Adela Has Not Had Supper Yet, a 1978 film from Oldřich Lipský, gives its viewers a transatlantic hall of mirrors effect. Through this film, we see how the Czechoslovakians see Americans seeing Czechoslovakians see Americans, etc. The Czech nobility, including Baron Rupert von Kratzmar (Miloš Kopecký), discuss Prague’s new, dashing visitor, Nick Carter (Michal Dočolomanský). Not the singer, the detective from the obscure book series. He’s in Prague to investigate a Countess’ lost dog, which somehow leads to him coming to the aid of Kvetuska (Nad’a Konvalinkova). He, with the help of Komisař Ledvina (Rudolf Hrušínský), investigates the people around the Countess and Kvetuska. All of this leads to Carter deducing that the Baron isn’t who he says he is and is actually someone he knows.

I keep returning to this film’s hall of mirrors effect, which every film probably has but it feels conspicuous here. Here, 1970s Czechoslovakia looks back at the late nineteenth century, when the Czechs were under Austrian rule. Maybe I’ll bring up politics on a larger scale, but maybe there are smaller things here speaking to micropolitics. For example, there’s Nick pointing out that the Baron may be dwarves, or ‘midgets,’ as his henchmen or spies. Yes, there’s a part of me the feels guilty as the film reveals the way it sees itself and ones considered other. Maybe that’s this film’s thrill, the gallows humour that isn’t too dated nor too politically incorrect for us today. Despite who Nick is up against, part of the fun in Adela Has Not Had Her Supper Yet is the cat and mouse.

Adela Has Not Had Her Supper Yet also follows a lot of the stylistic trends of some 1970s period films, but better. The score is very vaudevillian, reminding its viewers of the prurience of the turn of the twentieth century. This vaudevillian sensibility kicks in as Nick and Ledvina get closer to Baron von Kratzmar’s circle. One of these people include a noblewoman who does triple duty as a cabaret dancer and von Kratzmar’s spy. To get her talking, they threaten to cut up some of the costumes in her open closet, which seems problematic. But the film does this interrogation and all its scenes in a silly way. In general, it incorporates an over the top steampunk vibe. It is very of its time. But a few stylistic twists make it a completely unique experience, stupid but in the best way.

People needed to watch films for a laugh when Adela Has Not Had Her Supper Yet came out and they still do. I’m still not over the fact that our hero’s name is Nick Carter, deserving tbe just as famous as the one we know today. The film still delivers comedy even if it does have Baron von Kretzmar revealing himself to be Nick’s archnemesis.

This archnemesis, the Gardener, is, spoiler alert, using the power of hypnosis to get plants to eat and kill folks. What the film is showing off is its great hand at practical effects. They’re still better than the CGI monsters we have today. This leads to a standoff between Nick and the Gardener. Here, the mood is light but the stakes are high enough. This is a hidden gem of a film that does things its own way. And more people need to have this experience.

Adela Has Not Had Her Supper Yet comes to OVID.