Directed by:
Oldřich LipskýCinematography:
Jiří TarantíkComposer:
Vlastimil HálaCast:
Lubomír Lipský st., Jiřina Bohdalová, Iva Janžurová, Marie Rosůlková, František Filipovský, Jan Libíček, Josef Hlinomaz, Karel Effa, Lubomír Kostelka (more)Plots(1)
In the compartment of an American express train, James Porter, who is transferring a cheque for a million dollars from Michago to San Fernando seats himself and gets buried in a comic book. - Two groups of gangsters begin to compete for the precious check. José Manuel Antonio commands the swarthy boys from San Bonigo and the unscrupulous Ms Kate Draxl heads the Michago gang. In the meantime, in the little town of Springtown, the teacher Georg Camel tries to win the respect of his students in vain. Georg reveals himself to be a dope even in the editorial office of the local magazine to which he tries to sell his poetry. He has no idea that the charming editor Sabrina's sudden interest in him is designed to make the illustrator Henry jealous. Then, however, there is a reversal. Porter, who unexpectedly got off the train in Springtown, dies on the doorstep of Camel's room in the pension of the affected Mrs Harrington. The innocent and naive Georg is drawn into the fight of the two gangs and is suspected of murder, especially when a corpse falls onto him every time he opens a door. Sabrina thinks that Georg murders out of love for her in order to give her enough material to write about. Mrs Harrington is convinced that Camel wants to destroy the reputation of her house. After is Georg found in an underground garage where the two gangs have shot each other dead, he is proclaimed a hero and purged of all crimes he was suspected of. - Porter happily finishes the comic book. But when he opens the door of the compartment, a dead conductor falls onto him. (official distributor synopsis)
(more)Reviews (6)
I only got around to watching the film after such a long time because Kája Saudek did a lot of drawings related to it. I'm glad I finally saw the film because it's a beautiful example of how the Czechs could make entertaining movies that also have a story that works and makes sense, even if it's a bit quirky.
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I love this film and it is one of the most sympathetic representatives of the Czech crazy comedy genre, which amusingly parodies Western gangster films. Thanks to the cast, director Lipský made use of Bohdalová's and Janžurová's natural comedic talent and the perfectly cast Lubomír Lipský in the role of the naively trusting George. The chaos that ensues has not become boring to me even years later despite all the reruns. In the last third of the film, the energy somewhat dwindles, but the overall impression still packs a punch and amounts to an overall impression of 90%. Although catchphrases are not a measure of a film's quality or popularity for me, here I thoroughly enjoy them.
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A rather charming comic comedy whose style builds on Who Wants to Kill Jessie? This time, however, in color. Kája Saudek's poetics are great and still functional today. However, some doubt arises about the acting mannerisms of Rosůlková, Bohdalová, and Janžurová, which go beyond the fine yarn of parody. It would be interesting to compare this Czech version with the Yugoslavian film Mrtvima ulaz zabranjen, which adapted Nenad Brixy's famous novel in 1965.
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This incredibly crazy film is one of those that should be the envy of the whole world and for which our little republic should be known as one of the most productive and original hatcheries of comedy and parody films on Earth. Every actor, every line of the script, every film window, every Saudek drawing, every Hála note... Everything is just SO perfect and it doesn't get boring even after the thousandth viewing.
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A unique film. Amazing actors, unforgettable gags and probably the highest body count that has ever fell through the doors of Czech cinema. Oldřich Lipský was awesome, although he would be surpassed a few years later by the Svěrák-Smoljak duo.
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I have always had a soft spot for Oldřich Lipský’s parodies. I really like American movies about organized crime, so if someone can ridicule them in such a great way, I can hardly be disappointed. Plus, Kája Saudek took care of one of the most dramatic car chases in film history, and I had a blast.
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