Jan Werich facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jan Werich
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| Born |
Jan Křtitel František Serafínský Werich
6 February 1906 |
| Died | 31 October 1980 (aged 75) Prague, Czechoslovakia
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| Occupation | actor, playwright and writer |
Jan Werich (born February 6, 1905 – died October 31, 1980) was a famous Czech actor, writer, and playwright. He was known for his humor and smart plays, often working with his friend Jiří Voskovec. Together, they created many popular shows that made people laugh and think.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Jan Werich went to high school in Prague from 1916 to 1924. His future partner, Jiří Voskovec, also studied there. After high school, Jan Werich studied law at Charles University from 1924 to 1927. However, he left early to start his career in acting and writing. This decision led to one of the most important partnerships of his life.
His Amazing Career
Working in Theater
Jan Werich worked closely with Jiří Voskovec and the composer Jaroslav Ježek for over ten years. They created many plays together, especially at the Osvobozené divadlo (Liberated Theatre). Their shows often used humor to talk about political ideas. They were inspired by a style called Dada, which liked silly and unexpected things. This was a way to react against old-fashioned ideas and the sadness of World War I.
As World War II got closer, Czech theaters had to close. In 1938, Werich, Voskovec, and Ježek had to leave their home country. They went to the United States. Voskovec and Ježek stayed there for the rest of their lives. Jan Werich returned to Czechoslovakia five years later. He then started working with Miroslav Horníček. He also teamed up with the famous puppet artist Jiří Trnka to write new fairy tales. With Miroslav Horníček, he brought back many of the plays he had made with Voskovec. He updated them to fit the political times.
Acting in Films
Jan Werich acted in many films. One famous movie was Byl jednou jeden král (Once Upon a Time There Was a King), released in 1955. He had to make some changes to his films to please the Communist government at the time. The 1960s were a very successful time for Werich. He moved from one theater to another, always performing and creating.
He was even chosen to play a bad guy named Ernst Stavro Blofeld in a James Bond movie called You Only Live Twice in 1967. But when he arrived, the movie makers thought he looked too kind, like a "benevolent Santa Claus." They tried filming for a few days. However, they decided he wasn't scary enough for the role. So, they chose a different actor, Donald Pleasence, instead.
His Role in Politics
In 1968, Jan Werich signed a paper called 2000 Words. This paper asked for changes and more freedom in the country. After the Soviet invasion in 1968, he and his wife went to Vienna in Austria. Many other Czech people also left at that time. After thinking for a long time, he decided to go back home. He felt that his "home was his castle" and that he would not be able to work if he stayed abroad. He returned to Czechoslovakia in early 1969. He met Voskovec for the last time in Vienna in 1974. After returning, he had fewer chances to perform in public until he passed away in 1980. His last public show was in Prague in 1977.
Later, he did not sign another important paper called Charter 77. This paper was organized by Václav Havel and asked for human rights. However, Jan Werich faced pressure from the Communist government. To be able to work again, he publicly said he supported the government. He even went to meetings against Charter 77 and signed a paper against it. He later said he was tricked into signing and did not know what the paper was for.
His Passing
Jan Werich passed away on October 31, 1980. He was 75 years old.
A small planet, 2418 Voskovec-Werich, is named after him and George Voskovec. This was done by the person who discovered it, Luboš Kohoutek.
His Creative Works
Plays for the Stage
(Many of these were created with Jiří Voskovec)
- Vest Pocket Revue - 1927
- Smoking Revue - 1928
- Si pořádně zařádit (Having a Spree) - 1928
- Gorilla ex Machina - 1928
- Kostky jsou vrženy (The Dice are Cast) - 1929
- Premiéra skafandr (The Diving Suit) - 1929
- Líčení se odročuje (The Trial is Adjourned) - 1929
- Fata Morgana - 1929
- Ostrov Dynamit (Dynamite Island) - 1930
- Sever proti Jihu (North Against South) - 1930
- Don Juan and Co. - 1931
- Golem - 1931
- Caesar – 1932
- Robin zbojník (Robin Hood) - 1932
- Svět za mřížemi (A World Behind Bars) - 1933
- Osel a stín (Ass and Shadow) - 1933
- Slaměný klobouk (The Straw Hat) - 1933
- Kat a blázen (Executioner and Fool) - 1934
- Vždy s úsměvem (Keep Smiling) - 1934
- Panoptikum (The Wax Museum) - 1935
- Balada z hadrů – (Rag Ballad) - 1935
- Nebe na Zemi (Heaven on Earth) - 1936
- Rub a líc (Heads or Tails) - 1936
- Panorama - 1937
- Těžká Barbora – (Heavy Barbora) - 1937
- Pěst na oko – (A Fist in the Eye) - 1938
- Divotvorný hrnec - (The Wondermaking Pot) - 1946
Movies He Starred In
- Pudr a benzín – 1931 (Powder and Gas)
- Peníze nebo život – 1932 ((Your) Money or (Your) Life)
- U nás v Kocourkově – 1932 (In Our Kocourkov)
- Hej rup! – 1934 (Heave-ho)
- Svět patří nám – 1937 (The World Belongs to Us)
- Pád Berlína - 1949 (The Fall of Berlin)
- Císařův pekař a pekařův císař – 1951 (The Emperor and the Golem)
- Tajemství krve – 1953 (The Secret of Blood)
- Byl jednou jeden král – 1954 (Once Upon a Time There Was a King)
- Vzorný kinematograf Haška Jaroslava – 1955 (An Exemplary Cinematograph of Jaroslav Hašek)
- Hudba z Marsu – 1955 (Music from Mars)
- Stvoření světa – 1957 (The Creation of the World)
- Baron Prášil – 1961 (Baron Munchausen)
- Až přijde kocour – 1963 (The Cassandra Cat)
- Šest otázek pro Jana Wericha – 1964 (Six Questions for Jan Werich)
- Pan Tau a Claudie – 1970 (Mister Tau and Claudia)
- Muž, který rozdával smích – 1970 (The Man Who Spread Laughter)
- Pan Tau a cesta kolem světa – 1972 (Mister Tau and the Journey Around the World)
- Hledá se pan Tau – 1972 (Mister Tau Is Being Sought)
- Dva mrazíci (The Two Frosts)
TV Shows He Appeared In
- Medvěd – 1961 (The Bear)
- Slzy, které svět nevidí – 1962 (The Tears That the World Sees Not)
- Kočár nejsvětější svátosti – 1962 (The Carriage of the Most Holy Sacrament)
- Uspořená libra – 1964 (A Saved Pound)
- Král a žena – 1967 (The King and a Woman)
- Magnetické vlny léčí (Magnetic Waves Cure)
Books He Wrote
- Fimfárum - fairy tales for all ages
- Italské prázdniny (Italian Holiday)
- Potlach
- Falstaffovo babí léto
- Lincoln 1933
- Povídky nejen o psech - published after he passed away, a collection of stories.
