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1-50 of 586
- Actor
- Production Designer
Though born in Czechoslovakia, actor Karel Stepanek was generally regarded as a German actor due to his extensive film work in Germany (as Karl Stepanek) in the years before World War II. Stepanek fled to England in 1940, where, like many European refugee actors, he specialized in portraying Teutonic villains. He tried to stay away from out-and-out Nazi roles, but his predilection for wearing black uniforms and barking out guttural commands left little doubt as to the political preferences of Stepanek's screen characters. One of his most typical characterizations could be found in the 1946 POW drama, The Captive Heart; Stepanek also registered well as a friendlier foreigner in The Fallen Idol (1949). Commuting between London and Hollywood, Karel Stepanek continued to fight World War II, usually on the wrong side, into such '60s films as Sink the Bismarck! (1960), I Aim at the Stars (1960) and Operation Crossbow (1965).- Actress
- Additional Crew
- Soundtrack
Libuse Safránková was born on 7 June 1953 in Brno, Czechoslovakia [now Czech Republic]. She was an actress, known for Kolya (1996), Bájecná léta pod psa (1997) and Three Wishes for Cinderella (1973). She was married to Josef Abrhám. She died on 9 June 2021 in Prague, Czech Republic.- Actor
- Writer
- Director
A portly, somewhat grubby and bohemian-looking character star, Hugo Haas was one of the most celebrated Czech actors back in the 30s, a comic star who only grew in stature as he delved creatively into writing, directing and producing. The Nazi invasion forced him to leave his beloved country and come to the United States. Like a fish out of water, he had to start small. Beginning as an announcer on US broadcasts to the Eastern Europe underground, he also offered his talents as a narrator of propaganda films.
After the war, Haas revitalized his acting career with flashy, thick-accented support roles, often as a slick, seedy villain in lavish costumers. He enjoyed a certain amount of popularity and with the money he made, he began financing his own independent films in the 50s, taking total creative control with almost a Svengali-like obsession.
This time around, however, there was little of the adulation he had reaped so easily back in his homeland. With such lurid titles as Pickup (1951), Thy Neighbor's Wife (1953), and Bait (1954), these vehicles smacked hard of sensationalism and he and his films were generally dismissed. Many were badly acted and obviously cheap and cheesy in production values. A recurring "Blue Angel"-styled theme appeared in many of Hugo's starring vehicle whereas an older respectable man was seduced and ruined by the charms of a much younger hussy (blonde, busty bombshells such as Cleo Moore, Beverly Michaels, and (former "Miss Universe") Carol Morris.
Haas' reputation was so tainted by these so-called vanity projects that he was quickly dubbed the "foreign Ed Wood", which was unfair given his earlier reputation. Haas was planning to return to his native land in 1968 when the Russians seized control. Profoundly disheartened and depressed by the current state of affairs in his country, the homesick actor, who also suffered from an asthmatic condition, died shortly after of heart failure. He should be better remembered today than he is. He is solid proof that Hollywood has a way of sometimes robbing a person of his artistic creativity or integrity.- Actor
- Soundtrack
Pavel Kríz was born on 18 April 1961 in Brno, Czechoslovakia [now Czech Republic]. He is an actor, known for Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (2011), Last Knights (2015) and Jak svet prichází o básníky (1982).- Leopoldine Konstantin was born on 12 March 1886 in Brünn, Moravia, Austria-Hungary [now Brno, Czech Republic]. She was an actress, known for Notorious (1946), Lola Montez (1918) and Die Insel der Seligen (1913). She was married to Geza Herczeg and Alexander Strakosch. She died on 14 December 1965 in Hietzing, Vienna, Austria.
- Miroslava Safránková was born on 11 June 1958 in Brno, Czechoslovakia. She is an actress, known for Arabela se vrací (1993), The Little Mermaid (1976) and Romance za korunu (1975).
- Music Department
- Composer
- Writer
Erich Wolfgang Korngold was the son of a well-known music critic. A child prodigy, he accompanied his father in playing four-handed piano arrangements by the age of five. By the age of eleven he drew his first plaudits from enthusiastic Viennese audiences (including the emperor Franz Josef) with his ballet-pantomime "Der Schneeman" (The Snow Man). Two years later, he wrote a piano sonata which was performed by Artur Schnabel. Korngold composed his first orchestral piece at 14 and attracted the attention of Richard Strauss, Gustav Mahler and many other prominent composers and conductors. In 1920, he conducted the Hamburg Opera performing his seminal work "Die tote Stadt" which became a huge international success. Thus embarked upon a promising career as a serious composer, Korngold was invited to the United States by Max Reinhardt to score A Midsummer Night's Dream (1935) -- and decided to stay. He was certainly grateful for the chance to escape Adolf Hitler's annexation of Austria. In 1943, Korngold became an American citizen.
Korngold was the first composer of international renown to be signed by Hollywood despite having no prior experience with film music. His approach to the medium was predominantly theatrical and operatic (he once described Tosca as "the best film score ever written"). A master of technique, credited with "inventing" the syntax of orchestral film music, he composed at the piano with projectionists running reels at his behest. Often, he worked in conjunction with the orchestra of Hugo Friedhofer who became his closest collaborator. Under contract to Warner Brothers from 1935 to 1947, Korngold picked up Academy Awards for Anthony Adverse (1936) and The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938). His stirring and string-laden scores were ideally suited for such high-octane Errol Flynn swashbucklers as Captain Blood (1935) and The Sea Hawk (1940). In the final analysis, other notable film composers, including even the great Max Steiner, admitted to being influenced by Korngold's work. His 1937 violin concerto which used various elements from his film music became one of the most prolifically performed classical concerts of the 20th century.
Korngold would have longed to resume his career as a serious composer. However, after the war ended, he found that the world of serious music had passed him by. In 1949, he returned to Vienna with his wife but found the city in ruins and much changed. A year later, disillusioned, he moved back to his home in the Toluca Lake district in North Hollywood. During the final ten years of his life he composed almost exclusively for concert halls. In 1956, he suffered a stroke which left him partially paralysed and he died a year later at the age of 60 from a heart attack.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Alena Mihulová was born on 4 May 1965 in Brno, Czechoslovakia [now Czech Republic]. She is an actress, known for Home Care (2015), Anthropoid (2016) and About a Father (2017). She was previously married to Karel Kachyna.- Actress
Martina Smuková was born in 1974 in Brno, Czechoslovakia [now Czech Republic]. She is an actress, known for xXx (2002), The Vampire Wedding (1993) and Pohádky pro Emu (2016).- Actor
- Soundtrack
Jirí Dvorák was born on 4 February 1967 in Brno, Czechoslovakia [now Czech Republic]. He is an actor, known for The Spooks (2016), Jménem krále (2009) and Lída Baarová (2016). He was previously married to Barbora Munzarová.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Generally people tend to misunderstand Yana as a person of East Indian origin - she is actually European, a citizen of the Czech Republic.
A Taurus, Yana was born on April 23rd, 1979 in Brno. She has a natural beauty, enhanced by peaches and cream complexion, drop-dead gorgeous looks, a stunning figure, and a statuesque height of 5' 8" - ingredients that are guaranteed to sweep men completely off their feet.
Hand-in-hand with her physical charms is unrivaled intellect, and a knowledge of English, Czech, Hindi, Spanish, and Japanese.
Yana started modeling in the mid-1990s and did rouse considerable curiosity due to her unique last name, and her European looks.
Mothwithstanding her current location, Yana has been to almost every corner of the world including Milan, Paris Vienna, Munich, Hamburg, Prague, Tokyo, just to name a few.
She has modeled for high profiled clients such Calvin Klein, Victoria's Secret, Toyota, Honda, Sony, and cosmetic products such as Nivea, Rexona, Shuemura, & Shisheido
After graduating in Park Architecture and Gardening, she left for Japan, where she modeled for a considerable period of time. Her restless spirit then took her to India. She acquired her last name, when she fell in love and married Satyakam Gupta, and re-located to Pune, Maharashtra, India.
After her marriage, she continued her modeling stints in Mumbai with Limca, MTV, Lakme, and made her entry into Bollywood with an item in 'Dum'. Since then she has appeared in two Telegu one Tamil one Kannad movie, and another Bollywood movie 'Ek Ajnabee' opposite Arjun Rampal.
Amongst her interests and hobbies are playing the piano, the flute, dancing, aerobics, health, fitness, and computers. She is a vegetarian.
She is the TV Anchor of a musical countdown show on Zoom TV, and was named as the Lakme new face of the year, replacing model-actress, Lisa Ray. She has signed up with Indiagames and will be featured in their future ventures, which will include games, puzzles, etc..
Although she is now divorced, she does plan to remain in India, where she will be launching her very own album in English. After the completion of this project, Yana may consider entering Bollywood movies.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Ladislava Kozderková was born on 26 June 1949 in Brno, Czechoslovakia [now Czech Republic]. She was an actress, known for Trhák (1981), Hodinárova svatební cesta korálovým morem (1979) and Neco je ve vzduchu (1981). She was married to Vlastimil Bedrna and Richard Kubernat. She died on 17 November 1986 in Prague, Czechoslovakia [now Czech Republic].- Actress
- Soundtrack
Dagmar Havlová was born on 22 March 1953 in Brno, Czechoslovakia [now Czech Republic]. She is an actress, known for Hríchy pro diváky detektivek (1995), Vlastníci (2019) and Leaving (2011). She was previously married to Václav Havel and Radvít Novák.- Petra Buckova
An actress with a wild temperament and a wide scale of facets - from crazy slapstick through irony and satire to the realms of tragedy. Having grown up in the South Bohemian town of Tabor and reaching the height of 174 centimetres (or 5 feet 8½ inches), she deemed that satisfactory and left home to pursue her calling. She was selected from many candidates to study acting at the Janacek Academy of Performing Arts (JAMU) the first year she applied, even though she could barely fit in the door back then. Over the course of the first semester, she lost 10 kilograms thanks to singing, acrobacy, ballet and karate, gradually morphing into the shape that we know nowadays.
Graduate of the PADI diving course, she is equally unafraid to dive into the depths of the characters she embodies. She starred in the mini-series Jitrni zare (Morning Glow) and the streaming thriller #martyisdead, which became the first-ever Czech series to win an International Emmy. She was also a notable presence as a supporting actress in numerous Czech TV series and films including Uzly a pomerance (Scent of Orange).
With stuntsmen she trains shooting in order to kill or pursue criminals in Czech crime series such as Hlava Meduzy (Head of Medusa), Vrazdy v kruhu (The Zodiac Murders), Polda (The Cop), Specialiste (Specialists) or Sefka (Boss), while also having enjoyed some bubbles of the soap opera Ordinace v ruzove zahrade (Surgery in the Rose Garden).
Living in Prague and married to an Austrian, she knows no communication barriers. She has mastered several languages and often puts them to use in international film and TV productions. She has utilised her English in Haunted (Netflix), Carnival Row (Amazon) or The Wheel of Time, with American filmmakers often casting her as Jewish heroines in the dark times of WWII. She acted in German in Decision Game (Amazon) and Home Is Here, her French was heard in Totems (Amazon).
Following her studies at JAMU, she went on to be an ensemble member of various high-profile theaters, such as the Petr Bezruc Theatre in Ostrava or the Goose on a String Theatre in Brno, before finally joining the Balustrade Theatre in Prague, the very theatre linked inseparably to Vaclav Havel. She is currently starring there as Marianne in Persony (Personas) based on the works of Ingmar Bergman, following notable classic roles which have included starring parts in Macbeth, Othello (performed in the English original) or The Cherry Orchard.
With utmost joy she often records audio books, being an avid lover of the microphone that won't forgive anything fake. Her voice can be heard in Lady Chatterley's Lover (D. H. Lawrence), Winesburg, Ohio (S. Anderson) or The Hours (M. Cunningham). She has been nominated twice for Neviditelný herec (Invisible Actor), the Czech radio acting award.
A femme fatale in the Eva Green style at first glance, Petra Buckova can also be quite a monster, swiftly becoming any role from a screaming child to a sleazy ravisher of innocent girls. Whatever wildness she has in her, she is also able to tame it whenever needed, having portrayed an uptight school teacher and other austere parts.
Her principal work method is empathy. She can tone into the frequency of others, which also allowed her to spend twelve years as part of the Czech team of hospital clowns, a work requiring an extensive sense of empathy. - Petr Simcák was born on 4 July 2001 in Brno, Czech Republic. He is an actor, known for To See the Sea (2014), Die Himmelsleiter (2015) and Crossing Lines (2013).
- Milan Kundera was born on April 1st 1929 in Brno, Czechoslovakia. He wrote his first poems during his high school years. After World War II he worked as a jazz musician before going to college. He studied music, film and literature at university in Prague. He moved on to become a professor at the film faculty of the Prague Academy of Performing Arts. He also published poems, essays and stage plays. In the same period of time he joined the editorial staff at the literature magazines "Literarni noviny" and "Listy". Kundera joined the Communist Party in 1948, as many other Czech intellectuals did at that time. In 1950 he got expelled from the Party because of "individualistic tendencies".
After graduation in 1952 he was appointed lecturer in world literature at the Film Academy. He joined the Communist Party once again and stayed on from 1956 to 1970. In 1953 he published his first book of poems. Kundera got known after collections of poems through his three volumes "Laughable Loves", written and published between 1958 and 1968. In his first novel, "The Joke" from 1967, he dealt with Stalinism. After the Soviet invasion in the spring of 1968 Kundera lost his permission to teach and his books were removed from all public libraries in the country.
Kundera moved to France and became a guest professor at the University of Rennes in 1975. In 1979 he was deprived of his Czechoslovakian citizenship by the government as a reaction to his "Book of Laughter and Forgetting".
The following novels were not allowed to be published in Czechoslovakia. Since 1981 he is a French citizen. During his years in France he has also written material in French. He resides in Paris with his wife, Vera Hrabankova. - Petra Spalková was born on 21 February 1975 in Brno, Czechoslovakia [now Czech Republic]. She is an actress, known for Ice Mother (2017), Jako nikdy (2013) and Shadow Country (2020). She is married to Miloslav Tichý. They have two children.
- Costume Designer
- Writer
- Production Designer
Ester Krumbachová was born on 12 November 1923 in Brno, Czechoslovakia [now Czech Republic]. She was a costume designer and writer, known for Vrazda ing. Certa (1970), Valerie and Her Week of Wonders (1970) and Daisies (1966). She was married to Jan Nemec, Slavicek Pisarik and Jaroslav Kucera. She died on 13 January 1996 in Prague, Czech Republic.- Simona Zmrzlá was born on 25 July 1989 in Brno, Czechoslovakia [now Czech Republic]. She is an actress, known for Hastrman (2018), Nobody Likes Me and The Fury (2016).
- Director
- Writer
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Fenar Ahmad was born on 13 February 1981 in Brno, Czechoslovakia. He is a director and writer, known for Darkland (2017), Megaheavy (2010) and Valhalla: The Legend of Thor (2019).- Eduard Cupák was born on 10 March 1932 in Brno, Czechoslovakia. He was an actor, known for Mladá léta (1953), Paleta lásky (1976) and Náhrdelník (1992). He died on 23 June 1996 in Prague, Czech Republic.
- Aleksandr Golovin was born on 13 January 1989 in Brno, Czechoslovakia. He is an actor, known for Bastards (2006), The Heritage of Love (2016) and Klyovny ulove.
- Monika Malácová was born on 9 April 1959 in Brno, Czechoslovakia [now Czech Republic]. She is an actress, known for Hostel: Part II (2007), Bozí pole s.r.o. (2007) and The Labyrinth (2015).
- Robert Ritter was born on 28 October 1973 in Brno, Czechoslovakia. He is an actor, known for Fugitives (2011), The Silence (2021) and Daydreamer (2015).
- Pavel Reznícek was born on 11 October 1966 in Brno, Czechoslovakia [now Czech Republic]. He is an actor, known for Anthropoid (2016), Serena (2014) and Circus Bukowsky (2013).