Jiřina Štěpničková (3 April 1912 – 5 September 1985) 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 *Czech (surnam ...

actress. She spent 10 years in prison for an attempt to illegally cross a border.

Life

Jiřina Julie Štěpničková was born on 3 April 1912 in Prague. She started acting at age 16 when her high school professor Jindřich Honzl brought her to Liberated Theatre. In 1930 she was already acting in the National Theatre. From 1936 to 1951 she was acting in the Vinohrady Theatre. In the 1930s and 1940s she was a lead actress in many Czechoslovak movies. In 1951, she decided to emigrate after receiving a letter allegedly from

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 ...

inviting her to

West Germany West Germany was the common English name for the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) from its formation on 23 May 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with East Germany on 3 October 1990. It is sometimes known as the Bonn Republi ...

. However the letter was planted by secret service. She was arrested and sentenced to 15 years in prison. Her son was sent to a children's home. Her actor colleagues

Zdeněk Štěpánek Zdeněk Štěpánek (22 September 1896 – 20 June 1968) was a Czech actor. He appeared in 65 films between 1922 and 1968. Life In 1915 Zdeněk Štěpánek joined Austro-Hungarian Army and fought at the Eastern Front. He later switched sides a ...

, Karel Höger or Vlasta Fabianová petitioned the government to have her released. She was finally released in 1961. After her release she continued to play in theatres and appeared in supporting roles in movies. She was fully rehabilated by the government in 1969. She died on 5 September 1985 in Prague. She is buried at the

Olšany Cemetery Olšany Cemeteries (, ) is the largest graveyard in Prague, Czech Republic, once laid out for as many as two million burials. The graveyard is particularly noted for its many remarkable Art Nouveau monuments. History The Olšany Cemeteries w ...

. Her son is an actor

Jiří Štěpnička Jiří Štěpnička (born 16 April 1947) is a Czech actor and Dubbing, dubber. Selected filmography Film * ''Pasáček z doliny'' (1984) * ''How Poets Are Losing Their Illusions'' (1985) * ''Victims and Murderers'' (2000) * ''In the Shadow (201 ...

. She is played by

Zuzana Stivínová Zuzana is a common female given name in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. It is often translated to other languages as Zuzanna ( Polish), Zsuzsanna (Hungarian), Suzanne, Susan, or Susannah – all commonly derived from the Hebrew language name Sho ...

in a 2019 television movie about her life ''Past''.

Selected filmography

* '' Ecstasy'' (1933) - voice * '' Romance from the Tatra Mountains'' (1934) * '' The Heroic Captain Korkorán'' (1934) * '' The Eleventh Commandment'' (1935) * '' Camel Through the Eye of a Needle'' (1936) * ''

Grandmother Grandparents, individually known as grandmother and grandfather, or Grandma and Grandpa, are the parents of a person's father or mother – paternal or maternal. Every sexually reproducing living organism who is not a genetic chimera has a maxi ...

'' (1940) * '' Jan Cimbura'' (1941) * ''

Barbora Hlavsová ''Barbora Hlavsová'' is a 1942 Czech drama film directed by Martin Frič. Plot Hlavsa, the manager of a small-town pawn shop, commits embezzlement and shoots himself after being unable to get out of the situation. His mother takes in her widowe ...

'' (1942) * '' Happy Journey'' (1943) * '' The Dancer'' (1943) * ''

The Respectable Ladies of Pardubice ''The Respectable Ladies of Pardubice'' () is a 1944 Czech historical comedy film directed by Martin Frič. Cast * František Smolík as Jirí, hangman * Jiřina Štěpničková as Rozina, Jirí's wife * Eman Fiala as Adam, groom of hangman * ...

'' (1944) * ''

The Girl from Beskydy Mountains ''The Girl from Beskydy Mountains'' () is a 1944 Czech drama film directed by František Čáp based on a novel by Miloslav J. Sousedík. Production The film was shot in Beskydy Mountains. People of Hážovice, Tylovice and Rožnov pod Radhošt ...

'' (1944) * ''

Saturday Saturday is the day of the week between Friday and Sunday. No later than the 2nd century, the Romans named Saturday ("Saturn's Day") for the god Saturn. His planet, Saturn, controlled the first hour of that day, according to Vettius Valens. T ...

'' (1945) * '' Transport from Paradise'' (1962) * ''

Larks on a String ''Larks on a String'' () is a 1969 Czech film directed by Jiří Menzel. The film was banned by the Czechoslovak government, but was later released in 1990 after the fall of the Communist regime. It tells the stories of various characters consider ...

'' (1969) * '' Witchhammer'' (1970)

References

* Czechoslovak film actresses Czechoslovak stage actresses Merited Artists of Czechoslovakia 1912 births 1985 deaths Actresses from Prague 20th-century Czech actresses Burials at Olšany Cemetery {{Czech-actor-stub