Dogged by Laughter

A cottage under the Giant Mountains is inhabitated by a peculiar sixty-year-old man, the jack-of-all-trades Joska Platejz. The cottage looks ordinary from the outside but inside, it is full of inventions. A brook runs through the main room and trout swim in a reservoir. All appliances are driven by a wind power plant. A dummy called Albert lifts up against the guests when the door opens. Platejz lives alone but he is not lonely. He regularly makes lunches for the gamekeeper Fanda and the group of woodcutters. With the help of an excavator, Joska and Fanda kidnap the local schoolmaster, a teacher called Kroupa - their ill friend whose wife does not let him go anywhere. Platejz refuses to provide lodging for the woodcuter Jarda, a newcomer who returned from a borstal. Joska takes care of the cottage for his son and daughter who live in Prague but they never come to visit their father. In the boxes with his favourite Virginia cigars Joska finds control slips with the names of the women who roll them. His favourite one is Borodyová. Platejz goes to Prague. His daughter, Jana, wants money from him to pay for her husband's misappropriation, but Joska refuses to sell the cottage because of that. The son has no time for him and his daughter-in-law gives him the colf shoulder. Back home, Joska lies to his friends about the loving welcome and care of his children. Kroupa and Joska argue about the mythical Borodyová's appearance. The teacher envisages her as a blond while she is a fiery brunette to Joska. Fanda sends Jarda to pick up the wages to test him. Jarda passes the test and moreover prepays himself for Joska's lunches. Platejz then deposits some banknotes in a hiding place under the stairs as an expression of trust. Fanda marries Zdena, a widow and the mother of three sons. Jana arrives unexpectedly with her family and the zestful Joska lends thirty five thousand crowns to his son-in-law. Kroupa's health worsens and he gives Joska notes about his secret dreams. Platejz is attacked by two disguised robbers in the cottage who coarsly demand money from him. He is, however, fortunate enough that Jarda comes over and disarms the robbers. One of them is the son-in-law Lojza, and Joska therefore does not report the incident to the police. His injured leg is put in plaster. At a railway station, he meets the pleasant Helena Šmídová. He invites her over, the woman indeed arrives and stays for several days with Joska who falls in love with her. The teacher Kroupa dies and Joska burns his diary without reading it. When Helena is departing, Joska gives her money to buy a car and come back. But the police arrive instead, informing Joska that Šmídová is in fact the imposter Housková, wanted for three years. Joska cannot believe it and offers to marry Helena during a visit to the prison. The woman, however, cynically turns him down. Joska sets off to Slovakia to meet Borodyová. But even here his "radar nose" fails him - the woman is a young blonde. Joska returns home, cooks for the woodcuters and offers Jarda lodging in the cottage.