An employee of the funeral home Pleticha calls his superior. He overhears that he is supposed to buy a wedding gift and deliver it to his boss's relatives. He therefore sets off to the given address to organize the funeral. When the mistake is explained, Pleticha, in return for the entertainment, performs dances and songs of various nations for the wedding guests. One of the guests, grandfather Boleslav Hnipírdo, experienced a train collision near Vrňany on his way to Prague. Since he was not injured, he does not even want to ask for compensation. Pleticha takes advantage of this and goes to the railway headquarters with his leg bandaged. He pretends to be Hnipírdo and is questioned in detail about his journey. Thanks to his talkativeness, he reveals, among other things, that he jumped on a moving train, drove illegally, spat on the window and tore off the emergency brake...
Acting
Vlasta Burian's elastic physical comedy and dual-role virtuosity.
Direction
Lamač's breakneck pacing keeps the farce airtight.
Writing
Ingenious mistaken-identity structure from stage adaptation.
Director
Karel Lamač
Vlasta Burian
zaměstnanec pohřebního ústavu Vendelín Pleticha a falešný Boleslav Hnipírdo
Theodor Pištěk
vrchní železniční rada Klapka
Josef Rovenský
Boleslav Hnipírdo, švagr paní Plicové
Betty Kysilková
teta Františka Plicová
Růžena Šlemrová
nevěsta Anna Plicová, neteř paní Plicové
Jan Sviták
řidič Franz, milenec Anny Plicové
Čeněk Šlégl
ženich Anny Plicové
Lída Baarová
paní Rozmarová
Jaroslav Marvan
otec svedené dívky ženichem
Martin Frič
kancelista na inspektorátu drah
Milka Balek-Brodská
švagrová paní Plicové
Jan W. Speerger
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Vlasta Burian was Czechoslovakia's biggest pre-war comedy star; this showcases his signature 'great little man' persona of bluffing his way upward.
The train collision near Vrňany references an actual 1930 railway accident, making the satire of bureaucratic compensation hearings sharply contemporary for 1932 audiences.
No ratings yet
Sign in to join the discussion — comments are spoiler-gated to your watch progress.
Discussion starters
XC
