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Dinner for Adele
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Wikipedia article
'Dinner for Adele' is a 1977 Czech parody comedy film directed by Oldich Lipsk. Alternative titles were 'Adele Hasn't Had Her Dinner Yet', 'Nick Carter in Prague' and 'Adela Has Not Had Supper Yet'.
Production
The main character is a parody of the detective Nick Carter from American dime novels. Most exterior scenes were shot around Prague, including Prague main railway station, Hotel Paris, Hradany, Letn Park and Konopit. The carnivorous plant and animated sequences were created by Czech surrealist artist Jan vankmajer.
Plot
It is the turn from the nineteenth to the twentieth century. Countess Thun asked the famous New York detective Nick Carter to travel to Prague, for assistance to solve the strange case of a missing dog. Carter is assisted by Prague police commissar Ledvina. Mysterious murder cases happen during the investigations, done by the malicious botanist Baron von Kratzmar and his carnivorous plant Adela. Von Kratzmar kidnapped his victims, bound them and whenever he played a gramophone with the melody "Schlafe, mein Prinzchen" (a lullaby by Bernhard Flies but previously associated with Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart) it is the time for Adela to awaken and eat her victims for dinner. Baron von Kratzmar considered himself a misjudged genius and wanted to take revenge on one of his former professors. He called himself "the Gardener" a notorious criminal, who Nick Carter thought had died in the swamps years ago. With the help of bizarre inventions, Ledvina and Carter succeed in catching von Kratzmar and delivering him to the legal authorities.
Cast
* Michal Doolomansk as Nick Carter
* Rudolf Hrunsk as Commissar Josef Ledvina
* Milo Kopeck as Baron Ruppert von Kratzmar
* Ladislav Peek as Biology professor Albn Boek
* Naa Konvalinkov as Kvtuka, Boek's granddaughter
* Vclav Lohnisk as Kratzmar's butler
* Kvta Fialov as Countess Thun
* Olga Schoberov as Karin
* Martin Rek as Police director Franz von Kaunitz
* Karel Effa as Criminal
* Frantiek Nmec as Nick Carter (voice)
* Libue vormov as Karin (voice)
* Gene Deitch as Larry Matejka (voice)
Reception
The film was positively received by both domestic and foreign critics. Sheila Benson wrote in Los Angeles Times: "This spoof on detective Nick Carter is crammed with invention, wit of the highest order, exquisite tongue-in-cheek performances and all the art noveau wonders in Prague." Seattle Times favorably compared Lipsk to Mel Brooks.
Awards and nominations
*1980: Saturn Award for Best Foreign Film
*1980: Saturn Award Nomination for Best Fantasy Film
The film was also selected as the Czechoslovak entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 51st Academy Awards, but was not accepted as a nominee.Margaret Herrick Library, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
See also
* 'The Mysterious Castle in the Carpathians'
* List of submissions to the 51st Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film
* List of Czechoslovak submissions for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
References
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