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Jiri Menzel Biography (1938-)

Born February 23, 1938, in Prague, Czechoslovakia; son of Josef Menzel (a children's author) and Bozena Jindrichova.

Gender

Male

Occupation

Director, producer, screenwriter, actor

Birth Details

February 23, 1938

Prague, Czechoslovakia

Famous Works

• CREDITS
• Film Director
• Domy z panelu (also known as Prefabricated Houses), 1960
• Umrel nam pan Foerster, 1962
• Koncert 65, 1965
• The Death of Mr. Baltisberger (originally released as Smrt panaBaltisbergra), 1965
• Closely Watched Trains (originally released as Ostre sledovanevlaky; also known as Closely Observed Trains), Sigma III, 1966
• Capricious Summer (originally released as Rozmarne leto), Sigma III, 1968
• Crime in a Night Club (originally released as Zlocin v santanu), 1968
• Who Seeks the Gold Bottom (originally released as Kdo hleda zlate dno; also known as Who Looks for Gold?), 1974
• Promeny krajiny, 1974
• Na samote u lesa (originally released as Seclusion Near a Forest), Czech State Film, 1976
• Magicians of the Silver Screen (originally released as Bajecnimuzi s klikou; also known as Those Wonderful Men with a Crank), Contemporary Films Ltd., 1979
• Une blonde emoustillante (also known as A High-Spirited Blonde), Films Cosmos, 1980
• Short Cut (originally released as Postrizny; also known asCutting It Short), 1980
• The Snowdrop Festival (originally released as Slavosti snezenek), 1983
• Prague (documentary), Trans World Film, 1985
• Die Schokoladenschnuffler, 1985
• My Sweet Little Village (originally released as Vesnicko ma strediskova; also known as Oh, My Village), Circle Releasing, 1986
• The End of Old Times (originally released as Konec starych casu; also known as The End of the Good Old Days), IFEX Film, 1989
• Skrivanci na niti (also known as Larks on a String, Larks on a Thread, and Skylarks on a String; originally made 1969; banned by Czech government), 1990
• (And producer) The Beggar's Opera (originally released as OperaZebracka), Barrandov Film Studios, 1991
• The Engineer of Human Souls, KF Ltd./PVS Films, 1992
• Zivot a neobycejna dobrodruzstvi vojaka Ivana Conkina (also knownas Life and Extraordinary Adventures of Private Ivan Chonkin and Ilsoldato molto semplice Ivan Chonkin), 1994
• Film Assistant Director
• Something Different, 1963
• Film Codirector
• Perlicky na dne (also known as Pearls of the Deep), 1965
• Crime at a Girls' School (originally released as Zlocin v divciskole), 1965
• Film Appearances
• Guest in pub, Courage for Every Day, 1964
• Private Schulze, If One Thousand Clarinets (originally released asKdyby tisic klarinetu), 1964
• Secretary of the SCM, A Place in a Crowd, 1964
• Young defense lawyer, The Defendant (originally released as Obzalovany; also known as Accused), 1964
• Kazdy den odvahu (also known as Everyday Courage), 1964
• Dohnal, Wandering, 1965
• Bicyclist, Nobody Shall Be Laughing, 1965
• Doctor Brabek, Closely Watched Trains (originally released as Ostre sledovane vlaky; also known as Closely Observed Trains), Sigma III, 1966
• Jiri, Navrat ztraceneho syna (also known as Return of the Prodigal Son), 1966
• Soukroma vichrice, 1967
• Hotel pro cizince, 1967
• Herbert Lagus, Dita Saxova, 1967
• Arnostek, Capricious Summer (also known as Rozmarne leto),Sigma III, 1968
• Dvorzak, Spalovac mrtvol (also known as The Cremator), 1968
• Sechse kommen durch die ganze Welt, 1972
• 30 panen a Pythagoras, 1973
• Dr. Joseph John, The Apple Game (originally released as Hra o jablko), 1977
• Videc, Modra planeta (also known as The Blue Planet), 1977
• Kolenaty, Magicians of the Silver Screen (originally released as Bajecni muzi s klikou; also known as Those Wonderful Men with a Crank), Contemporary Films Ltd., 1979
• Minden szerdan, 1979
• Priest, Koportos, Hungarofilm, 1980
• Dr. Marek, Upir z Feratu, 1981
• Cisnik, Buldoci a tresne, 1981
• Demeter, Szivzur (also known as Heart Tremors), 1982
• Dr. Jansky, Srdecny pozdrav ze zemekoule, 1982
• Fandy, o Fandy, 1983
• Dr. Marek, Upir z Feratu (also known as Ferat Vampire), Ceskoslovensky Filmexport, 1983
• Zverolekar, Utekajme, uz ide!, Slovenska, 1988
• Pfarrar, Hard Bodies, 1989
• Doctor, Nezny barbar (also known as Tender Barbarian), 1990
• Skrivanci na niti (also known as Larks on a String, Larks on a Thread, and Skylarks on a String; originally made 1969; banned by Czech government), 1990
• Dr. Benda, Martha and I, Aries Film Releasing, 1990
• Gynecologist, Obecna skola (also known as Elementary School), Filmexport Praha, 1991
• Vaclav, Vsetko co mam rad (also known as Everything I Like), 1992
• Stan, La petite apocalypse (also known as The Little Apocalypse and La piccola apocalisse), 1993
• Ademec, Joint Venture, 1994
• Director, Ma je pomsta (also known as Vengeance Is Mine), 1995
• Painter, Jak si zaslouzit princeznu, 1995
• Truck Stop, 1996
• Franciska vasarnapjai (also known as Every Sunday), 1997
• Pfarrer, Ab ins Paradies (also known as Als Grobvater Rita Hayworth liebte and Hannah's Ragtime), 1998
• Himself, Sametova kocovina (also known as Velvet Hangover),2000
• Stage Director
• Mandragola, Drama Club, Prague, 1967
• The Last Stop, Semafor Theatre, Prague, 1968
• Television Director
• Krasosmuteneni, 1982
• Havel's Audience with History (special), PBS, 1990
• Television Appearances
• Movies
• Officer, Albert, 1985
• Director, Das Lange Gesprach mit dem Vogel (also known as Dlugarozmowa z ptakiem and Long Conversation with a Bird), 1992
• WRITINGS
• Screenplays
• Perlicky na dne (also known as Pearls of the Deep), 1965
• Crime at a Girls' School (originally released as Zlocin v divciskole), 1965
• The Death of Mr. Baltisberger (originally released as Smrt panaBaltisbergra), 1965
• (With Bohumil Hrabal) Closely Watched Trains (originally releasedas Ostre sledovane vlaky and Closely Observed Trains), Sigma III, 1966 script published, New York, 1977
• Capricious Summer (originally released as Rozmarne leto), Sigma III, 1968
• Crime in a Night Club (originally released as Zlocin v santanu), 1968
• Who Seeks the Gold Bottom (originally released as Kdo hleda zlate dno; also known as Who Looks for Gold?), 1974
• Na samote u lesa (also known as Seclusion Near a Forest), Czech State Film, 1976
• Magicians of the Silver Screen (originally released as Bajecnimuzi s klikou; also known as Those Wonderful Men with a Crank), Contemporary Films Ltd., 1979
• Short Cut (originally released as Postrizny; also known asCutting It Short), 1980
• The Snowdrop Festival (originally released as Slavosti snezenek), 1983
• The End of Old Times (originally released as Konec starych casu), IFEX Film, 1989
• Skrivanci na niti (also known as Larks on a String, Larks on a Thread, and Skylarks on a String; originally made 1969; banned by Czech government), 1990
• The Beggar's Opera (originally released as Opera Zebracka),Barrandov Film Studios, 1991
• Other
• Contributor of articles to periodicals, including Film a doba (Prague).

Further Reference

OTHER SOURCES

Books

• International Dictionary of Films and Filmmakers, Volume 2: Directors, St. James Press, 1996
• Liehm, Antonin, Closely Watched Films: The Czechoslovak Experience, International Arts and Sciences Press, 1974
• Liehm, Mira and Antonin Liehm, The Most Important Art: Eastern European Film after 1945, University of California Press, 1977
• Skvorecky, Josef, All the Bright Young Men and Women: A Personal History of the Czech Cinema, translated by Michael Schonberg, Peter P. MartinAssociates, 1971
• Skvorecky, Jiri Menzel and the History of the Closely Watched Trains, 1982
• Stoil, Michael, Cinema beyond the Danube: The Camera and Politics,Scarecrow Press, 1974

Periodicals

• Action, May-June, 1968
• Film Quarterly, fall, 1990, pp. 23-31
• New York Times Magazine, February 9, 1969
• Screen (London), March-April, 1970