them and they have an accident. Fortunately they are not injured and Hořic can defend Čižma at court. He assures him when he says the truth he will get by with suspended sentence.

Film online

Cast

Miloš Kopecký

advokát JUDr. Jiří Hořic

Michaela Mišková

MUDr. Alena Kovaříková, Hořicova přítelkyně

Josef Větrovec

majitel trabantu Vlastimil Dymeš

Luděk Munzar

majitel simky Roman Kopera

Jitka Havlíčková

Voice by Renáta Doleželová
Adéla Koperová, hosteska ve varieté

Josef Bek

Řezáč, Hořicův kamarád z Moravy

Svatopluk Skopal

řidič žiguli Jaroslav Čižma

Oldřich Velen

vedoucí půjčovny aut Tikal

Marcela Martínková

Jiřina, Tikalova žena, Čižmova sestra

Marie Rosůlková

matka JUDr. Hořice

Zdenka Procházková

Cíglerová, vdova po řidiči Zoulovi

Jiří Němeček

trenér autorodea Cígler

Otakar Brousek

Ing. Hurych

Jan Kanyza

garážmistr

Svatopluk Beneš

vedoucí vinárny Zavadil

Miroslav Zounar

vedoucí advokátní poradny

Radovan Lukavský

předseda senátu

Vladimír Hlavatý

cyklista Krychtálek

Vlastimil Čaněk

technik půjčovny Šiler

Jaroslav Mareš

řidič, Zoulův kolega

Elena Strupková

sekretářka Evička

Milan Mach

režisér varieté Karel Vaněk

Jitka Zelenohorská

zdravotní sestra v kartotéce

Jiří Havel

podporučík VB

Eva Svobodová

Krychtálkova žena

Oldřich Janovský

ředitel pojišťovny

Jindřich Narenta

řidič rakouského autobusu

Raoul Schránil

JUDr. Koláček z České Lípy

Miloš Vavruška

fotograf Lojza

Robert Vrchota

hospodský

Jindřich Hrdý

Dymešův syn

Jiřina Bílá

Dymešova žena

Lena Birková

tlumočnice

Rudolf Fleischer

Hořicův kamarád v pojišťovně

Karel Hovorka

prokurátor

Jarmila Beránková

provozní v motorestu

Simona Stašová

pomocnice v kuchyni

Radka Mayerová

pomocnice na nádobí

Roman Skamene

montér v garáži

Vladimír Pospíšil

vedoucí autobazaru

Josef Střecha

Čižmův otec

Petr Pospíchal

ošetřující lékař

Milada Bednářová

zdravotní sestra

Olga Navrátilová

zapisovatelka

Jana Jandová

tanečnice

Dana Kyznarová

tanečnice

Marcela Loučímová

tanečnice

Helena Šafránková

tanečnice

Daniela Vondráčková

tanečnice

Josef Starosta

tanečník

Petr Zámostný

tanečník

Jan Vacek

dirigent

Petr Bezpalec

hudebník

Wolfgang Hauer

hudebník

Václav Král (hudebník)

hudebník

Pavel Štemberk

hudebník

Crew and creators

Second Unit Director

Věra Ticháčková

Assistant Director

Josef Loučím, Magdalena Davidová

Shooting Script

Vladimír Čech

Director of Photography

Rudolf Stahl ml.

Second Unit Photography

Karel Dobřichovský

Camera Operator

Václav Zajíček

Production Designer

Jaroslav Krška

Set Designer

Rudolf Beneš, Josef Calta, Petr Matouš

Costume Designer

Olga Jedličková

Film Editor

Jan Chaloupek

Sound Designer

Jiří Lenoch

Titles Designed by

Karel Helmich

Stunts

Antonín Hausknecht (rodeo), J. Holubec (rodeo), Pavel Hrachový (rodeo), Otakar Němec (rodeo), P. Prokůpek (autokaskadér – dopravní nehoda), L. Srnka (rodeo), V. Srnka (rodeo), Václav Syřiště (autokaskadér – dopravní nehoda), V. Šroub (rodeo), J. Vaisar (rodeo), F. Vlach (rodeo)

Production Manager

Jiří Pokorný

Unit Production Manager

Vlasta Synkulová, Jan Milič

Unit Production Manager

Kateřina Juhászová

Consultant

dr. Karel Havlíček

Cooperation

Irena Neubertová (klapka), Miroslav Pešan (fotograf)

Music

Music Composed by

Štěpán Lucký

Music Performed by

FISYO (Music Conducted by František Belfín)

Production info

Original Title

Jak napálit advokáta

Czech Title

Jak napálit advokáta

English Title

How to Take in a Lawyer

Working Title

Historky z motorismu

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

comedy

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1980

Production Year

1979—1980

Production specifications

literary Screenplay approved 6 June 1978
start of filming 16 August 1979
technical Screenplay approved 17 September 1979
end of filming 14 March 1980
projection approval 27 March 1980
withdrawal from distribution 31 December 1986

Premiere

premiere 12 September 1980 /suitable for youths/

Creative Group

Dramaturgická skupina Miroslava Hladkého, Miroslav Hladký (vedoucí dramaturgické skupiny)

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

76 min

Original length in metres

2 171 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