The Humour-Salesman
Country
CzechoslovakiaCopyright
1984Production year
1983—1984Premiere
1 December 1985Runtime
102 minDirector
Jiří KrejčíkCategory
filmGenre
satire, moralityTypology
featuretheatrical distributionlongOriginal title
Prodavač humoruCzech title
Prodavač humoruEnglish title
The Humour-SalesmanSummary
The last motion picture in the filmography of director Jiří Krejčík (1919–2013) is this satirical comedy criticising the downfall of culture and declining morals in socialist society. Right from the start of the era of “normalisation”, Krejčík was barred by the censorship apparatus from realising any works that might flow from his inner freedom of thought. He thus devoted most of his energy to television, only making cinema films infrequently (detective story Podezření [Suspicion, 1972], patriotic picture Božská Ema [The Divine Ema, 1979]). Prodavač humour (The Humour-Salesman), a drama made according to the novel by Roman Ráž, is centred on the head of a variety show agency, Jožin Petránek (Július Satinský). Given his fair-mindedness, Ráž has problems working with the committee that evaluates entertainers and artists. In the rough and chaotic world of showbusiness, where nepotism and manipulation reign, he cannot succeed... Evidence that Krejčík’s satire hit its mark is attested to by the fact that it was only released in limited distribution and could not be played on television until after the Velvet Revolution of 1989.
Synopsis
Singers, musicians, acrobats and similar entertainers can perform only on the basis of membership of one of the art agencies. Thus everybody tries to pass the qualification committee's entry test. Join Petránek, director of the regional agency Joy, is member of such a committee. As a fair man, he declines favouritism and bribes; he even refuses to intercede for his own wife. His authoritative wife Anna condemns him for his high-principled approach. The quality level of the applicants varies. Petránek's superior Binko is most amused by the performance of an amateur magician Pospíil - a waiter who once served the committee - and now ridicules Petránek in his act. Binko assigns a new female assistant Zuzana to Petránek. Petránek's elder daughter, Renáta, studies in Prague and his younger daughter, Jana, is going to take her A levels soon. The rejected artists threaten Join, while the accepted ones send him gifts. He rejects them, but Anna takes a gift from Pospíil herself. The agency employees try to curry the director's favour. Petránek does not believe the recruiter oustek's claim that the music-hall group Traveling Humour, headed by the convivial Kandrt, is indeed so horrible that no one wants it. The assistant Zuzana is absolutely incompetent at work, but she makes use of her physical assets and Petránek soon yields to her seduction. Agent Vyhnálek recommends a French chanson singer, Madelaine, to the agency. The mesmerized Petránek takes her for dinner after her performance and the couple end up in a hotel together. The offended Zuzana rings Petránková. Anna finds her husband in bed with the singer who eventually turns to be Czech, and infers harsh consequences from that: Join is resolutely separated from bed and board and must sleep in a closet. He has problems at work, too. Relegated from the position of director, he becomes an ordinary recruiter and is replaced by Pospíil who is capable of anything. Petránek's main responsibility now is to offer the group Traveling Humour. Pospíil, whom Kandrt bribes with scarce goods, refuses all of Petránek's arguments that the program is unsaleable. The former boss has become just an unsuccessful recruiter to his colleagues. The police come to their flat, looking for Renáta. Petránek sets off for Prague, finding out out that his daughter left her studies and is staying with her lover, an underhand moneychanger who thinks Join is a customer. The father takes the daughter home almost by force. Tormented by his wife's reproaches, he eventually accepts Kandrt's bribe. The wife confiscates the money "for the household" and further financial deliveries then keep arriving regularly by mail. Renáta runs away from home. Petránek wants to show his younger daughter Jana how horrible the Travelling Humour is, but she instead falls in love with Kandrt's handsome but unscrupulous son, the singer Michal. Kandrt resolutely requires new contracts for his bribes, proved by money order stubs. Join meets Renáta who earns much more than himself, working as a petrol station attendant. The desperate Join swallows a tube of pills in his closet. He is saved by Jana, disappointed by her first big love - moreover, as it turned out, to a married man. Join goes for a business trip, trying to sell Kandrt's program at any cost. Although he gets only part of the required contracts, the group leader is satisfied. Both Kandrt and the director, Pospíil, are therefore surprised when Petránek tells them that he is through with them, as well as their entire music-hall humbug.
Photos
Cast
Július Satinský
ředitel agentury Jožin Petránek
Nina Divíšková
účetní Anna, Petránkova žena
Yvetta Kornová
Jana, dcera Petránkových
Radoslava Boháčová
Renáta, dcera Petránkových
Pavel Zedníček
kouzelník-amatér Pospíšil
Dana Vlková
zpěvačka Madelaine Dupont
Ivan Vyskočil
komik Jura Kandrt
František Řehák
František Binko, Petránkův nadřízený
Jiří Pleskot
náborář Šoustek
Ondřej Vetchý
zpěvák Michal, Kandrtův syn
Helena Bártlová
úřednice Pěnkavová
Leoš Suchařípa
předseda komise Fabián
Jaroslav Mareš
agent Vyhnálek
Renata Stádníková
sekretářka Zuzana
Luděk Kopřiva
vedoucí kulturního domu
Jaroslava Kretschmerová
Romana
Jana Čubrová
Marcelka
Miriam Kantorková
matka Marcelky
Blanka Blahníková
bytná Renáty
Eva Kulichová
podnájemnice Helena
Michaela Dolinová
Michalova žena
Ladislav Křiváček
předseda JZD na Moravě
Jan Schmid
vedoucí pily
Zora Rozsypalová
žena v kravíně
Lena Birková
žena v kravíně
Uršula Kluková
žena v kravíně
Jana Marková
úřednice agentury Radost
Hana Militká
hubená úřednice
Jiřina Jelenská
opilá žena
Miroslav Vladyka
podpraporčík VB
Pavel Nový
vekslák
Jan Vágner
Fery
Oldřich Velen
ředitel továrny
Marián Labuda
muž ve sklípku
Jan Lorman
člen komise s dýmkou
Peter Opálený
člen komise
Gustav Oplustil
člen komise
Jaromír Kučera
člen komise s plnovousem
Vlastimil Bedrna
Bohoušek
Gabriela Wilhelmová
uklízečka
Oldřich Slavík
Kňour
Zuzana Burianová
šatnářka
Oldřich Navrátil
Floriš
Julie Jurištová
dívka u pumpy
Alena Karešová
Binkova sekretářka
Václav Kotva
Ostrčil – Bystrozraký
Jan Kuželka
vedoucí vepřína
Lubomír Bryg
Černokněžník Široký
Edita Dindělová
Věra – Karkulka
Jiří Lábus
mladík s trombonem
Světlana Nálepková
komická zpěvačka
Michal Nesvadba
komický zpěvák
Roman Hájek
host na oslavě narozenin
Pavlína Mourková
host na oslavě narozenin
Jakub Šíle
host na oslavě narozenin
Jiří Kaňkovský
host na oslavě narozenin
Magda Reifová
dívka s lampionem
Zdeněk Kratochvíle
konferenciér
Věra Laňková
recitátorka
Blanka Lormanová
loutkoherečka
Jaroslav Králík
oplešatělý herec
Stanislav Chmelař
operní šmírák
Vladimír Gut
komický mim na zkouškách
Ota Robek
osvětový pracovník
Dagmar Vlčková
hadí žena/ONA
Jaroslav Brůha
tanečník/ON
Ivana Srncová
tanečnice/Havajanka
Miroslav Duda
Havajan
Karel Oprich
Havajan
Bedřich Vychodil
Havajan
Karel Zemánek
Havajan
Helena Dlasková
zpěvačka a muzikantka/členka Kandrtovy skupiny
Jana Koutová
zpěvačka a muzikantka
Vida Skalská
zpěvačka a muzikantka
Alena Staňková
zpěvačka a muzikantka
Martina Svobodová
zpěvačka a muzikantka
Jan Lorenc
zpěvák a muzikant
Jiří Nerad
pianista-saxofonista
Jan Doubrava
trumpetista-kytarista
Oldřich Hrůza
basista-kytarista
Karel Hovorka
zákazník veksláka
František Procházka (3)
kouzelník
Jana Viščaková
zpěvačka
Eva Středová
loutkoherečka-tanečnice
Jiří Středa
loutkoherec-tanečník
Miloš Zídek
loutkoherec-tanečník
Lenka Vlachová
členka Kandrtovy skupiny
Karel Smrž
člen Kandrtovy skupiny/muž s basou piva
Martina Hanáková
tanečnice-artistka v Kandrtově skupině/Havajanka
Marie Fišerová
tanečnice Slunečnice
Milan Forman
tanečník Slunečnice
Jan Hanžlík
tanečník Slunečnice
Zdeněk Křížek
tanečník
Marie Kujalová
tanečnice
Irena Strouhalová
tanečnice
Pavel Noha
člen pěveckého tria
Edward Tomas
člen pěveckého tria
Bohuš Šmidrkal
hudebník
Helena Viktorinová
zpěvandule
Rudolf Kachlíř
žonglér
Miroslav Vajsar
Nanajec/stařík
Zuzana Skalická
dubl za Radoslavu Boháčovou
Teodor Slezák
kolečkář
Vratislav Volenec
hudební klaun
Marie Vartecká
postarší herečka
Jiří Černý (2)
člen dueta
Hana Rajská
členka dueta
Zdeněk Čermák
hudebník
Lubomír Hnát
hudebník
Jaroslav Kára
hudebník
Ota Kmínek
hudebník
Jiří Pertl
hudebník
Zdeněk Vašátko
hudebník
Miroslav Wainer
bubeník
Stanislav Herda
hudebník ve vinárně
Gustav Konárek
hudebník ve vinárně
Karel Pullmann
hudebník ve vinárně
Jiří Krytinář
muzikant
Zdeněk Turek
hráč na bicí
Václav Novák (hudebník)
kytarista
Pavel Král
karatista
Jan Novák (kaskadér)
karatista
Blanka Velcová
karatistka
Pavel Veselý
tanečník
Petr Jákl
rváč
Jiří Krejčík
muž u stanice metra
Crew and creators
Director
Second Unit Director
Assistant Director
Continuity
Based on
Roman Ráž (Prodavač humoru – román)
Screenplay
Shooting Script
Dramaturg
Director of Photography
Second Unit Photography
Camera Operator
Production Designer
Assistent Production Designer
Set Designer
Jaroslav Chytrý, Karel Smrž, Zdena Suchomelová
Costume Designer
Make-Up Artist
Film Editor
Assistant Film Editor
Sound Designer
Special Effects
Igor Ševčík, Ludvík Malý
Production Manager
Unit Production Manager
Věra Lukášová, Helena Landovská, Lev Veltrubský
Cooperation
Ivana Vlčková (klapka), Miloslav Mirvald (fotograf)
Music
Music Composed by
Michael Kocáb, Jiří Kolafa (hudební zvuky), Pavel Vaculík (estrádní výstupy)
Selected Music
Ruggiero Leoncavallo (Komedianti /I Pagliacci/), Georges Bizet (Carmen /Toreadore smělý/)
Music Performed by
Michael Kocáb, FISYO (Music Conducted by Mario Klemens)
Choreographer
Jaroslav Brůha
Songs
Francouzský šanson
Song Composer Pavel Vaculík
Singer Dana Vlková [dab]Eva Novotná (2)
Vesele, jen vesele
Song Composer Bedřich Nikodém
Writer of Lyrics František Jírů
Singer sbor
Bramborová placka
Song Composer Josef Stelibský
Writer of Lyrics Jaroslav MottlKarel Melíšek
Singer ženský hlas
To se nikdo nedoví
Song Composer Zdeněk Marat
Writer of Lyrics Zdeněk Borovec
Singer duo
Bída s nouzí /Threw Away Rose/
Song Composer Merle Haggard
Writer of Lyrics Miroslav Hoffmann
Setkání
Song Composer Jaromír Klempíř
Writer of Lyrics František Polák
Singer Michal Nesvadba [dab]DrupiSvětlana Nálepková [dab]Hana Zagorová
Když jsi byl malý chlapec, špuntík maličký
Singer ženský hlas
Jaká jsem
Song Composer Karel Vágner
Writer of Lyrics Pavel Žák
Singer Jana Čubrová
Díru v hlavě mám
Singer mužské hlasy
Na Marjánce
Song Composer Josef Heřman Zefi
Writer of Lyrics Josef Heřman Zefi
Singer Jaroslava Kretschmerovásbor
Byla to estráda
Singer Ivan Vyskočilsbor
Můj koníček
Song Composer Michal PavlíčekMichael Kocáb
Writer of Lyrics František Ringo Čech
Singer Pražský výběr
Barbara
Song Composer Zdeněk Barták
Writer of Lyrics Jiří Štědroň
Singer Ondřej Vetchý [dab]Jiří Štědroňženský sbor
U Zvonu je candrbál
Song Composer Alois Tichý
Writer of Lyrics Alois Tichý
Singer ženský sbor
Zpěv klaunů
Production info
Original Title
Prodavač humoru
Czech Title
Prodavač humoru
English Title
The Humour-Salesman
Category
film
Typology
featuretheatrical distribution
Genre
satire, morality
Origin country
Czechoslovakia
Copyright
1984
Production Year
1983—1984
Production specifications
literary Screenplay approved 2 February 1983
start of filming 16 February 1983
technical Screenplay approved 10 June 1983
end of filming 30 August 1984
projection approval 7 September 1984
withdrawal from distribution 30 June 1991
Premiere
premiere 1 December 1985 /unsuitable for youths/
Production
Copyright Holders
Distribution
Creative Group
1. dramaturgicko-výrobní skupina, Jiří Blažek (vedoucí 1. dramaturgicko-výrobní skupiny)
Technical info
Duration typology
feature film
Duration in minutes
102 min
Original length in metres
2 935 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
