A New Boy Started Today

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1981

Production year

1981

Premiere

9 April 1982

Runtime

89 min

Category

film

Genre

comedy

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Dneska přišel nový kluk

Czech title

Dneska přišel nový kluk

English title

A New Boy Started Today

Working title

Kluk ještě do zelena

Summary

In his feature debut, Dneska přišel nový kluk (A New Boy Started Today) from 1981, the director Vladimír Drha set the tone for a number of Czech films, which critically depicted the state of society from the perspective of young protagonists. Although, Drha primarily found scope for his work in television, he returned to the world of a “working youth” in his second film Mezek (The Mulish Victor, 1985) – albeit following him from the point of view of an educator. The main character in the story, who was inspired by Jiří Just’s radio play Avogadro, is the talented Luboš Pecháček, who fails to get into university due to his provocative appearance and behaviour during the entrance exams. Luboš ends up having to take up work in a foundry in a small town. Despite a conscientious effort not to step out of line, he finds himself getting into conflict situations. The head of the guild, Kalousek, is fearful of his position, so he primarily gets his intelligent and capable subordinate to bring snacks and sweep the floors. Luboš, however, notices the high quantity of waste during production and begins with the aid of a local technologist to devote himself to coming up with a proposal for improvements. He also gets the workers on his side and they are willing to help him try out a new technological process. The youngster can expect a high financial reward for his improvement plan, but recognition from the laboratory worker Alena and the praise of his anxious grandmother are more important to him… In his original treatment and in his screenplay, which Vladimír Drha also helped with, Jiří Just offered viewers the sympathetic story of a rebellious youth who, thanks to his encounter with manufacturing practices, manages to move from aimless provocation to meaningful work. A low-key debut performance from Marek Brodský helped ensure the credible “socialisation” of the film’s protagonist. The part of the unlikable boss Kalousek was played by the tried-and-tested František Řehák and the role of Alena went to the non-actress Alena Kaclerová.

Synopsis

The subhead in the opening of the film reads "The Handbook of Manners for the Naïve, Crazy, Indomitable and Maturing Youth". The talented chemist Luboš Pecháček fails the university entrance exam. The committee chairman is irritated by his long hair and peculiar answers. When Luboš does not know when the Russian chemist Mendeleev was born and utters that the scholar, too, had long hair, the interview is over. The fresh out of high-school graduate, whose upbringing was strongly influenced by a straightforward grandmother, starts in a steel foundry. He already has a "proper" haircut and clothes, but he still unintentionally provokes his superior – the guild master Kalousek – from the first moment. The fifty-year old man, who left his family for a young woman and now does everything to fund her fancies, is afraid to lose his job. He deliberately charges the bright youngster with inferior tasks – sweeping up, distributing snacks and cleaning the furnaces. Luboš notices the far too many production spoilages and comes up with a technological upgrade. The technologist Koryčánek and the developers' head Volf let Luboš carry out laboratory tests after his shifts. He is move over supported by the talkative and impish laboratory technician Alenka. Although Luboš still feels unrecognized and misunderstood, Koryčánek teaches him diplomatize and he and two workers help him with a test run during the weekend. The improvement proposal proves excellent; it would save so much for the steelworks that Luboš would be entitled to a reward worth a quarter of a million crowns. But the envious Kalousek tries to prevent the actual payment. He suggests Luboš include him "in the team" and share the reward with him. The disgusted young man, who does not even really care about the money, resolutely refuses. The grandmother who feared that Luboš would only stay with chemistry is glad to hear about his relationship with Alenka. The old woman contentedly observes that her grandson has finally entered "the practice".

Cast

Marek Brodský

Luboš Pecháček

František Řehák

vedoucí slévárny Jaroslav Kalousek

Ludmila Vostrčilová

babička Jája

Stanislav Zindulka

pomocný dělník Adolf Volšička

Karel Kovář

vedoucí vývojového oddělení Ing. Jiří Volf

Pavel Pípal

technolog Josef Koryčánek

Boca Abrhámová

účetní a odborářka Olga Kovárnová

Alena Kaclerová

laborantka Alena Kaclerová

Darina Benešová

Darinka Benešová, Alenina kamarádka

Jiří Hromada

předseda SSM Karel Zima

Hana Zaoralová

Marcela, Kalouskova žena

Ludmila Slancová

Voice by Hana Talpová
herečka Vlasta Mezerová, Lubošova matka

Leopold Franc

Voice by Lubor Tokoš
herec Pecháček, Lubošův otec

Vlasta Mecnarowská

Voice by Jana Dítětová
kantýnská Máša

Božena Blahušová

sekretářka

Dana Baslerová

Ludmila Baštincová

Jiří Huml

Jarmila Chaloupková

Josef Kouřil

Vítězslav Kubíček

Roman Kunst

Zdeněk Mach

Vlastimil Mlýnek

Soňa Ondroušková

Michal Romanovský

Marcel Sláma

Miloslav Svoboda (3)

Stanislav Tománek

Jiří Válka

Gustav Brom

on sám, dirigent tanečního orchestru

Dubbing

Jiří Pleskot

hlas profesora chemie

Mirko Musil

hlas vrátného

Jiří Hálek

hlas úředníka z osobního oddělení

Roman Skamene

hlas z rozhlasu

Gustav Bubník

hlas spolubydlícího

Ilona Svobodová

hlas dívky spolubydlícího

Crew and creators

Second Unit Director

Vladimír Prager

Assistant Director

Marta Svobodová

Based on

Jiří Just (Avogadro – rozhlasová hra)

Director of Photography

Juraj Fándli

Second Unit Photography

Vladimír Kolář

Production Designer

Zdeněk Rozkopal

Assistent Production Designer

Petr Smola

Set Designer

Ivo Formánek, Josef Šťovíček

Costume Designer

Taťána Havlíčková

Make-Up Artist

Helena Vávrová

Film Editor

Ivan Matouš

Assistant Film Editor

Alice Egnerová, Ludmila Varmužová

Sound Designer

Josef Javořík

Assistant Sound Designer

Zdeněk Bobek

Production Manager

Vojtěch Kunčík

Unit Production Manager

Jarmila Bartoníková, Lenka Vlčková

Consultant

Ing. Vlastimil Volčík

Cooperation

Otto Kamenský (fotograf), M. Věžníková, J. Hamšík

Music

Music Composed by

Pavel Skála

Music Performed by

FISYO (Music Conducted by Mario Klemens)

Songs

Duhová víla

Song Composer Karel Vágner
Writer of Lyrics Pavel Žák
Singer Ludmila Vostrčilová

S písní lesů, vod a strání

Song Composer Zdenek Merta
Writer of Lyrics Jaroslav Navrátil
Singer Jaroslav NavrátilPetr Rezek

Život je jen náhoda

Song Composer Jaroslav Ježek
Writer of Lyrics Jan WerichJiří Voskovec
Singer Alena KaclerováDarina Benešová

David a Goliáš

Song Composer Jaroslav Ježek

Hájku, háječku

Song Composer lidová píseň
Singer sbor

Tri dni ma naháňali

Song Composer lidová píseň
Singer Alena Kaclerová

Co na světě mám rád

Song Composer Jaroslav Ježek
Writer of Lyrics Jan WerichJiří Voskovec
Singer sbor

Production info

Original Title

Dneska přišel nový kluk

Czech Title

Dneska přišel nový kluk

English Title

A New Boy Started Today

Working Title

Kluk ještě do zelena

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

comedy

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1981

Production Year

1981

Production specifications

withdrawal from distribution 31 December 1991

Premiere

premiere 9 April 1982 /suitable for youths/

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

89 min

Original length in metres

2 670 meters

Distribution carrier

16mm, 35mm

Aspect ratio

1:1,37

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: 23. mezinárodní filmový festival Karlovy Vary

1982
Karlovy Vary / Czechoslovakia

Vítěz

Festival: 23. mezinárodní filmový festival Karlovy Vary

1982
Karlovy Vary / Czechoslovakia

Vítěz

Festival: 23. mezinárodní filmový festival Karlovy Vary

1982
Karlovy Vary / Czechoslovakia