Zorka Janů (born Zora Babková) (

Štěchovice Štěchovice is a market town in Prague-West District in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 2,100 inhabitants. It lies on the Vltava river. Administrative parts Villages of Masečín and Třebenice are administrative p ...

, 9 July 1921 – Prague, 24 March 1946), was a

Czech Czech may refer to: * Anything from or related to the Czech Republic, a country in Europe ** Czech language ** Czechs, the people of the area ** Czech culture ** Czech cuisine * One of three mythical brothers, Lech, Czech, and Rus' Places *Czech, ...

film A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...

actress and the younger sister of actress

Lída Baarová Lída Baarová (born Ludmila Babková; 7 September 1914 – 27 October 2000) was a Czech actress who for two years was the mistress of the Nazi propaganda minister of Germany, Joseph Goebbels. Biography Life and career Born in Prague, Baarová ...

Career

Early years (1921–1938)

When she was 12 years old, she appeared in the movie (''Brickmaker's daughter'', 1933) alongside her sister who played the principal role. She studied drama at the Prague's Conservatory.

The Virgins' Club (1938–1939)

The year after she acted in the 1938 film (''The Virgins' Club''), she got her first big role in the

František Čáp František Čáp (7 December 1913 – 12 January 1972), also known as Franz Cap in Germany, was a Czech and later a Yugoslav film director and screenwriter. He directed 32 films between 1939 and 1970. Having created Slovene film classics such as ...

and

Václav Krška Václav Krška (7 October 1900 – 17 November 1969) was a Czech film director, screenwriter and writer. Life Krška was born in Písek on 7 October 1900 as the only child. His father was a butcher and innkeeper, but died soon after his bir ...

's movie ''Fiery Summer'' (), about a love triangle between Clare (Janů), who loves a man named Šimon ( Svatopluk Benes), who in turn loves Rose (Lída Baarová). Clare attempts suicide by jumping into the river. Two young men in love with her throw themselves into the torrent to save her, but one of them drowns. During the shooting of ''Fiery Summer'', Zorka Janů fell in love with the writer and poet František Kožík.

World War II (1939–1945)

In the 1940s Zorka Janů appeared in seven movies, among them ''Baron Münchhausen'' and ''Rubens’ Caper''. She played a leading role in the movie (''Ladies in Waiting'', 1940) about an aging count who forbids his female staff to marry. Her last movie appearance was as Helen in Jiří Slavíček’s ''Boys and the River'' (1944).

Final years and death (1945–1946)

After

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

lost the war in 1945, her sister Lída Baarová (mistress of

Joseph Goebbels Paul Joseph Goebbels (; 29 October 1897 – 1 May 1945) was a German Nazi politician who was the ''Gauleiter'' (district leader) of Berlin, chief propagandist for the Nazi Party, and then Reich Minister of Propaganda from 1933 to 19 ...

) was imprisoned, and her mother died during the interrogation by the Czech retribution tribunal. Zorka Janů was expelled from work, ostracized, and committed suicide by jumping out of a window.

Legacy

The story of Zorka Janů was told by Adam Georgiev in his 1998 book (''Diary of Lída Baarová's Sister''). Janů was portrayed by

Anna Fialová Anna may refer to: People Surname and given name * Anna (name) Mononym * Anna the Prophetess, in the Gospel of Luke * Anna (wife of Artabasdos) (fl. 715–773) * Anna (daughter of Boris I) (9th–10th century) * Anna (Anisia) (fl. 1218 to 1221) ...

in '' The Devil's Mistress'', a 2016 Czech film about Lída Baarová's acting career and affair with Goebbels.

Filmography

* (''Boys and the River'', 1944) * (''Believe it or Not'', 1941) * (''Jane's Past'', 1940) * (''Baron Münchhausen'', 1940) * (''Patient of Dr. Hegel'', 1940) * (''Ladies in Waiting'', 1940) * (''Rubens' Caper'', 1940) * ('' Fiery Summer'', 1939) * (''Hobo Macoun'', 1939) * (''What I learned in High School'', 1938) * (''The Virgins' Club'', 1938) * (''Brickmaker's daughter'', 1933)

References

* Georgiev, A. (1998). (''Diary of Lída Baarová’s Sister''). Prague, Czech Republic: Petrklic.

External links

Movie clips from the Fiery Summer

Movie clips from Patient of Dr. Hegel
{{DEFAULTSORT:Janu, Zorka Czech film actresses Czech stage actresses 1921 births 1946 suicides Suicides in Czechoslovakia 20th-century Czech actresses Suicides by jumping in the Czech Republic Actresses from Prague Prague Conservatory alumni People from Prague-West District 1946 deaths Czechoslovak actresses