Emil Radok facts for kids

Emil Radok (born May 22, 1918, in Koloděje nad Lužnicí; died January 7, 1994, in Montreal) was a talented Czech film director. He helped create a special multimedia show called Laterna Magika. This show was a big hit at the Czechoslovakia pavilion at Expo 67. Later, in 1968, he moved to Canada, where he lived until he passed away.

A Pioneer of Multimedia Shows

Emil Radok was a very creative person. He is best known for being one of the inventors of Laterna Magika. This was a new kind of show that combined live actors with projected films and images. It was like watching a play and a movie at the same time!

Laterna Magika at Expo 67

The Laterna Magika show was a huge success. It was a main attraction at the Czechoslovakia pavilion during Expo 67. Expo 67 was a big world's fair held in Montreal, Canada. People from all over the world were amazed by this new way of telling stories.

Creating Magic at Disney's EPCOT

One of Radok's biggest projects was a special "kinetic mosaic" he designed for Walt Disney Imagineering. This was for the Universe of Energy pavilion at Walt Disney World's EPCOT Center theme park. The park opened in 1982.

The Moving Screen

Radok created a film that was shown before the main attraction. This film was projected onto a giant screen, 90 feet wide! What made it special was that the screen wasn't flat. It was made of about 100 spinning, prism-shaped pieces. Each piece could turn on its own.

These pieces could form one big flat screen, or they could spin to create different patterns. They would show triangles, flat panels, or even black panels. All of this movement was perfectly matched with the changing film images. This made the screen look like it was moving and gave the film a unique "third dimension." The theater could hold 500 people.

While very innovative, the moving screens needed a lot of care. They were eventually replaced with regular movie screens in 1996.

Awards and Family

In 1987, Emil Radok received a special award in Canada. He won the Canadian Special Achievement Genie Award for his film Taming of the Demons. This film was mainly shown at Vancouver's Expo '86, another world's fair.

Emil Radok also had an older brother named Alfréd Radok (1914–1976). Alfréd was also a talented director and often worked with Emil.