Zdeněk Podskalský (18 February 1923 – 29 October 1993) was a Czech

film director A film director or filmmaker is a person who controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfillment of that Goal, vision. The director has a key role ...

and

screenwriter A screenwriter (also called scriptwriter, scribe, or scenarist) is a person who practices the craft of writing for visual mass media, known as screenwriting. These can include short films, feature-length films, television programs, television ...

. He is one of the most successful Czech directors of comedies and musical films.

Life

Zdeněk Podskalský was born on 18 February 1923. He was born in the U Apolináře Hospital in

Prague Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...

, but he is a native of

Malenice Malenice is a municipality and village in Strakonice District in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 700 inhabitants. Malenice lies on the Volyňka river, approximately south of Strakonice, west of České Budějovice, ...

, where his family had a villa, and this village is therefore often referred to as his birthplace. He graduated from the high school in 1942 and already at that time had a thick beard, typical of his appearance. In 1945–1949, he studied psychology, sociology and aesthetics at the Faculty of Arts of the Charles University. At the same time, in 1947–1950, he studied film directing at

Film and TV School of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague The Film and TV School of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague () or FAMU is a film school in Prague, Czech Republic, founded in 1946 as one of three branches of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague. It is the fifth oldest film school in ...

and then in 1951–1954 at

Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography The Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography, officially the S. A. Gerasimov All-Russian University of Cinematography (, meaning ''All-Russian State Institute of Cinematography named after S. A. Gerasimov''), a.k.a. VGIK, is a film school in Moscow, ...

in Moscow. Podskalský met his wife Tamara in Moscow and returned with her to

Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakia ( ; Czech language, Czech and , ''Česko-Slovensko'') was a landlocked country in Central Europe, created in 1918, when it declared its independence from Austria-Hungary. In 1938, after the Munich Agreement, the Sudetenland beca ...

, where they had a son, Zdeněk Jr. (born 1957, known as a documentary film director). His life partner then became the actress

Jiřina Jirásková Jiřina Jirásková (17 February 1931 – 7 January 2013) was a Czechoslovakia, Czech actress. She was born and died in Prague, Czech Republic. Biography She studied at the Prague Conservatory and later at Faculty of Theatre (Prague), DAMU. Afte ...

, but Podskalský did not divorce his wife so that she would not have to return to the

Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

. Podskalský lived in an apartment in the Malá Strana Bridge Tower in Prague, and although he and Jirásková were partners until his death, they lived separately. He died on 29 October 1993, at the age of 70, from oncological causes. He was buried in Malenice.

Career

As a film director, Podskalský specialized in comedies and musical films. Many of his films belong to the most successful Czech comedies. His film ''Světáci'' (1969) became a hit that made him famous. He is also credited as a screenwriter for some of his films. In addition to films, Podskalský directed more than 200 entertainment and music programs, including collaboration on New Year's Eve specials, and he appeared in the entertainment programs several times as a performer. He worked for

Barrandov Studios Barrandov Studios is a set of film studios in Prague, Czech Republic. It is the largest film studio in the country and one of the largest in Europe. Barrandov has made several major Hollywood productions, including ''Mission: Impossible (film), ...

until 1991.

Selected filmography

Film director

*''

When the Woman Butts In ''When the Woman Butts In'' () is a 1959 Czechoslovak comedy film directed by Zdeněk Podskalský. It was entered into the 1960 Cannes Film Festival. Plot The study of Dr Frantisek Prucha, who bears the nickname Faust, is located in Faust's H ...

'' (''Kam čert nemůže'', 1959) *'' Bílá paní'' (1965) *'' Muž, který stoupl v ceně'' (1967) *'' Světáci'' (1969) *'' Drahé tety a já'' (1974) *'' A Night at Karlstein'' (''Noc na Karlštejně'', 1974) *''

Ball Lightning Ball lightning is a rare and unexplained phenomenon described as Luminosity, luminescent, spherical objects that vary from pea-sized to several meters in diameter. Though usually associated with thunderstorms, the observed phenomenon is repor ...

'' (''Kulový blesk'', 1979; together with

Ladislav Smoljak Ladislav Smoljak (9 December 1931 – 6 June 2010) was a Czechs, Czech film and theater director, actor and screenwriter. Biography Smoljak was born in Prague. He tried to study at an art academy but failed the admission process. He went on to ...

) *'' The Hit'' (''Trhák'', 1981)

Screenwriter

*'' Kasaři'' (together with Pavel Blumenfeld and Václav Kratochvíl; 1958) *''

The Treasure of a Byzantine Merchant ''The Treasure of a Byzantine Merchant'' () is a 1966 Czechoslovak film directed by Ivo Novák and starring Josef Kemr Josef Kemr (20 June 1922 – 15 January 1995) was a Czech actor. He starred in the 1969/1970 film ''Witchhammer'' under dir ...

'' (together with Ivo Novák and Václav Erben; 1966) *'' A Night at Karlstein'' (''Noc na Karlštejně'', 1974)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Podskalsky, Zdenek 1923 births 1993 deaths People from Strakonice District Czech film directors Czech male screenwriters Czechoslovak film directors 20th-century Czech screenwriters Charles University alumni