When the Cat Comes (1963)
"Az prijde kocour" (original title)

Some people with a strange cat arrive in a small village. The cat wears glasses, and when someone takes them off, she can colour people, according to their nature and mood. The grown-ups of... See full summary »

Director:

Vojtech Jasný

Writers:

Jirí Brdecka, Vojtech Jasný (story),

Stars:

Jan Werich, Emília Vásáryová, Vlastimil Brodský

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jan Werich	...	Magician / Oliva
Emília Vásáryová	...	Diana (as Emilie Vasáryová)
Vlastimil Brodský	...	Teacher Robert
Jirí Sovák	...	School director
Vladimír Mensík	...	School janitor
Jirina Bohdalová	...	Julie
Karel Effa	...	Janek
Vlasta Chramostová	...	Marjánka
Alena Kreuzmannová	...	Gossip
Stella Zázvorková	...	Ruzena
Jaroslav Mares	...	Restaurant owner
Jana Werichová	...	Chairman's wife
Ladislav Fialka	...	Stealer
Karel Vrtiska	...	Miller
Václav Babka	...	Policeman

Storyline

Some people with a strange cat arrive in a small village. The cat wears glasses, and when someone takes them off, she can colour people, according to their nature and mood. The grown-ups of the village consider the cat to be dangerous, but the kids just love her...

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Plot Keywords:

cat | metaphor | teacher | magician | surrealism | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Family | Fantasy | Romance

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Details

Country:

Czechoslovakia

Language:

Czech

Release Date:

20 September 1963 (Czechoslovakia)

Also Known As:

That Cat

Filming Locations:

Telc, Czech Republic

Company Credits

Production Co:

Filmové studio Barrandov

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

School director: [subtitled version] Listen Robert, denoting your superior as a murderer in public doesn't seem like constructive criticism.

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Connections

Edited into Voskovec & Werich - paralelní osudy (2012)

User Reviews

A Fantastic Fable About Human Behavior

In a small town in Czechoslovakia, the old story teller Oliva (Jan Werich) likes to plant fantasy in the brains of the children. Presently he tells the story of his former love and her magic cat, which wears glasses, to the class of the beloved and romantic teacher Robert (Vlastimil Brodský). When someone takes the glasses off, the cat shows the real feelings and personality of the person: red for those in love, purple for the hypocrites, yellow for the unfaithful and gray for the dishonest. Then, a coach arrives in town, bringing a magician (Jan Werich), the beautiful Diana (Emília Vásáryová) and the magic cat. The real feelings of the mostly selfish population are exposed, generating confusion, and the evil school director (Jirí Sovák) and the school janitor (Vladimir Mensik) decide to eliminate the cat. The students of Robert join forces to save the cat and the job of their teacher.

This beautiful and fantastic fable about human behavior is timeless and very original. The story has a great moral lesson in the end without being corny, and is highly recommended for all audiences. In Brazil, it is only available in a rare VHS. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): 'Um Dia, Um Gato' ('One Day, A Cat')

Note: On 12 June 2010, I saw this magnificent film again on DVD.