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Current AffairsNew documentary depicts actor Jiří Voskovec’s life in US
A new documentary that will premiere in Czech cinemas next week depicts the
lesser known part of the life of the Czech-born actor Jiří (or George)
Voskovec. In his homeland, he is best known as the co-founder and co-star
of Prague’s pre-war avant-garde theatre troupe, the Liberated Theatre.
Having spent the war in exile in New York, Jiří Voskovec again moved to
the US after the 1948 communist takeover of Czechoslovakia. The new film,
entitled My Father George Voskovec, follows his daughter Gigi retracing her
father’s life, from the difficult beginnings through his career on
Broadway and in Hollywood, to his passing away in 1981, at the age of 76.
Jan Richter saw the documentary and spoke to its director, Libuše
Rudinská. More
Czechs in HistoryJiří (George) Voskovec – the Czech theatrical pioneer who carved out a Cold-War career in Hollywood
This edition of Czechs in History looks at the life and career of Jiří
Voskovec, one half of the legendary Czech duo Voskovec and Werich, whose
work at the “Liberated Theatre” or Osvobozené Divadlo in the 1920s and
30s left an indelible mark on Czech culture. More
From the ArchivesJaroslav Ježek in defence of jazz in 1934
The theme tune for this series is from a song called Aesop and the Ant, and
it was composed by one of the legends of twentieth century Czech music.
Jaroslav Ježek died in wartime exile in New York at the age of just 35. He
is best known for the songs he composed for the famous pre-war satirical
cabaret, the Liberated Theatre, and he was also one of the pioneers of
Czech jazz, fearlessly crossing the borders between popular and classical
music. In November 1934, the young composer – he was 28 at the time -
came into the radio and talked about jazz. More
Czech BooksAn interview with the best loved of all Czech actors
For this week’s programme, we have something of a treat: a long forgotten
interview from our archives with someone who is nothing less than a Czech
legend. If you ask just about anyone in this country who is the best loved
Czech actor of all time, you will almost certainly hear the name Jan
Werich. Several generations of Czechs have grown up to love the
larger-than-life roles he played, his distinctive and deep voice, and his
wonderfully expressive and humorous face, immortalized in films that span a
career of fifty years. Born in 1905, Werich first shot to fame in the late
1920s, when he joined forces with his friend and fellow actor, Jiří
Voskovec and the composer Jaroslav Ježek. Their satirical left-wing
musical cabaret, the Osvobozené divadlo, or Liberated Theatre, was
immensely popular in the decade leading up to the Second World War, and its
songs are much loved to this day. More
Current AffairsNew exhibit at Café Slavia captures four decades in the life of the great Czech actor Jan Werich
A new photo exhibition at Prague’s Café Slavia depicts four decades in
the life of the great Czech actor, playwright, and comic Jan Werich. The
exhibit, entitled “Jan Werich and Friends” opened on Tuesday, and
features photos from private collections that have taken years to put
together. More
SoundCzechTroubles with svízel
Hello and welcome to Soundczech, Radio Prague’s signature series in which
you can learn some interesting Czech phrases while listening to a song.
Today, we’ll hear a modern cover version by the band Lucie of the 1933
song Klobouk ve křoví, or The Hat in the Bushes, originally composed for
a theatre play by Jaroslav Ježek, Jiří Voskovec and Jan Werich. The
phrase to listen for is mít svízel.
More
Czech BooksAn interview with the best loved of all Czech actors
For this week’s programme, we have something of a treat: a long forgotten
interview from our archives with someone who is nothing less than a Czech
legend. If you ask just about anyone in this country who is the best loved
Czech actor of all time, you will almost certainly hear the name Jan
Werich. Several generations of Czechs have grown up to love the
larger-than-life roles he played, his distinctive and deep voice, and his
wonderfully expressive and humorous face, immortalized in films that span
a
career of fifty years. Born in 1905, Werich first shot to fame in the late
1920s, when he joined forces with his friend and fellow actor, Jiří
Voskovec and the composer Jaroslav Ježek. Their satirical left-wing
musical cabaret, the Osvobozené divadlo, or Liberated Theatre, was
immensely popular in the decade leading up to the Second World War, and
its
songs are much loved to this day. More
Music ProfileV+W+J - three letters that changed the history of Czech music
In this month's Music Profile, we go back in time to the 1930s and the
Liberated Theatre, where political satire and dadaist cabaret collided
head
on to a soundtrack of the latest scorching hot American jazz and blues.
The
music: near-blind piano virtuoso & composer Jaroslav Ježek. The
words:
avant garde merry pranksters Jan Werich and Jiří Voskovec. Tune in to
Music Profile to find out more. More
Czechs in HistoryJiří (George) Voskovec – the Czech theatrical pioneer who carved out a Cold-War career in Hollywood
This edition of Czechs in History looks at the life and career of Jiří
Voskovec, one half of the legendary Czech duo Voskovec and Werich, whose
work at the “Liberated Theatre” or Osvobozené Divadlo in the 1920s
and
30s left an indelible mark on Czech culture. More
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