Emergency Call

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1985

Production year

1985

Premiere

1 July 1986

Runtime

78 min

Category

film

Genre

crime

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Tísňové volání

Czech title

Tísňové volání

English title

Emergency Call

Working title

Uprostřed města

Summary

In addition to its peaceful inhabitants, the centre of Prague also gets its fair share of thieves, bullies, murderers and drug addicts. The crooks are fair game for police lieutenant Josef Kabát, played by Josef Vinklář, who tirelessly criss-crosses his beloved city in a trusty Volha service car. Kabát and his colleagues take action on the streets wherever and whenever needed, and also respond to emergency calls. But their everyday routine suddenly clashes with lieutenant Kabát’s personal life when items found in a burgled flat point to his son Pavel (Michal Dlouhý). It serves as a jolting reminder to the lead character that he has been neglecting his family duties for far too long… Following his debut film Poslední mejdan (The Last Binge, 1984), director Miloš Zábranský based Tísňové volání (Emergency Call, 1985) on a script co-written with seasoned screenwriter Otta Zelenka.

Synopsis

Police patrol cars drive through Prague's streets day and night. The member of the patrol responsible for the town centre is the experienced Lieutenant Josef Kabát. He lives in the Old Town Square and sincerely loves his native town. Before leaving for work, he briefly talks to his eighteen-year old son Pavel who has cancelled a planned trip with his friends to a cottage. Apart from Kabát in the police car, there are also Commander Kosek and a rookie by the name of Janík. The dispatchers send them to a car accident and then to a robbery. An old man called Ředina notices his neighbour's flat door wide open and is injured by the escaping young thieves. A leather jacket button and crushed glasses are found at the scene. It seems to Kabát that the things may belong to his son. He realizes how little time he has for him, the same as his wife who is a hospital nurse and often works night shifts. The patrol carries out routine controls, saves the life of an overdosed junkie and takes action against vandals. The same night, two aggresive youngsters violate and murder a young girl. Back from work in the morning, Kabát can see that Pavel was not at home at all. But his wife gets the address of his girlfriend and Kabát finds the son at her place. He verifies that the son is innocent but things begin to jar between the two men. The patrol takes action the next night, too. The murderers picked out a new victim and the patrol runs into them by accident when catching an escaping thief. Kabát prevents the crime from happening but is himself fatally stabbed by one of the aggressors.

Note

The movie, filmed for the 40th anniversary of the National Security Corps.

Cast

Josef Vinklář

poručík Josef Kabát

Jiří Štěpnička

velitel hlídky VB podporučík Jiří Kosek

Michal Dlouhý

Pavel, Kabátův syn

Jana Březinová

Kabátova žena

Bronislav Černý

příslušník VB Honza Janík

Monika Kobrová

Voice by Ilona Svobodová
Aťka Zlonická, Pavlova dívka

Antoni Polarczyk

Voice by Dalimil Klapka
Tachecí zvaný Šunka

Oldřich Vlach

zloděj tržby

Petr Svárovský

vrchní František Sláma

Jan Krafka

číšník

Ferdinand Krůta

soused Tachecího

Věra Koktová

sousedova žena

Josef Patočka

František Ředina

Růžena Smolíková

Ředinova žena

Jan Pohan

major Zlesák

Pavel Purkrábek

holohlavý vrah

Aleš Baloun

tetovaný vrah

Nina Divíšková

oloupená žena

Jiří Kvasnička

zloděj ve spíži

Hana Talpová

zpěvačka při filmování

Jana Viščaková

Voice by Veronika Freimanová
prostitutka Maruška

Barbora Lukešová

mladá narkomanka

Karel Bělohradský

řidič nákladního auta

Zdeněk Koudela

lupič

Miro Grisa

zloděj v montérkách

Rudolf A. Rosenfelder

násilník

Josef Starosta

násilník/tanečník

Jiří Schwarz

dispečer VB

Zdeněk Dolanský

dispečer VB

Stanislav Tříska

venkovan v nočním podniku

Dana Dostálová

dívka

Pavel Grégr

taxikář

Gaston Šubert

cizinec v hotelu

Tomáš Krejčík

diskžokej

Lukáš Bradáček

kluk

Roman Kašeljak

kluk

Miloslav Šindler

dopravní policista

Karel Karas

Voice by Jindřich Narenta
cizinec ve varieté

Zdeněk Červený

muž s loutkou pštrosa

Karel Engel

příslušník VB

Tomáš Engel

pochůzkář VB

Karel Smrž

muž ležící na ulici

Eva Weissová

žena v nočním podniku

Eva Čechová

tanečnice

Eva Hofmanová

tanečnice

Kateřina Kotýnková

tanečnice

Jitka Loužecká

tanečnice

Renata Schmiedtmajerová

tanečnice

Ivana Šeflová

tanečnice

Dagmar Vlčková

tanečnice

Erik Farkaš

tanečník

Libor Mika

tanečník

Ladislav Goral

tanečník

Stanislav Herda

muzikant

Gustav Konárek

muzikant

Jiří Koska

muzikant

Vítězslav Sutr

muzikant

Milan Vobliza

muzikant

Crew and creators

Second Unit Director

Josef Sandr

Assistant Director

Ivan Bareš

Screenstory

Otto Zelenka

Shooting Script

Miloš Zábranský

Director of Photography

Josef Hanuš

Second Unit Photography

Rudolf Jokl

Camera Operator

Jan Carda

Assistent Production Designer

Václav Litoš

Set Designer

Petr Matouš, Richard Staněk, Lubomír Kafka

Film Editor

Jiří Brožek

Assistant Film Editor

Eva Horázná

Sound Designer

Antonín Kravka

Production Manager

Blažej Vráb

Unit Production Manager

Rudolf Mos, Evelyna Vrbová

Unit Production Manager

Přemysl Čermák

Consultant

plk. Vladislav Řepík

Cooperation

Renata Čihulková (klapka), Alena Červená (fotografka), Správa SNB hlavního města Prahy, Správa SNB Středočeského kraje

Music

Music Composed by

Karel Růžička

Music Performed by

FISYO (Music Conducted by Mario Klemens)

Production info

Original Title

Tísňové volání

Czech Title

Tísňové volání

English Title

Emergency Call

Working Title

Uprostřed města

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

crime

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1985

Production Year

1985

Production specifications

literary Screenplay approved 5 April 1985
start of filming 7 July 1985
technical Screenplay approved 12 July 1985
end of filming 18 December 1985
projection approval 27 December 1985
withdrawal from distribution 30 June 1990

Premiere

premiere 1 July 1986 /unsuitable for youths/

Creative Group

2. dramaturgicko-výrobní skupina, Josef Císař (vedoucí 2. dramaturgicko-výrobní skupiny)

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

78 min

Original length in metres

2 227 meters

Distribution carrier

16mm, 35mm

Aspect ratio

1:1,37

Colour

colour

Sound

sound

Sound system/format

mono

Versions

Czech

Dialogue languages

Czech, German

Subtitles languages

without subtitles

Opening/End credits languages

Czech