Alois Novák (Oldrich Nový), a minor clerk in a travel agency and the husband of a dowdy housewife Marenka (Natasa Gollová), lives a run-of-the-mill, dull life. In his soul, however, there resides an inextinguishable desire for adventure. And so once a month he poses as a playboy. As the mysterious and wealthy Mr. Kristian he goes to the exclusive Orient Bar where he does not skimp on generous tips and where he platonic-ally seduces beautiful and elegant women. In the salon he speaks of love and the magnificence of exotic lands, which he has supposedly come to know on his wanderings abroad. In reality he has read all of this in the travel agency's brochures.
Acting
Nový's perfect balance of pathetic clerk and convincing lothario.
Production
The Orient Bar's Art Deco opulence vs. the Nováks' cramped flat.
Writing
Witty dialogue about places the protagonist has only read about.
Director
Martin Frič
Oldřich Nový
úředník Alois Novák alias pan Kristian
Nataša Gollová
Mařenka, Novákova žena
Raoul Schránil
Fred
Bedřich Veverka
Petr
Adina Mandlová
Zuzana Rendlová, Fredova snoubenka
Jára Kohout
úředník cestovní kanceláře Josef Novotný
Anna Steimarová
Mařenčina tetička
Jaroslav Marvan
ředitel cestovní kanceláře Král
Čeněk Šlégl
elegán s kapesníčkem
Josef Bělský
Orient bar manager
František Paul
Jan W. Speerger
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
This 1939 Czech hit became weirdly prophetic: released months before Nazi occupation, its escapist fantasy mirrored real desperation.
The 'Kristian' persona was so iconic that 'Kristian' became slang in Czech for any fake playboy.
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