Josef Somr (14 April 1934 – 16 October 2022) was a Czech actor. He was noted for starring in the Oscar-winning 1966 film ''

Closely Watched Trains ''Closely Watched Trains'' ( cs, Ostře sledované vlaky) is a 1966 Czechoslovak film directed by Jiří Menzel and is one of the best-known products of the Czechoslovak New Wave. It was released in the United Kingdom as ''Closely Observed Trains' ...

'', as well as in '' The Joke''.

Early life

Somr was born in

Vracov Vracov () is a town in Hodonín District in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 4,500 inhabitants. Sights The main sight is the Church of Saint Lawrence. It was built in the 13th century. A Renaissance tower was added in ...

Czechoslovakia , rue, Чеськословеньско, , yi, טשעכאסלאוואקיי, , common_name = Czechoslovakia , life_span = 1918–19391945–1992 , p1 = Austria-Hungary , image_p1 ...

, on 14 April 1934. He studied at the

Janáček Academy of Music and Performing Arts The Janáček Academy of Music and Performing Arts ( cs, Janáčkova akademie múzických umění v Brně; abbreviation in Czech: JAMU) is a public university with an artistic focus in Brno, Czech Republic. It was established in 1947 and consi ...

, graduating in 1956.

Career

Somr started his acting career at various regional theatres, before becoming a part of

The Drama Club The Drama Club (Czech: ''Činoherní klub'') is a theatre located in Prague. The Drama Club was founded by Ladislav Smoček and Jaroslav Vostrý. The opening performance of ''Piknik'' took place on 3 March 1965. The actors in the 1970s and 1980 ...

Prague Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 million people. The city has a temperate ...

. There, he received roles in productions directed by Ladislav Smocek,

Jan Kačer Jan Kačer (born 3 October 1936) is a Czech actor and film director. He appeared in more than sixty films since 1960. Life He studied acting at DAMU. He was an actor and a director in The Drama Club and later Theatre on the Balustrade. Kačer ...

, and

Jiří Menzel Jiří Menzel () (23 February 1938 – 5 September 2020) was a Czech film director, theatre director, actor, and screenwriter. His films often combine a humanistic view of the world with sarcasm and provocative cinematography. Some of these films ...

. He began acting in films starting in the mid-1960s, making his film debut in ''

Accused Accused or The Accused may refer to: * A person suspected with committing a crime or offence; see Criminal charge ** Suspect, a known person suspected of committing a crime * The Accüsed, a 1980s Seattle crossover thrash band *''The Accused'', a ...

'' (1964). His following role saw him play the libidinous train dispatcher Hubička in ''

'' by Menzel. Film critic John Simon described Somr's performance as "so spontaneous, unconcerned, and complete … that it affects our entire sensorium – finger tips, nostrils, and palate no less than eyes and ears". The film won the

Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film The Academy Award for Best International Feature Film (known as Best Foreign Language Film prior to 2020) is one of the Academy Awards handed out annually by the U.S.-based Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is given to a ...

in April 1968. Somr subsequently played scientist Ludvík Jahn in the lead role of '' The Joke'' (1969) by

Jaromil Jireš Jaromil Jireš (10 December 1935 – 24 October 2001) was a director associated with the Czechoslovak New Wave movement. His 1963 film '' The Cry'' was entered into the 1964 Cannes Film Festival. It is often described as the first film of the Cze ...

. He went on to feature in ''

Poslední propadne peklu ''Poslední propadne peklu'' is a Czech adventure film directed by Ludvík Ráža. It was released in 1982. Cast * Michaela Kudláčková as Magdalena * Ivan Vyskočil as Matous Psík * Bruno Oja as Hoff * Luděk Munzar as Vanek * Josef Ka ...

'' under director

Ludvík Ráža Ludvík Ráža (3 October 1929, in Mukachevo – 4 October 2000, in Prague) was a Czechoslovak film director. He directed the film ''Poslední propadne peklu'' in 1982. References External links

* 1929 births 2000 deaths 20th-century C ...

in 1982. According to Michal Bregant – who headed the

Czech Film Archive The National Film Archive (, abb. NFA) is a film archive located in Prague, Czech Republic The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to t ...

– Somr preferred acting in theatre, despite having roles in over 170 films. This was because he disliked revealing his face in profile, which was captured more easily on camera. He joined the National Theatre drama ensemble in 1978, on the invitation of

Miroslav Macháček Miroslav Macháček (May 8, 1922 – February 17, 1991) was a Czech theatre director and an actor. Life and career Miroslav Macháček was born in Nymburk. His father was a car painter and a custodian of the theater in Nymburk and sometimes work ...

. He played the marshal in ''

The White Disease ''The White Plague'' ( cz, Bílá nemoc) is a play written by Czech novelist Karel Čapek in 1937. Written at a time of increasing threat from Nazi Germany to Czechoslovakia, it portrays a human response to a tense, prewar situation in an unnamed c ...

'' by

Karel Čapek Karel Čapek (; 9 January 1890 – 25 December 1938) was a Czech writer, playwright and critic. He has become best known for his science fiction, including his novel ''War with the Newts'' (1936) and play ''R.U.R.'' (''Rossum's Universal Ro ...

, as well as the town councillor Jakub Busek in ''

Naši furianti ''Naši furianti'' (in English: ''Our Swaggerers'') is a Czech play based on a story by Ladislav Stroupežnický, performed for the first time in 1887. In 1937 a film adaptation was made, directed by Vladislav Vančura. Story The story is se ...

''. Somr's portrayal of Mister Frantisek in ''

Romance pro křídlovku ''Romance pro křídlovku'' (in English: ''Romance for Bugle'' or ''Romance for Flugelhorn''; in German: ''Romanze für ein Flügelhorn'') is a lyrical epic poem written in 1961 by the Czech poet František Hrubín. It tells the story of a you ...

'' garnered him a

Thalia Award The Czech ''Actors' Association'' has presented its annual Thalia Awards (Czech: Ceny Thálie) since 1993. The award is named after Thalia, the muse of comedy. The 2016 ceremony was broadcast by Česká televize and radio station . Thalia Awards a ...

in 1998. He also did

voice acting Voice acting is the art of performing voice-overs to present a character or provide information to an audience. Performers are called voice actors/actresses, voice artists, dubbing artists, voice talent, voice-over artists, or voice-over talent ...

for radio, audiobooks, and poetry readings, and featured in film adaptations of Czech

fairy tale A fairy tale (alternative names include fairytale, fairy story, magic tale, or wonder tale) is a short story that belongs to the folklore genre. Such stories typically feature magic (paranormal), magic, incantation, enchantments, and mythical ...

Personal life

Somr was married to Alena Somrová until his death. He died on 16 October 2022 at Na Pleši hospital in Nová Ves pod Pleší. He was 88 years old.

Awards and honours

Somr was conferred the

Medal of Merit Several countries award a military or civil medal called Medal of Merit: * Medal of Merit (Czech Republic) * Medal of Merit (Denmark) * Medal of Merit of the Dominican Woman * Medal of Merit of the National People's Army (East Germany) * Medal o ...

Václav Havel Václav Havel (; 5 October 193618 December 2011) was a Czech statesman, author, poet, playwright, and former dissident. Havel served as the last president of Czechoslovakia from 1989 until the dissolution of Czechoslovakia in 1992 and then as ...

in 2005. Seven years later, he received the Czech Lion Award for Unique Contribution to Czech Film. He was subsequently bestowed a

lifetime achievement award Lifetime achievement awards are awarded by various organizations, to recognize contributions over the whole of a career, rather than or in addition to single contributions. Such awards, and organizations presenting them, include: A * A.C. ...

at the 2014

Thalia Awards The Czech ''Actors' Association'' has presented its annual Thalia Awards (Czech: Ceny Thálie) since 1993. The award is named after Thalia, the muse of comedy. The 2016 ceremony was broadcast by Česká televize and radio station . Thalia Awards a ...

for his theatre work.

Selected filmography

* ''

'' (or ''Closely Observed Trains'') (1966) * '' Valley of the Bees'' (1967) * '' The Joke'' (1969) * ''

Funeral Ceremonies A funeral is a ceremony connected with the final disposition of a corpse, such as a burial or cremation, with the attendant observances. Funerary customs comprise the complex of beliefs and practices used by a culture to remember and respect th ...

'' (1969) * ''

Fruit of Paradise ''Fruit of Paradise'' ( cs, Ovoce stromů rajských jíme) is a 1970 Czechoslovak avant-garde drama film directed by Věra Chytilová. It was entered into the 1970 Cannes Film Festival. The film is an adaptation of the Adam and Eve story. This w ...

'' (1970) * ''

Což takhle dát si špenát ''Což takhle dát si špenát '' is a 1977 Czechoslovak comedy science fiction film directed by Václav Vorlíček. Summary Two swindlers get to prison for alcohol theft. After an exit from prison they are employed in a lab inventing a devi ...

'' (1977) * ''

Those Wonderful Movie Cranks ''Those Wonderful Movie Cranks'' ( cs, Báječní muži s klikou) is a 1978 Czech language, Czech comedy film directed by Jiří Menzel. The film was selected as the Czech entry for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, Best Foreign La ...

'' (1978) * ''

'' (1982) * ''

How the World Is Losing Poets ''How the World Is Losing Poets'' ( cs, Jak svět přichází o básníky) is a Czechoslovak comedy film directed by Dušan Klein, based on the novella ''Amatéři. Jak přichází svět o básníky'' by Ladislav Pecháček. It was released in ...

'' (1982) * '' Fešák Hubert'' (1984) * '' Jak básníci neztrácejí naději'' (2004) * '' I am all good'' (2008)

References

Specific

Bibliography

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Somr, Josef 1934 births 2022 deaths People from Vracov Czech male film actors Czech male television actors Czech male stage actors 20th-century Czech male actors 21st-century Czech male actors Actors of Městské divadlo Brno Merited Artists of Czechoslovakia Recipients of Medal of Merit (Czech Republic) Recipients of the Thalia Award