Panther Waits at 5.30 p.m.

In this crime feature for a young audience, gangs in which decent teenage boys could be led astray by their older peers became a target of criticism for experienced director Josef Pinkava. After a disagreement with his father, the protagonist of the 1971 film, lonely Petr, finds himself in exactly that type of situation. A boy nicknamed the “Panther”, who “earns money” through theft and trickery becomes a role model for both the insecure Petr (given the nickname of the “Jackal”) and his little friend Fenek. After Petr sees through the gang and tries to leave its ranks, the Panther starts blackmailing him. Fortunately, the hero has friends who will not let him down… Amid the young cast of this didactic feature, Jan Hrušínský shines as the malevolent Panther, dressed in the stylish garb of a hooligan. However, the then innocent-looking 16-year-old actor delivered more convincing early performances in Dívka na koštěti (The Girl on the Broom, 1971) and Babička (Granny, 1971).