The Bulldogs and the Cherries
Country
CzechoslovakiaCopyright
1981Production year
1980—1981Premiere
11 September 1981Runtime
99 minDirector
Juraj HerzCategory
filmGenre
gangster, comedy, crime, parodyTypology
featuretheatrical distributionlongOriginal title
Buldoci a třešněCzech title
Buldoci a třešněEnglish title
The Bulldogs and the CherriesWorking title
Profesionálové z MilánaSummary
Parodies of “capitalist” movie genres, which had no tradition in domestic cinema, were a specific feature of Czechoslovak film. Juraj Herz’s sense of absurd humour and hyperbole had stood him in good stead many times and he made good use of it once again when he brought the mafia parody Buldoci a třešně (The Bulldogs and the Cherries) to cinemas in addition to the modern horror Upír z Feratu (The Vampire of Ferato). Herz made the film because he needed the money and he collaborated on the script with the pro-regime writer and screenwriter Ivan Gariš. It is based on the contrast between tough, larger-than-life Italian criminals and the peculiarly “local” Czech underworld. The protagonist of this whimsical tale is the mafia don, Carmello, who tried to swindle his boss and is now seeking a safe place to lie low in Prague, away from those who are gunning for his head. He sees the Central European capital as a safe haven, but the local Prague mafia sees to it that this urbane foreigner gets first-hand experience of the criminal practices that have emerged under real socialism… Like a number of other Czechoslovak parodies, The Bulldogs and the Cherries is not based on a good knowledge of American or Italian mafia films, but rather on the manner in which these movies were perceived. What results is a slightly bizarre film in the guise of a parody that benefits from absurd humour and an interesting cast. The Slovak actor Marián Labuda made good use of his comic talents in the role of Don Carmello. Jiří Kodet, František Němec, and František Filipovský also dressed up as mobsters for the movie. Because Jiří Hrzán died during filming, Miroslav Středa had to take over the role of the mafia hitman Fofo. The director Juraj Herz appears in the film in the role of a conductor, and he also gave a small part to his colleague Jiří Menzel, who plays a waiter.
Synopsis
The Mafioso Carmello breaks the rules when he wants to take control over drug deals by shooting his rivals. The "family council" headed by boss don Morellano sentences him to death. The verdict should be executed by a hitman, Goméz, with his men. Carmello's men end up in concrete blocks but Carmello flees with his bodyguards, Salvatore and Fofo, to Vienna. He sells his enterprise to the powerful underworld boss called Conductor who recommends him the calm Prague instead of the unsafe Vienna. At the railway station, the three men first run into a drunken lady with two bulldogs. In the night, in Prague, Carmello falls victim to the attractive Miss Sylvie who steals his suit from him and locks him in some apartment. Carmello also loses his weapon, and because he escapes by climbing down the eaves, he soon falls into the hands of the police. The two bodyguards lose their guns as well. The bag with the weapons is unwittingly thrown into the airshaft by the drunken lady living next to them. When they try to get new bulldogs (guns) and cherries (bullets), the mafiosos meet the local filchers to whom they mistakenly ascribe extraordinary skills. Carmello moves to Karlsbad to establish a drug channel. He asks the tourist Boháčková, who he gets to know by chance, to transport a bag to Amsterdam. Her greedy husband, however, exchanges the luxurious luggage – having no idea that it contains drugs – for a paper suitcase. He takes the hitchhiker Sylvie to his car and she steals the bag from him. Carmello with his bodyguards and Goméz's men eventually find themselves in a truck in a forest by a chain of coincidences. A forester finds them and calls the police. He himself does not know that Sylvie stole the salaries for his subordinates from him just a while ago. The thief hitchhikes again and the lady with the bulldogs takes her in her car. When Sylvie asks her to stop by a cherry seller, the mischievous lady drives away and takes both the drugs and the money.
Note
Before his tragic death (at night from the 23rd to 24th September 1980), Jiří Hrzán as Fofo managed to complete eleven of the planned twenty-four filming days. The part was taken over by Miroslav Středa. With regard to the conspicuous mask (moustache, hat and black sunglasses) several scenes with the late actor could be left in the final movie.
Film online
Photos
Cast
Marián Labuda
mafián Carmello Muscilo
Jiří Kodet
strážce Giulio Salvatore
Miroslav Středa
strážce Fofo
Jiří Hrzán
strážce Fofo
Rudolf Hrušínský
mafiánský kmotr don Morellano
Josef Dvořák
Píšek
Karel Effa
Pepa, Píškův kumpán
Václav Kovařík
Jára, Píškův kumpán
Lenka Kořínková
zlodějka Sylvie
František Němec
střelec Goméz
Jiřina Bohdalová
Leontýna Boháčková
Juraj Herz
mafián zvaný Dirigent
Dagmar Veškrnová
opilá dáma s buldoky
Jiří Menzel
Voice by Václav Neckář
číšník Pajer v Intercontinentalu
Karel Augusta
barman v Intercontinentalu
Petr Nárožný
Venca, manžel Boháčkové
Pavel Bobek
barman Beno
Jan Schmid
lesník
František Filipovský
stařík mafián
Luděk Sobota
spojka Helmut
Vítězslav Černý
lokaj Morellana
Jana Rabová
dcera Morellana
Bohumila Dolejšová
barmanka v Intercontinentalu
Miloslav Šimek
Josef Novák, bratr Sylvie, Píškův kumpán
Jiří Lábus
střelec
Antonín Jedlička
recepční v Intercontinentalu
Jiří Krampol
Gomézův střelec
Jan Obrda
Gomézův střelec
Oskar Gottlieb
Gomézův střelec
Jan Prokeš
Gomézův střelec
Rudolf Kalina
mafián Montego
Oskar Hák
mafián Totto
Jiří Lír
mafián zvaný Tenorista
Milan Neděla
mafián Enrico
Antonín Pokorný
mafián Guesto
Zuzana Langerová
striptérka
Vlasta Kahovcová
blondýna na nádraží
Simona Stašová
servírka v Intercontinentalu
Jaromír Kučera
Voice by Mirko Musil
hlídač na stavbě Domu bytové kultury
Jaroslav Čejka
číšník v Intercontinentalu
Jiří Knot
vrchní ve vinárně
Jan Cmíral
mafián
Svatopluk Skládal
mafián
Ladislav Gerendáš
mafián
Petr Tausk
mafián
Ivan Gariš
mafián
Zdeněk Rytíř
mafián
Ladislav Krečmer
mafián
Jaromír Janáček
mafián
Petr Gottlieb
mafián
Vladimír Turyna
mafián
MUDr. Viktor Řeháček
mafián
Michaela Vítková
břišní tanečnice
Vladimír Hrabánek
host v baru
Tomáš Juřička
pikolík
Milan Lasica
poručík VB
Július Satinský
praporčík VB
Pavel Havránek
příslušník VB
Karel Smyczek
fotoreportér
Milan Slepička
malý liftboy
Ladislav Šimek
recepční v Puppu
Jaroslav Vozáb
vrchní v Puppu
Jaroslav Tomsa
barman/řidič
Karel Engel
host v baru
Jaroslav Klenot
host v baru
Ladislav Lahoda
host v baru
Zdeněk Srstka
host v baru
Ivan Pokorný
příslušník VB na nádraží
Václav Peiger
homosexuál
Zdeněk Nečesaný
Voice by Josef Velda
řidič chladírenského vozu
Oswald Schorm
feťák v baru
Jaroslav Šanda
gorila Dirigenta
Helena Růžičková
cizinka před nádražím
Jana Kratochvílová
zpěvačka
skupina Heval
kapela
Pavel Trnavský
člen kapely
Pavel Hradil
člen kapely
Jiří Hrubeš
člen kapely
Zdeněk Juračka
člen kapely
Ivan Kadaňka
člen kapely
František Kotva
člen kapely
Crew and creators
Director
Second Unit Director
Assistant Director
Continuity
Screenstory
Screenplay
Shooting Script
Dramaturg
Director of Photography
Second Unit Photography
Camera Operator
Production Designer
Assistent Production Designer
Set Designer
Karel Kracík, Jaroslav Lehman, Miloš Sršeň, Milan Šefrna
Costume Designer
Costumes
Make-Up Artist
Film Editor
Assistant Film Editor
Sound Designer
Special Effects
Special Effects
Jiří Berger (pyrotechnik)
Production Manager
Unit Production Manager
Unit Production Manager
Consultant
plk. Josef Janůrek, pplk. František Kot, pplk. František Havlíček, Josef Koníček, Ice Fanoni, Slah Ben Haš Slama
Cooperation
Magda Chmelová (klapka), Karel Ješátko (fotograf)
Music
Music Composed by
Music Performed by
FISYO (Music Conducted by Mario Klemens), Petr Hapka, skupina Heval
Songs
Právě se vzbouzím
Song Composer Petr Hapka
Singer Jana Kratochvílová
Smaragdové lasery
Song Composer Pavel Trnavský
Writer of Lyrics Vladimír Čort
Singer Jana Kratochvílová
Production info
Original Title
Buldoci a třešně
Czech Title
Buldoci a třešně
English Title
The Bulldogs and the Cherries
Working Title
Profesionálové z Milána
Category
film
Typology
featuretheatrical distribution
Genre
gangster, comedy, crime, parody
Origin country
Czechoslovakia
Copyright
1981
Production Year
1980—1981
Production specifications
literary Screenplay approved 8 January 1980
start of filming 12 May 1980
technical Screenplay approved 29 May 1980
end of filming 16 February 1981
projection approval 20 March 1981
withdrawal from distribution 30 June 1990
Premiere
premiere 11 September 1981 /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
99 min
Original length in metres
2 818 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
Event: Komise pro posuzování a hodnocení technické kvality filmů
1982
Praha / Czechoslovakia
