The Firemen's Ball

"A colorful comedy, in which people dance, steal and extinguish the fire."

1967 1h 13m CS

👍

7.1

SOLID

🔥

91%

CERTIFIED FRESH

⭐

7.4

IMDB

★7.1TMDB · 266🍅91%Rotten Tomatoes★7.4IMDB · 12,566

Comedy

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

The firemen of a provincial Czechoslovakian town throw a ball in honor of the old chief's retirement. There will be music and dancing, a beauty pageant and a raffle. The whole town will be in attendance. However, the proceedings are dogged by difficulty at every step. Workplace injuries, stolen prizes, a shortage of pretty girls... and fire.

“A colorful comedy, in which people dance, steal and extinguish the fire.”

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Cast

Jan Vostrčil
Head of Committee
Josef Šebánek
Committee Member
František Debelka
Committee Member
Josef Valnoha
Committee Member
Ladislav Adam
Committee Member
Vratislav Čermák
Committee Member
Václav Novotný
Committee Member
František Paska
Committee Member

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Miloš Forman
Writers: Miloš Forman, Ivan Passer, Jaroslav Papoušek
Languages: Czech
Countries: Czechoslovakia, Italy

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Tight 73-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

59 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: Czechoslovakia, Italy.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Miloš Forman, shot by Miroslav Ondříček. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Karel Mareš. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Miroslav Hájek shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Jan Vostrčil and Josef Šebánek and František Debelka carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "A colorful comedy, in which people dance, steal and extinguish the fire.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Miloš Forman directs. Miroslav Ondříček behind the camera. Karel Mareš scores. Miroslav Hájek cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Czechoslovakia, Italy. Dialogue in Czech.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Tight 73-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
259 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3International production across 2 countries: Czechoslovakia, Italy.
4Directed by Miloš Forman, shot by Miroslav Ondříček. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Karel Mareš. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Miroslav Hájek shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Jan Vostrčil and Josef Šebánek and František Debelka carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "A colorful comedy, in which people dance, steal and extinguish the fire.".
9IMDB entry: tt0061781 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Released under 18 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Miroslav Ondříček
Original score: Karel Mareš
Editing: Miroslav Hájek
Production design: Karel Černý
Costume design: Zdena Šnajdarová
Makeup / hair: Rudolf Hammer
Runtime: 73 min · 1h 13m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Original language: CS
IMDB: The Firemen's Ball (1967)
Rotten Tomatoes: 91% 🍅 Fresh
IMDB rating: 7.4/10 · 12,566 votes
MPAA: Not Rated

Awards

Nominated for 1 Oscar. 1 nomination total

Also by

Miloš Forman

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Selected frames

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Trailers & featurettes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

deepkino2025-09-26
★ 7/10
Miloš Forman's final film in the Czech language is a pure critique of bureaucracy. Set entirely at a banquet honoring a dying, 86-year-old former fire chief, it masterfully depicts the event's descent into fiasco. The film exposes the decay of Czechoslovak society and its so-called socialism, making the audience smile and even laugh, all without ever compromising its sharp comedic edge. It is a rare work that brilliantly critiques authority through humor.

Production companies