Radovan Urban’s children’s film was made in 1989 but it was nearly drowned out by other film productions of the day when it was finally released in the “free distribution” years that followed the end of communism. The hero of the picture – eventually released in February 1991 – is 13-year-old Milda Malý. He reminisces about the recently completed shooting of a film in which he played the principal part, a sensitive boy who mixes reality with an imaginary world inspired by Alexandre Dumas’s The Three Musketeers. Milda’s self-identification with d’Artagnan is in marked contrast with reality – a holiday camp where he finds himself an outsider and a local gang of children’s target of ridicule. Similarly to the Dumas hero, the protagonist in the completed film – but, by contrast, not the boy who has performed him – finally enjoys justice and recognition. An interesting aspect of the production is that it was actually a retro movie set in the year of 1964. Standing out among the cast are Jiří Lábus, Oldřich Navrátil and Oldřich Vlach.
The thirteen-year-old boy Milda Malý starred in a children's movie. The actors and staff eat and drink to celebrate the end of filming. Only Milda cannot forget about the days he spent with the filmmakers in the Jizerské Mountains. He played the role of a sensitive boy who identifies with d'Artagnan in his dreams, and also the dwellers of a cottage colony appear as figures from the Dumas novel in his fantasies. Milda's friend Veruna, who he secretly loves, is usually Mrs Bonacieux but sometimes the evil Mylady - because Veruna ostentatiously expresses her favour to another boy from time to time. She and the boys moreover mock Milda for being unable to jump across huge stones in the river and always falling into the water. People of various natures meet in the colony and the children often imitate both their merits and demerits. A rich man named Sochor constantly polishes his cottage and forces his son Ála to help him dig garage foundations. Milda's parents do not worry that their own cottage is about to collapse. The dad makes and collects object trouvé and writes short stories. The good-hearted Milda decides to help Ála. The colony unites when the gamekeeper Říha's daughter gets lost. She is eventually found by Milda and Ála early in the morning. Milda finally succeeds in jumping over the brook. In his fantasy, he experiences a duel with Rochefort-Ála, and the two rivals reconcile. Milda leaves the wrap-up party, all sad and disgusted.
The film contains a passage from the Lithuanian three-part TV series directed by Georgi Jungvald-Chilkovich in 1978, D´Artagnan and Three Musketeers (D´Artanjanasir trys muškietininkai).
Toníček Křepelka
Milda Malý alias D'Artagnan /Žabák/
stavař Viktor Malý, Mildův otec
Mildova matka
Ála Sochor alias Rochefort
chalupář Sochor alias kardinál Richelieu
Sochorova žena, Álova matka
holčička Xeňa
hajný Říha, otec Xeni
listonoška Říhová, matka Xeni
Tomáš Valchář alias Athos
Martin Valchář alias Aramis
skladatel Valchář alias král Ludvík
matka Valchářová alias Anna Rakouská
Veruna alias paní Bonacieux a Mylady
zpěvačka Jelenová, Verunina teta
režisér Jiří Hvězda alias Felton
kulturní referentka Hana Císařová
hostinský Pávek
příslušník VB Holina
trpaslík
Vašek Kraus
podporučík VB Honza Kraus
železničář Franc
žena v plavkách
host u Valcháře
filmař
filmař
filmař
filmař
žena na nádraží
Čárlí alias Porthos
brýlatý kluk
Jan Záhumenský, Josef Sandr
Karel Kočí, Milan Šefrna, František Struska
Petr Čermák, Antonín Říha
Terezie Čampulková (klapka), Michal Fairaizl (fotograf)
Bedřich Smetana (Prodaná nevěsta /Proč bychom se netěšili/), Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Joseph Haydn, Antonín Dvořák
Martin Kratochvíl, Kubínovo kvarteto
Song Composer Karel Kopecký
Writer of Lyrics Jindřich Faktor
Singer Karel Kopecký
Song Composer Jan Frank Fischer
Writer of Lyrics Jan Frank FischerOlga Fischerová
Singer ženský hlas
Song Composer Gustav Brom
Writer of Lyrics Jaromír Hnilička
Singer Klára Poborská
Song Composer Jiří Šlitr
Writer of Lyrics Jiří Suchý
Song Composer Eduard Ingriš
Writer of Lyrics Eduard Ingriš
Singer sbor
Song Composer Jaroslav Ježek
Writer of Lyrics Jiří VoskovecJan Werich
Singer Marie Logojdová
Song Composer Pavel Bayerle
Writer of Lyrics Vladimír Dvořák
Singer Yvetta SimonováMilan Chladil
Song Composer Jiří Suchý
Writer of Lyrics Jiří Suchý
Singer sbor
Song Composer Radim Drejsl
Writer of Lyrics Miroslav Zachata
Singer sbor
Song Composer lidová píseň
Singer sbor
Song Composer tradicionálKamil Hála /úprava/
Writer of Lyrics Ivo Fischer
Singer sbor
Song Composer Jiří Šlitr
Writer of Lyrics Jiří Suchý
Singer Dana Horčicová
Song Composer tradicionál
Writer of Lyrics Ivo Fischer
Singer Marie Logojdová
Song Composer Harry Warren
Singer Oldřich NavrátilJiří Wohanka
Song Composer Václav Dobiáš
Můj přítel d’Artagnan
Můj přítel d’Artagnan
My Friend d’Artagnan
film
featuretheatrical distribution
children
Czechoslovakia
1989
1989
withdrawal from distribution 31 March 1994
premiere 1 February 1991 /suitable for youths/
4. tvůrčí skupina, Marcela Pittermannová (vedoucí 4. tvůrčí skupiny)
feature film
86 min
2 454 meters
35mm
1:1,37
colour
sound
mono
Czech
Czech
without subtitles
Czech