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.
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.
advokát JUDr. Jiří Hořic
MUDr. Alena Kovaříková, Hořicova přítelkyně
majitel trabantu Vlastimil Dymeš
majitel simky Roman Kopera
Voice by Renáta Doleželová
Adéla Koperová, hosteska ve varieté
Řezáč, Hořicův kamarád z Moravy
řidič žiguli Jaroslav Čižma
vedoucí půjčovny aut Tikal
Jiřina, Tikalova žena, Čižmova sestra
matka JUDr. Hořice
Cíglerová, vdova po řidiči Zoulovi
trenér autorodea Cígler
Ing. Hurych
garážmistr
vedoucí vinárny Zavadil
vedoucí advokátní poradny
předseda senátu
cyklista Krychtálek
technik půjčovny Šiler
řidič, Zoulův kolega
sekretářka Evička
soudkyně
režisér varieté Karel Vaněk
zdravotní sestra v kartotéce
podporučík VB
Krychtálkova žena
ředitel pojišťovny
řidič rakouského autobusu
JUDr. Koláček z České Lípy
fotograf Lojza
hospodský
Dymešův syn
Dymešova žena
tlumočnice
obhájce
Hořicův kamarád v pojišťovně
prokurátor
provozní v motorestu
pomocnice v kuchyni
pomocnice na nádobí
vrchní
Ditrich
náměstek
montér
montér
montér v garáži
vedoucí autobazaru
vrátná
saniťák
Čižmův otec
ošetřující lékař
zdravotní sestra
zapisovatelka
samosoudce
stopařka
tanečnice
tanečnice
tanečnice
tanečnice
tanečnice
tanečník
tanečník
dirigent
hudebník
hudebník
hudebník
hudebník
hudebník
Josef Loučím, Magdalena Davidová
Rudolf Beneš, Josef Calta, Petr Matouš
Karel Helmich
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)
Vlasta Synkulová, Jan Milič
dr. Karel Havlíček
Irena Neubertová (klapka), Miroslav Pešan (fotograf)
FISYO (Music Conducted by František Belfín)
Jak napálit advokáta
Jak napálit advokáta
How to Take in a Lawyer
Historky z motorismu
film
featuretheatrical distribution
comedy
Czechoslovakia
1980
1979—1980
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 12 September 1980 /suitable for youths/
Dramaturgická skupina Miroslava Hladkého, Miroslav Hladký (vedoucí dramaturgické skupiny)
feature film
76 min
2 171 meters
16mm, 35mm
1:1,66
colour
sound
mono
Czech
Czech
without subtitles
Czech