One of the most beloved Czechoslovak classic comedies of all time, featuring an ensemble cast of the era’s best actors, unforgettable jokes, and iconic catchphrases.

“Men About Town”, set in 1968, tells the story of a trio of married outdoor plasterers who decide to explore the mysteries of the nighttime metropolis. After a disastrous first experience in a luxury bar, they resolve to learn proper behaviour and even complete a course in social etiquette and dance. Beneath the surface of this light-hearted comedy, filled with countless comic moments, lies a subtle critique of the erosion of morals within Czechoslovak communist society.

SVETACI | Zdeněk Podskalský | 1969 | Czechoslovakia

DIRECTOR’S BIO 

Zdeněk Podskalský (1923-1993, Prague) studied at the humanities faculty of Charles University in 1945-49. In 1951 he transferred from FAMU to Moscow’s VGIK Film Academy. He started as a TV director and remained faithful to television for the entirety of his long film career, which began in 1957 with the feature comedy “Friday Morning”. A knack for comedy combined with a talent for period social atmosphere marked all of his best pictures, whether the Faustian “When the Woman Butts In” (1959), the love story “Never Strike a Woman…Even with a Flower” (1966), the crime comedy “My Dear Aunts and Me” (1974), the tragicomedy “Ball Lightning” (1978), or the comedy “The Christening Party” (1981). His interest in the musical genre was confirmed by “A Night at Karlstein” (1973) and “The Hit” (1980). He also wrote screenplays, theatre plays and directed for the stage.