Ball Lightning () is a 1979 Czechoslovak comedy film. The screenplay was written by ZdenÃÂk SvÃÂrák, Ladislav Smoljak and ZdenÃÂk Podskalský and the film was directed by Smoljak and Podskalský. Rudolf Hruà ¡ÃÂnský plays the starring role and is joined in the cast by others including Josef Abrhám, Daniela Koláà Âová, and Zita Kabátová.
On the request of Prague families wanting to move, Dr. Radosta organizes a twelve-apartment swap he dubbed "Ball Lightning" because of its necessary speed. He is assisted by the psychologist Mr. Knotek and by Ing. SeverÃÂn, who acts a quick messenger as he is the only one with a reliable car.
In order to be able to carry out the "biggest event in the history of moving", as he describes it, Dr. Radosta doesn't think twice to move the wedding of Mr. Flieger and Mrs. Opatrná to a different date and place, as the two need to be married before the swap due to legal reasons. Because of that, Mr. Knotek must stand for the groom's original best man and is then caught up in the wedding celebrations. Those end with a nightly moving exercise organized by drunk Mr. Knotek himself, who ends up sleeping at a flat of the Pivoà Âka family. This frustrates inspector Drahota, who then thinks of abandoning the project. Dr. Radosta manages to talk him out of it and forces Mr. Knotek to apologize in person to all involved.
Further complications are caused by Ms. Jechová, who is supposed to move into the flat of Mr. Knotek and his family. She first complains about the lack of a laundry room in the apartment block, even wanting to keep the washing machine of the Knotek family, and then criticizes the cellar coal storage, forcing Mr. Knotek to swap cellars with the unpopular neighbour Klabouch, a deed which involves him moving all of Klabouch's coal. Surprisingly, though, she praises the attic. In the end, however, it seems she might actually ruin the whole ordeal, as she decides against moving at the very last moment, unable to part with the flat she lived with her now deceased husband in. In the end, however, she allows is convinced by Dr. Radosta, who vividly describes how much she would have to pay for the caused damages.
Yet another problem appears at the very end, as the opera master BÃÂlek appears to have died; since the apartment swap would not be valid had a participant not moved voluntary, Dr. Radosta elects to keep his death a secret until his body is moved into his new apartment, making it seem he did indeed move voluntarily and only passed after the fact. However, Dr. JeÃÂný was promised an antique couch of Mr. BÃÂlek which he agreed to give out when he moves into Dr. JeÃÂný's former apartment. Dr. Radosta eventually decides to tell Dr. JeÃÂný the truth, but it is discovered the couch Mr. BÃÂlek's body was kept in was swapped with a similar looking one belonging to Mr. Flieger and Mrs. Opatrná. They rush to where the second couch had been moved so that no one else can uncover the duvets, but it is revealed that Mr. BÃÂlek did not actually die and was merely fast asleep after packing all night; in the end, then, the entire twelve apartments swap was therefore successful.
During the closing credits, we see Dr. Radosta is planning another swap, this time with twenty-four apartments, under the name "Ball Lightning II"; the names on the diagram actually belong to the crew members.