Jan Werich
Between 1916 and 1924, Werich attended "reálné gymnasium" (equivalent to high school) in Křemencova Street in Prague (where his future business partner, Jiří Voskovec, also studied). He studied law at the Charles University Law School from 1924 to 1927, from which he made an early departure to begin his artistic career and forge one of the most important partnerships of his life. For more than 10 years he worked in theatre Jiří Voskovec and Jaroslav Ježek. Their partnership was a platform for their numerous left-wing political satires, most notably in the Osvobozené divadlo (Liberated Theatre). The trio's work took inspiration from Dada, with its love of the absurd, a reaction against bourgeois values and the horrors of World War I. In 1955 he begun working in cinema, and 1960s were a peak in his actor career. From the creation of the ABC Theatre he moved to the City Theatres of Prague and then to the Musical Theatre of Karlin and Nusle. Werich was originally cast by producer Harry Saltzman to play Ernst Stavro Blofeld in the 1967 James Bond film You Only Live Twice. Upon his arrival at the Pinewood set, both producer Albert R. Broccoli and director Lewis Gilbert felt that he was a poor choice, resembling a "poor, benevolent Santa Claus".
Assignment K
(Dr. Spiegler)
The Fabulous Baron Munchausen
(kapitán holandské lodi)
The Emperor and the Golem
(Emperor Rudolf II / Matheus Kotrba, The Baker)
Jan Werich's Fimfarum
(Vypravěč)
Fimfarum 2
(Narrator)
Two Little Frosts
(Brave Frost (voice))
Once Upon a Time, There Was a King...
(král Já I.)
Fimfarum - To the good of all
((voice))
The Creation of the World
(Narrator (voice))
Your Money or Your Life
(Tonda)
Pražská strašidla
(Narrator (voice))
The Fall of Berlin
(Hermann Goering)
Hudba z Marsu
(Nadšený divák)
Heave-Ho!
Těžká Barbora
(druhý žoldnéř)
Powder and Petrol
The World Belongs to Us
(kamelot)
When the Cat Comes
(Oliva)
The Good Soldier Schweik
(Narrator)
Crisis
U nás v Kocourkově
(Ferdinand Kaplan)
Uspořená libra
(Sam Adams)
Balada z hadrů
(strážný Holofern)
The Dear Departed
(Dědeček)
Silvestr 1957
When the Oak Leaves Fall
(Narrator (voice) (archive sound))
The 25th Hour
(Sgt. Constantin)
Kočár nejsvětější svátosti
Medvěd
(statkář Grigorij Stěpanovič Smirnov)
Magnetické vlny léčí
(léčitel Wohu)
King and Women
(Jindřich VIII.)
The Cry
(Narrator (voice))
Tears the World Can't See
(Fedor Akimič Rjebrotěsov)
Mean Barbara
(Vypravěč)
Italienisches Capriccio
(Don Marzio)
To jsou Bratři v triku
(Himself)
Pan Tau – der Film
((archive footage))
The Golden Fish
(Narrator (voice))
Czechoslovakia: Portrait of a Tragedy
(Self)
Pouť noci silvestrovské
Dog's Heads
Osudy dobrého vojáka Švejka – Švejkova budějovická anabase
(Narrator (voice))
Osudy dobrého vojáka Švejka – Z Hatvanu na hranice Haliče
(Narrator (voice))
Osudy dobrého vojáka Švejka – Švejkovy nehody ve vlaku
(Narrator (voice))
Jaroslav Hasek's Exemplary Cinematograph
(Commentary (voice))
Jan Werich: Když už člověk jednou je…
(Self (archive footage))
Co tomu říkáte, pane Werich?
(Self)
Pan Tau
Přiložte životopis
(Self)
Tři strážníci
(self)
Voskovec & Werich, paralelní osudy
(self)
Klapzubova jedenáctka
Uspořená libra
(Adaptation)
The Emperor and the Golem
(Creative Producer)
Tři veteráni
(Original Story)
Once Upon a Time, There Was a King...
(Dialogue)
Once Upon a Time, There Was a King...
(Story)
The Secret of Blood
(Screenstory)
Fimfarum - To the good of all
(Original Story)
Golem
(Theatre Play)
King and Women
(Adaptation)
Těžká Barbora
(Writer)
Kočár nejsvětější svátosti
(Screenplay)
Fimfarum 2
(Writer)
The Three Veterans
(Book)
RumplCimprCampr
(Author)
Ruffiano and Sweeteeth
(Book)
Balada z hadrů
(Theatre Play)
The World Belongs to Us
(Theatre Play)
Uspořená libra
(Screenplay)
Your Money or Your Life
(Screenplay)
Powder and Petrol
(Story)
Powder and Petrol
(Screenplay)
The Good Soldier Schweik
(Adaptation)
Your Money or Your Life
(Story)
The Golden Fish
(Story)
The Golden Fish
(Screenplay)
Heave-Ho!
(Screenplay)
Heave-Ho!
(Story)
The Emperor and the Golem
(Story)
The Emperor and the Golem
(Screenplay)
Powder and Petrol
(Producer)
U nás v Kocourkově
(Lyricist)
Once Upon a Time, There Was a King...
(Screenplay)
The Golem
(Theatre Play)
The World Belongs to Us
(Lyricist)
The World Belongs to Us
(Screenplay)
Přiložte životopis
(Screenplay)