Jiří Brdečka

Jiří Brdečka captures in words and images the life and multifaceted work of one of the most dynamic twentieth-century Czech film artists Jiří Brdečka (1917–1982). After a lengthy introduction devoted his biography, accompanied by numerous unique photographs and documents, in individual thematic chapters readers learn about Brdečka’s childhood and youth, his illustrated humour, post-war film critics, his work as an illustrator and cartoonist, his colourful literary work (the novel Limonádový Joe (Lemonade Joe), the book Kolty bez pozlátka (Colts without Gilding), stories, screenplays, song lyrics, humorous poems, and memoirs). Separate attention is devoted to Brdečka’s interest in the Wild West and his friendship with many extraordinary figures in Czech culture (Jiří Trnka, Jan Werich, Zdeněk Jirotka, Jan Lukas, Zdenek Seydl, Adolf Hoffmeister, Vratislav Blažek, Myrtil Frída, Ota Janeček, Jiří Mucha, etc.). The monograph focuses mainly on Brdečka’s screenplay writing for Czech feature film and especially on his animated films, which earned him international fame and classed him in the ranks of the most famous post-war animated film artists on an international scale. The book, which contains hundreds of photographs, drawings, reproductions, and facsimiles, is a monograph that is meant to be read and browsed through. It offers a vivid chronicle of a remarkable human life filled with admirable creative work. It is exceptionally valuable testimony to a very important chapter in Czech culture from the second half of the 1930s to the start of the 1980s.