The Prague Mystery

Country

Czechoslovakia, Poland

Copyright

1988

Production year

1987

Premiere

1 October 1989

Runtime

86 min

Category

film

Genre

children, adventure

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Pražské tajemství

Czech title

Pražské tajemství

English title

The Prague Mystery

Co-production title

Pan Samochodzik i praskie tajemnice

Working title

Pan Auťák a pražské tajemství / Pan autíčko a pražské tajemství

Summary

Polish director Kazimierz Tarnas specialised in historical mysteries. His coproduced children’s film Pražské tajemství (The Prague Mystery, 1988) follows the progress of young criminal investigator Tomáš from the Polish city of Krakow as he searches Prague for a stolen painting of Rabbi Löw. However, the focus of the plot soon switches to the priceless Table of the Truce, constructed during the reign of Emperor Rudolf II by the astrologer Katz and the alchemist Edward Kelley. The fantasy tale also involves Rosicrucians, Rabbi Löw’s ghost and the hero’s flying car… This otherwise uncomplicated film, inspired by the Polish children’s book Pan Samochodzik i praskie tajemnice (literally Mr Car and the Prague Mystery), was developed by the screenwriting collaboration of Kazimierz Tarnas, Martin Bezouška and Dušan Kukal. The cast combined Czech and Polish actors: detective Tomáš was played by Marek Wysocki, the part of pretty Helena by Jana Nagyová and Rabbi Löw was portrayed by Jan Skopeček.

Synopsis

The shopwindow of a secondhand bookshop located near the Prague Charles Bridge once displayed a book by the astrologer David Katz. During the reign of Emperor Rudolf II, he and an alchemist called Kelly assembled the Table of Armistice of precious stones which was hidden by Rabbi Loew in an unknown place. In the same period, the painting The Tribunal of Rabbi Loew was stolen. A young Pole, called Tomáš, learns about these events from Professor Marczak and sets off to Prague from Cracow in a car which can turn into an airplane. He finds out in Prague that the book was sold to the bookshop by a man named Zdeněk Bláha and it was soon purchased by a foreigner. Tomáš is introduced to his friends' daughters Lidka and Helena. The two girls help him find Bláha. They come to call their project "the Prague Mystery". The seekers find out that yet another man is interested in the book – it is Bob Smith, a member of the Rosicrucian Confraternity. He organizes a spiritualist session for them during which Loew's spirit tells them that the direction towards the mystery will be shown by Kelly's talisman whose two halves, however, fell into the hands of two different men in the course of centuries. The seekers finally catch Bláha who confesses working for a man called Robert. After many peripeteia, Tomáš discovers a well in the Prague Jewish cemetery and then also the Table of Armistice in the underground. All of a sudden, the wall collapses with the Golem brought back to life behind it. The resourceful Lidka quickly removes the shem from Golem's forehead. The Table of Armistice disintegrates into dust. Bláha and his accomplice are exposed as criminals and Smith gives Tomáš Katz's book in exchange for the copy of the talisman. Tomáš returns to Cracow in his flying car.

Cast

Marek Wysocki

Voice by Michal Pavlata
Tomáš zvaný Auťák

Jana Nagyová

Voice by Ljuba Krbová
Helena Dohnalová

Otakar Brousek ml.

PhDr. František Škvarek

Leon Niemczyk

Voice by Petr Pelzer
Bob Smith, člen Bratrstva rosenkruciánů

Libuše Kaprálová

Lidka, sestra Heleny

Dan Krameš

Zdeněk Bláha

Jan Skopeček

rabbi Löw

Jadwiga Chojnacka

hospodyně

Marcin Życiński

Bartek

Ludwik Benoit

Pokijaniec

Krzysztof Fus

zloděj Hnát

Mariusz Saniternik

zloděj Franek

Juliusz Lubicz-Lisowski

antikvář Teofil

Andrzej Kozak

profesor Marczak

Karel Houska

antikvář

Ondřej Mikšíček

kluk

Jan Kotva

kamelot

Igor Smržík

příslušník VB

František Staněk

příslušník VB

Václav Burkert

dělník

Vlastimila Vlková

stará žena na mostě

Sławomir Krajewski

Tomasz Podolak

Sasza Depczyński

Crew and creators

Second Unit Director

Jerzy Owczaczyk, Robert Vacík, Andrzej Reiter

Assistant Director

Jitka Lendrová

Based on

Zbigniew Nienacki (Pan Auťák a pražské tajemství /Pan Samochodzik i tajemnica tajemnic/ – dětská kniha)

Dramaturg

Milan Pávek

Director of Photography

Tomasz Tarasin

Second Unit Photography

Zbigniew Halatek

Camera Operator

Karel Havelka, Sławomir Klemba

Assistent Production Designer

František Vokřál

Set Designer

Miloslav Dvořák, Jiří Dvořák, Lubomír Kafka, Jerzy Pabjańczyk

Assistant Film Editor

Krzysztof Kornecki

Sound Designer

Jerzy Blaszyński, Bogusław Nowak (zvukové efekty)

Special Effects

Bohdan Mazurek

Unit Production Manager

Helena Landovská, Stanisław Górniak, Wiesława Krężel, Jana Vocetková

Unit Production Manager

Vláčil František ml., Małgorzata Raczek, Karel Vávra, Elżbieta Tomczyk, Elżbieta Słupińska, Václav Šeda

Consultant

Krzysztof Fus, Franciszek Szydełko, Wojciech Wdowiński

Cooperation

Soňa Nemcová (klapka), Vladimír Souček (fotograf)

Dialogues of Czech version

Jiří Křižan

Direction of Czech version

Jan Moravec

Music

Music Composed by

Lech Brański

Music Conducted by

Lech Brański

Songs

Pan Tomáš, Tina, já

Song Composer Lech Brański
Writer of Lyrics Marek Wysocki
Singer Marek Wysocki [dab]sbor

Production info

Original Title

Pražské tajemství

Czech Title

Pražské tajemství

English Title

The Prague Mystery

Co-production Title

Pan Samochodzik i praskie tajemnice

Working Title

Pan Auťák a pražské tajemství / Pan autíčko a pražské tajemství

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

children, adventure

Origin country

Czechoslovakia, Poland

Copyright

1988

Production Year

1987

Production specifications

start of filming 4 August 1987
end of filming 10 November 1987
projection approval 7 June 1988
withdrawal from distribution 1 November 1993

Premiere

premiere 1 October 1989 /suitable for youths/

Creative Group

4. dramaturgicko-výrobní skupina, Marcela Pittermannová (vedoucí 4. dramaturgicko-výrobní skupiny), Zespół Filmowy Profil (PRF Zespoły Filmowe)

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

86 min

Original length in metres

2 452 meters

Distribution carrier

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, Polish