Broiled Squabs

(Pieczone gołąbki)


1966   >   musical comedy

A film by Tadeusz Chmielewski, the key comedy director in the Polish cinematography, scriptwriter and film producer as well as laureate of the Platinum Lions for his lifetime achievements awarded at the Polish Feature Film Festival in Gdynia in 2015.

Witty and catchy songs composed by Jerzy Matuszkiewicz (music) and Wojciech Młynarski (lyrics).

A comedy rendition of a production film.

Leopold Król works at the pumping station in Warsaw where he holds an untypical position; singing and playing the guitar he prevents the team from falling asleep. One day the secretary entrusts him with a difficult task. The poet is to ensure the results of the worst team in the enterprise improve. At the beginning the lazy, nasty and irresponsible laborers pick on their new colleague, however, when thanks to him they get praised and others thank them for their work, they change their attitude to work. Leopold can also be pleased – he not only gets an allotment for a much desired flat but he also meets the girl of his dreams.

„Pieczone gołąbki”, despite the absurd humor and slapstick-type solutions touch upon important and up-to-date issues – housing problems and the falling work ethos.

The chase sequence, which besides parody and grotesque used also trick photography may be associated by a contemporary viewer with the iconic runaway scenes from the „Benny Hill” series.

„Gruba Kaśka” – Warsaw pumping station where the main character works, operates until this day. Chmielewski managed to shoot a part of his picture inside the facility.

 


Crew:

director
Tadeusz Chmielewski
script
Tadeusz Chmielewski
d.o.p.
Jerzy Stawicki
designer
Bolesław Kamykowski
editor
Janina Niedźwiecka
music
Jerzy Matuszkiewicz
cast
Krzysztof Litwin, Magdalena Zawadzka,
Jerzy Karaszkiewicz, Wacław Kowalski,
Adam Mularczyk, Henryk Bąk
Materials: SD
Length: 90’

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