Cabaret on Commission

Country

Czechoslovakia, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics

Copyright

1982

Production year

1982

Premiere

3 December 1982

Runtime

78 min

Category

film

Genre

comedy, revue

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Revue na zakázku

Czech title

Revue na zakázku

English title

Cabaret on Commission

Co-production title

Do svidanija, Medeo

Working title

Nezadržitelná revue

Summary

While approaching the end of his filmmaking career, director Zdeněk Podskalský twice turned to the comedy duo Jiří Lábus and Oldřich Kaiser. In both cases, the films more or less comprise of a series of sketches put together around a “commissioned” theme: in the case of Velká filmová loupež (The Great Movie Robbery, 1986) the story centres on the U Hybernů cinematographic exhibition, while when it comes to the crazy comedy Revue na zakázku (Cabaret on Commission, 1982) viewers behold a manifestation of Czechoslovak-Kazakh cultural solidarity. While preparing an ice revue coproduction based on One Thousand and One Nights, the two protagonists – an assistant choreographer and an assistant director –set out on a journey to the exotic city of Almaty to study Kazakh folklore. But for these two young guys the boundary between reality and imagination is highly distorted… Apart from the popular duo, a number of Kazakh and Soviet artists also appear. However, the musical performances are led by Helena Vondráčková and Karel Černoch.

Synopsis

A revue on ice on the motif of the fairy-tale One Thousand and One Nights or Arabian Nights is being prepared at a winter stadium in Prague. The young assistants rather scornfully obey their older colleagues and think their own thoughts. Especially the director's assistant has a colourful imagination and fantasizes about how the revue should look. Employees of the art agency Pragokoncert introduce the staff to a pretty director of a Kazakhstan art agency, Alija, and the contract is signed soon after. The young men take off for Almaty to stage a revue employing Kazakstan traditions and folklore there. Their imagination is boundless and is influenced by visions which do not overlap with reality any more. Alija wants to meet their requirements, and a folk acrobatic horse ride is prepared - the so-called jiggytov dance and a marriage with a bride kidnapping. The former assistant who is now the director does not notice in his enthusiasm that things are totally different. The revue on ice is nevertheless extremely successful. This is the end of the young men's trip and they return home. The Prague premiere turned out well, too. The old artists receive diplomas from Pragokoncert and the youngsters are flabbergasted, feeling unsure about whether everything that happened in Kazakhstan was not just the fruit of their wild imagination.

Cast

Oldřich Kaiser

asistent choreografie

Jiří Lábus

asistent režiséra

Roza Rymbajeva

Voice by Jarmila Švehlová
zpěvačka Raušan/ředitelka umělecké agentury Alija

Doschan Žolžaksynov

Voice by Pavel Trávníček
Karim Sabitov, Alijin náměstek

Erik Žolžaksynov

Voice by Petr Pospíchal
student Murat

Vladimír Šmeral

starý režisér

Frank Towen

Voice by Zdeněk Podskalský
starý choreograf

Jaroslav Vozáb

úředník

Milan Mach

úředník

Kudajbergen Sultanbajev

kazašský úředník

Kasym Žakibajev

Človíček, malý bývalý pytlák

Dimaš Achimov

Dlouhán, velký bývalý pytlák

Muchtar Bachtygerejev

inspektor Bejsembaj

Moskevský balet na ledě

Valerij Babickij

sólista Moskevského baletu na ledě

Jelena Akulova

sólistka Moskevského baletu na led

Dětská lední revue TJ Stadion Praha

Soubor Gulder

kazašský soubor

Soubor Kokšetau

kazašský soubor

Soubor Otrar Sazy

kazašský soubor

Jan Barták

tanečník ze sólového páru

Jana Beránková

tanečnice ze sólového páru

Eva Asterová

tanečnice

Jan Klár

tanečník

Ladislav Rajn

tanečník

Dubbing

Jiří Zahajský

hlas taxikáře

Crew and creators

Second Unit Director

Zdeněk Troška, Lejla Aranyševa

Assistant Director

Dalibor Fiksa

Continuity

Hana Hebrová

Shooting Script

Zdeněk Podskalský

Director of Photography

Jiří Macák

Second Unit Photography

Stanislav Kautský, Marat Šajdinov

Production Designer

Idris Karsakbajev, Milan Nejedlý

Assistent Production Designer

Boris Moravec ml.

Costume Designer

Irena Greifová

Film Editor

Eva Bobková

Unit Production Manager

Ivana Chobotová

Cooperation

Dana Průchová (klapka), Miloslav Mirvald (fotograf), G. Sungatulena, O. Musabekov, Š. Taševa

Dialogues of Czech version

K. M. Walló

Direction of Czech version

K. M. Walló

Music

Music Composed by

Vítězslav Hádl

Music Performed by

FISYO (Music Conducted by Mario Klemens), Studiový orchestr (Music Conducted by Vítězslav Hádl)

Choreographer

Vladimir Tichonov, Pavel Šmok

Songs

Přeletaví ptáci

Song Composer Taskyn Okapov
Singer Roza Rymbajeva

Pojď do pohádky za štěstím

Song Composer Vítězslav Hádl
Writer of Lyrics Zdeněk Borovec
Singer Helena VondráčkováKarel Černoch

Staň se pírkem

Song Composer Vítězslav Hádl
Writer of Lyrics Zdeněk Borovec
Singer Oldřich Kaiser

Šabada du dej

Singer Oldřich KaiserJiří LábusRoza Rimbajeva

Production info

Original Title

Revue na zakázku

Czech Title

Revue na zakázku

English Title

Cabaret on Commission

Co-production Title

Do svidanija, Medeo

Working Title

Nezadržitelná revue

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

comedy, revue

Origin country

Czechoslovakia, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics

Copyright

1982

Production Year

1982

Production specifications

withdrawal from distribution 31 December 1987

Premiere

gala premiere 1 December 1982 (kino Lucerna, Praha)
premiere 3 December 1982 /suitable for youths/

Studio

Barrandov

Creative Group

Dramaturgická skupina Miloše Brože, Miloš Brož (vedoucí dramaturgické skupiny)

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

78 min

Original length in metres

2 213 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