B-complex ft Jan Werich - Past Lessons For The Future
Early life
Between 1916 and 1924, Werich attended "reálné gymnasium" (equivalent to high school) in Křemencová Street in Prague (where his future partner, Jiří Voskovec, also studied). He studied law at the Charles University Law School from 1924 to 1927, from which he made an early departure to begin his artistic career and forge one of the most important partnerships of his life.
Theater
His collaboration with Jiří Voskovec and Jaroslav Ježek lasted for more than 10 years. Their partnership was a platform for their numerous left-wing political satires. The trio's work took inspiration from Dada, with its love of the absurd, a reaction against bourgeois values and the horrors of World War I.
In the years leading up to World War II and the closure of Czechoslovak theatres, Werich, Voskovec and Ježek were forced into exile in the United States in 1938, where Voskovec and Ježek remained for the rest of their lives. Werich returned to his homeland five years later, and started a partnership with Miroslav Horníček. He also worked with famous puppeteer Jiří Trnka to write modern fairy tales. With his new partner Miroslav Horníček at his side, he re-staged many of the plays he had created with Voskovec in the 1930s but set them in the political content specific to the time.
Film
Jan Werich appeared in such films as Byl jednou jeden král (English: Once Upon a Time There Was a King), which was released in 1955, and made many political compromises to appease the Communist censors. The 1960s were a peak in Werich's career. From the creation of the ABC Theatre he moved to the City Theatres of Prague and then to the Musical Theatre of Karlin and Nusle.
Werich was originally cast by producer Harry Saltzman to play Ernst Stavro Blofeld in the 1967 James Bond film You Only Live Twice. Upon his arrival at the Pinewood set, both producer Albert R. Broccoli and director Lewis Gilbert felt that he was a poor choice, resembling a "poor, benevolent Santa Claus". Nonetheless, in an attempt to make the casting work, Gilbert continued filming. After several days, both Gilbert and Broccoli determined that Werich was not menacing enough, and recast Blofeld with Donald Pleasence in the role.
Politics
Jan Werich signed the pro-reform manifesto 2000 Words in 1968. After the Soviet invasion of 1968, he and his wife immediately fled to Vienna along with many other Czechs at the time. After long deliberations he realized he had to go back, saying that his "home was his castle" and realizing that if he stayed abroad he would never work again. He returned to Czechoslovakia in early 1969. Werich met with Voskovec for the very last time in Vienna, Austria in 1974. He had limited opportunities to perform in public until his death in 1980. His last public appearance was in Prague's Lucerna in 1977.
He did not sign the Charter 77 proclamation, organized by Václav Havel, but in the end he succumbed to pressure from the Communist authorities and in order to be able to work again, publicly proclaimed his full loyalty to the regime, by attending "Anti-charta77" meetings and even signing a petition denouncing Charter 77. He later claimed he was tricked into signing and that he did not really know what his signature was for, as the original attendance document signed open entry was potentially substituted for a later "declaration of faith".
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 (script collaboration also with Adolf Hoffmeister)
Osel a stín (Ass and Shadow) - 1933
Slaměný klobouk (The Straw Hat) - 1933; based upon Labiche's The Italian Straw Hat
Kat a blázen (Executioner and Fool) - 1934; an anti-fascist work and critique (the German Embassy protested that this play insulted their head of state, and as a result, Werich and Voskovec were expelled from the theatre "U Nováků")
Vždy s úsměvem (Keep Smiling) - 1934
Panoptikum (The Wax Museum) - 1935
Balada z hadrů – (Rag Ballad) - 1935; draws from the works of François Villon.
Nebe na Zemi (Heaven on Earth) - 1936; based on Fletcher's The Spanish Curate
Rub a líc (Heads or Tails) - 1936; later made into the Svět patří nám film
Panorama - 1937
Těžká Barbora – (Heavy Barbora) - 1937; depicts a conflict between two fictional nations, Eidamští ("Edams") and Yberlandští ("Yberlanders"), the latter attacking the former, the former then employ two soldiers (Werich and Voskovec), that build a cheese canon (Těžká Barbora)
Pěst na oko – (A Fist in the Eye) - 1938; humans refuse to take a lesson from history and constantly repeat the same mistake
Divotvorný hrnec - (The Wondermaking Pot) - 1946; a musical comedy based on Finian's Rainbow by 'Yip' Harburg and Fred Saidy
Literary works
Fimfárum - fairy tales not only for children
Italské prázdniny (Italian Holliday)
Potlach
Falstaffovo babí léto
Lincoln 1933
Povídky nejen o psech - published posthumunously, a revival of his former wish to write a story book about dogs. There were not enough stories however and so it was renamed and other stories were added - some of them has been previously published and some are originals, from manuscripts and letters.
Filmography
Actor
1972
Pan Tau (TV Series) as
Pan Viola / Mr. Viola
- Pan Tau a tisíc kouzel (1972) - Pan Viola
- Pan Tau a taxikár (1972) - Mr. Viola
- Hledá se pan Tau (1972) - Mr. Viola
- Pan Tau v cirkusu (1972) - Pan Viola
- Pan Tau to zarídí (1972) - Pan Viola
- Pan Tau a cesta kolem sveta (1972) - Mr. Viola
- Pan Tau a Claudie (1972) - Pan Viola
1969
Nedele 1969 (Short) as
Narrator (voice)
1968
Klapzubova jedenáctka (TV Series) as
Vypravec
- To chce klid (1968)
- Jde se na to (1968) - Vypravec
1968
Assignment K as
Dr. Spiegler
1967
Král a zena (TV Movie) as
King Henry VIII
1967
The 25th Hour as
Sgt. Constantin
1965
Magnetické vlny lécí (TV Movie) as
Jeff Peters
1964
Drahý zesnulý (TV Movie) as
Dedecek
1964
Krik as
Narrator (voice)
1963
Usporená libra (TV Movie) as
Sam
1963
When the Cat Comes as
kastelán Oliva / kouzelník
1963
Slzy, které svet nevidí (Short) as
Lieutenant Colonel Fedor Rebrotesov
1962
Kocár nejsvetejsí svátosti (TV Movie) as
Don Andrés de Ribera - Viceroy of Peru
1962
The Fabulous Baron Munchausen as
Ship's Captain
1961
Medved (Short) as
Grigori Stepanovich Smirnov
1961
Italienisches Capriccio as
Don Marzio
1960
Balada z hadru (TV Movie) as
Holofern
1960
Stastný lev (Short) as
Narrator (voice)
1960
Tezká Barbora (TV Movie) as
Druhý zoldnér
1958
Tragédie vodníkova (Short) as
Singing Narrator (voice)
1958
La création du monde as
Narrator (Czech version)
1956
Vzorný kinematograf Haska Jaroslava as
Storyteller (voice)
1955
Hudba z Marsu as
Nadsený divák
1955
Psohlavci as
rychtár z Pocínovic
1955
There Was Once a King... as
King Já I. ("Myself, First")
1954
The Good Soldier Schweik as
Narrator
1953
Two Little Frosts (Short) as
Nebojacný mrazík (voice)
1953
Tajemství krve
1952
The Emperor and the Golem as
Rudolf II / pekar Matej
1951
The Golden Fish (Short) as
Narrator (voice)
1950
The Fall of Berlin as
Hermann Goering (as Y. Verikh)
1937
The World Is Ours as
Camlet
1934
U nás v Kocourkove as
Ferdinand Kaplan - Convict no. 1313
1934
Workers, Let's Go as
Jakub Simonides
1932
Powder and Petrol
1932
Your Money or Your Life as
Tonda
Writer
2014
Rehtacky (Short) (short story "Tri sestry a jeden prsten")
2012
Voskovec & Werich - paralelní osudy (TV Movie documentary) (letters)
2011
Fimfarum: The Third Time Lucky 3D (based on the book by)
2007
More, strýcku, proc je slané? (Short)
2006
Tri sestry a jeden prsten (Short)
2006
Fimfárum 2 (book "Fimfárum")
2002
Fimfárum Jana Wericha (book "Fimfárum")
1997
Rumplcimprcampr (TV Movie) (story)
1987
Lakomá Barka (Short) (story - book "Fimfárum")
1984
Kolobezka první (TV Movie) (story)
1984
The Three Veterans (book "Fimfárum") / (fairy tale)
1981
Královna Kolobezka I. (Short) (short story "Královna Kolobezka I.")
1981
Prisel na veceri (TV Movie) (adaptation)
1972
Slamený klobouk (play "Helenka je ráda" - uncredited)
1968
Prilozte zivotopis (TV Mini Series)
1967
Král a zena (TV Movie) (screenplay)
1963
Ostrov Dynamit (TV Movie) (play "Ostrov Dynamit") / (teleplay)
1963
Tri veteráni (TV Movie) (short story "Tri veteráni")
1963
Usporená libra (TV Movie) (dialogue)
1963
When the Cat Comes (screenplay and dialogue)
1962
Kocár nejsvetejsí svátosti (TV Movie)
1961
Zacátek konce (TV Movie)
1960
Balada z hadru (TV Movie) (play)
1960
Tezká Barbora (TV Movie) (play)
1958
Tragédie vodníkova (Short) (song)
1958
Helenchen ist glücklich (TV Movie) (writer)
1957
Slamený klobouk (TV Movie) (play "Helenka je ráda")
1955
There Was Once a King... (screenplay - dialogue)
1954
The Good Soldier Schweik (adaptation)
1953
Tajemství krve (writer)
1952
The Emperor and the Golem (screenplay) / (story)
1951
The Golden Fish (Short)
1937
The World Is Ours (play) / (screenplay)
1936
The Man of Stone (play - as Werich)
1934
Workers, Let's Go (screenplay)
1932
Powder and Petrol (play)
1932
Your Money or Your Life (play) / (screenplay) / (story)
Miscellaneous
1967
You Only Live Twice (body double: Blofeld character - uncredited)
Soundtrack
2019
The End of Dejvice Theatre (TV Mini Series) (lyrics - 1 episode)
- Smejdi (2019) - (lyrics: "Zivot je jen náhoda")
2019
LOVEhunt (lyrics: "Zivot je jen náhoda")
2017
Ceny Andel 2016 (TV Special) (lyrics: "Tri strázníci")
2017
Zahradnictví: Rodinný prítel (lyrics: "V dome strasí duch", "Proti vetru", "Zakázané ovoce") / (performer: "V dome strasí duch", "Proti vetru")