Acting

Josef Oliak

Born — Died

1870-11-05 — 1953-11-03

Known for

Acting

Credits

60 titles

Known for

Film credits

1950s · 2 titles

1940s · 14 titles

Distant Journey poster
6.9

Prague, during World War II. Hana Kaufmann, a Jewish ophthalmologist, marries Dr. Antonín Bureš, a Christian man. When her family is sent to the Theresienstadt concentration camp, their romance turns into a struggle for survival.

Distant Journey

1949

The Incendiary's Daughter poster
5.5

The fiddler Valenta has troubled his wife with his drinking and disorderly life. His daughter Rozárka and her younger sisters go to their aunt's in Prague, and their father sets fire to the abandoned house. Rozárka is suspected...

The Incendiary's Daughter

1941

The Avalanche poster
5.7

An ambitious and selfish lawyer confesses to the murder of his first wife. Some of the scenes were filmed in the last weeks of the war.

The Avalanche

1946

Madla zpívá Evropě poster
5.8

Folk song collector Dr. Šerk arrives in the remote village of Lesov. He is enchanted by the singing of sixteen-year-old Madla Satranová and he records her songs for radio broadcast. Šerk's friend, composer Jaroslav Klán, takes care of a group of orphans, from whom he has formed a choir. Šerk brings the orphaned Madla to him. The teenage girl begins to help the housewife Nána with the care of the children.

Madla zpívá Evropě

1940

Městečko na dlani poster
6.2

Tragicomic events in the idyllic town of Rukapán reveal both the prejudices of the local residents and their solidarity. The chronicle of the town of Rukapán captures the funny and tragic fates of its inhabitants at the end of the nineteenth century. Poacher Matěj saves the council of Zimmerheier in a buried mine, mayor Buzek is warned by an angel to stop drinking, and other events form a mosaic of the small town.

Městečko na dlani

1942

The Girl in Blue poster
6.5

A painting of a girl from another time comes to life for it's buyer in this costume comedy.

The Girl in Blue

1940

Sign of the Anchor poster
7.5

The mysterious story of a young girl Pavla, who mysteriously disappeared from her mother five years ago, takes place in the dark corners of the Bratislava port. The girl was kidnapped by the hypnotist Lascani, who performs in a variety show and has just arrived in Pavla's hometown on his travels. He completely controls his victim and Pavla doesn't remember anything. She has to act as his "medium" with Lascani and even has to be his lover. However, a young boatman, Franta, falls in love with the girl and tries to free her...

Sign of the Anchor

1947

Bláhový sen poster
5.5

Hairdresser Žofka Stárková desires fame perhaps more than other girls. The petty plans of her fiancé František do not satisfy her wild imagination. Žofka suddenly gains popularity when, while on her way to get an autograph, she discovers the dead body of the famous tenor Helbich and is arrested on suspicion of murder. Helbich actually committed suicide because he lost his voice. After being released from prison, Žofka receives an offer for the lead role in a forthcoming film. The dubious fame confuses her. She leaves her parents' modest apartment and quits her hairdressing business. Unfortunately, it soon becomes clear that she has no talent for acting, and the desperate director has the film edited in such a way that Žofka practically disappears from it...

Bláhový sen

1943

Prstýnek poster
7.7

A young and beautiful princess and her senile husband arrive at a castle near the village. The healthy air is supposed to help them with their busy heir. The princess accidentally meets the village shepherd Sochor and soon gives birth to a son. The young man from the village in question then marries and has only daughters. The princess returns after years with her clever son. He falls in love with Sochor's daughter, but her father drives him with a belt...

Prstýnek

1945

Rukavička poster
7.5

A lost lady's glove that connects several human destinies. The focus here is not on the lost part of the wardrobe, but on piano virtuoso Arne Brant, a man armed with a charming smile and surrounded by women, two of whom have particularly influenced his life. The first is the daughter of a famous can-can star, dancer Pavlína Doré-Zejdová, the second is Mařenka Berková, the main character of the film and a kind of Kristián in skirts. An orderly and well-bred daughter from an honorable family who lives her second life as a lady of high society. The lost glove complicates the situation for all of them considerably, but in the end she finds her rightful place, just like the heroes of the film...

Rukavička

1941

Capek's Tales poster
7.7

Five crime stories connected by the narration of police superintendent Bartosek.

Capek's Tales

1947

May Fairy Tale poster
7.5

Ríša, a student of law, neglects his studies in favour of parties and pranks. His angry father refuses to continue helping him out of his debts. Ríša, however, is not entirely beyond hope. He decides to go and stay for a while with his uncle, a priest, who lives in Moravia, in order to prepare for his exams. He meets Helenka, the timid daughter of the local gamekeeper, at a village ball and is enchanted by her. The days pass and their idyllic relationship begins to tire Ríša. He begins to tell Helenka about his former debauched life the about the broken hearts of beautiful women. Helenka is hurt and refuses to see Ríša anymore. His uncle, the priest, is incensed at his behaviour and orders his nephew out of the house. Ríša tries desperately to find Helenka so he can make it up to her.

May Fairy Tale

1940

Minulost Jany Kosinové poster
10.0

No synopsis available yet.

Minulost Jany Kosinové

1940

Nocturnal Butterfly poster
6.7

Marta Dekasová works as a governess in a garrison town. The beautiful girl is the center of attention of many men, but she only desires Lieutenant Varga, who is married and rejects her. Desperate, Marta throws herself into the arms of the most intrusive of her suitors, and is then dismissed in disgrace. She goes to Prague to live with her friend Kiki, becomes a bar singer, and continues her journey down the sloping surface. Hope for a new life dawns on her when a young student falls in love with her, but just then Varga appears in the bar and rekindles her unquenched feelings...

Nocturnal Butterfly

1941

1930s · 33 titles

Big City Jungle poster
NR

No synopsis available yet.

Big City Jungle

1930

Poor girl poster
6.2

The illegitimate child, Marie Růžová, grows up in the family of the Bořický miller. Childhood and youth spend with the son of Bořice, Klement. Klement asserts the rights, becomes a lawyer, and marries Jirina. In order not to cause further contradictions, Mary will go to Prague secretly at night. There he is living heavily as a waitress. He resists the insults of architect Jansky until he ultimately decides to commit suicide in despair.

Poor girl

1930

Ballad-Singer poster
9.0

No synopsis available yet.

Ballad-Singer

1932

No artwork available
10.0

No synopsis available yet.

Láska a lidé

1937

The Last Bohemian poster
8.0

Military doctor Katz loses to his servant Josef Švejk at cards. Švejk steals a dog for his new superior, Lieutenant Lukáš. While walking his dog, Lukáš meets Colonel Kraus, who is displeased to discover that Lukáš is taking his dog with him. As punishment, he sends Lukáš to a marching company in Budějovice. Lukáš is accompanied by Švejk, who first insults a general who is travelling in civilian clothes in the same compartment. Then Švejk unexpectedly stops the train by pulling the emergency brake. For this act, he is brought to Tábor for questioning. Before the questioning is over, Švejk's train leaves and he has to walk to Budějovice...

The Last Bohemian

1932

Otec Kondelík a ženich Vejvara poster
7.0

The family of Prague burgher and master interior decorator Václav Kondelík lives happily in their house on Ječná Street. The peace is disturbed by an invitation to an "apron party", where their daughter Pepička meets a young municipal official, František Vejvara. The two young people fall in love. Their relationship is also supported by Mrs. Kondelíková, because Vejvara could become a welcome groom for her daughter. However, Pepička's acquaintance disrupts the established order of Kondelík's life.

Otec Kondelík a ženich Vejvara

1938

Morality Above All Else poster
8.5

Professor Karas is widely known as enthusiastic propagator of the motto "Morality Above All Else". He guides his students as well as his own family to live a morally decent life. One day he has an unexpected visit. It's his illegitimate daughter Vera, who is proof of his thoughtless youth. Mr. Karas know that she can ruin his image, thus he decides to keep her a secret and asks her to leave. Instead of leaving she takes a position of a governess in his own family without letting him know. Mr. Karas realizes that he must reveal the truth sooner or later, but he doesn't have enough courage to do so. As he postpones it, he is more and more scared to come to his own home.

Morality Above All Else

1937

Lelíček in the Services of Sherlock Holmes poster
7.7

The Portorican prime minister asks British detective Sherlock Holmes to find a twin for King Fernando XXIII, a weak and frightened man who fears anarchists and does not want to show himself in public. Holmes finds in the Czech newspapers a photo of the perfect double, František Lelíček, a daring bon vivant drowned in debt, so when Holmes offers him money, Lelíček decides to travel to Portorico and play the role.

Lelíček in the Services of Sherlock Holmes

1932

No artwork available
9.0

No synopsis available yet.

V tom domečku pod Emauzy

1934

Hlídač č. 47 poster
7.5

A young village shopkeeper, Ferda Zuska, wants to jump in front of a train because his girlfriend has married someone else. At the last moment, he is saved by the railway guard Douša and his wife Anna. Ferda soon forgets his sadness and starts courting Anna. The unsuspecting Douša is the laughing stock of the whole village. Moreover, during Ferda's rescue, he slipped on the embankment, injured himself, and has had difficulty hearing since then. One day, he even discovers with horror that he has gone completely deaf and that he must therefore leave his job...

Hlídač č. 47

1937

The Fate of the Good Soldier Schweik poster
NR

A joint edit of the first three silent films about Švejk: The Good Soldier Švejk (1926, directed by Karel Lamač), Švejk at the Front (1926, directed by Karel Lamač) and Švejk in Russian Captivity (1926, directed by Svatopluk Innemann, based on the work by Karel Vaněk). The main role was played by the then very popular Karel Noll. The last silent sequel Švejk in Civilian (1927) exists separately, but the copy of the film is considerably damaged.

The Fate of the Good Soldier Schweik

1930

Děvčátko z venkova poster
7.3

Orphaned Zdeňka Štěpánová helps her foster parents in Moravia at an inn. One day she learns that she is to be taken in by the owner of a toy factory, Miloš Kavan, who will fulfill her father's last wish. At the same time that Kavan and his housekeeper Mrs. Julie are expecting Zdeňka, their caretaker's little niece Hanička arrives. Mrs. Julie initially considers her her protégé, because she has no idea that Zdeňka is already a grown-up girl...

Děvčátko z venkova

1937

No artwork available
10.0

No synopsis available yet.

Tvoje srdce inkognito

1936

The Inspector-General poster
6.5

Vlasta Burian appears in a town of Czarist Russia impersonating an Inspector General, and he is entertained lavishly by the local political-hacks and peasants seeking his favor for whatever they are advocating or need fixed. Burain is involved in a series of comical situations as he takes everything he can gets his hands on while the peasants, who must plead for the betterment of their conditions, are left on the outside-looking-in. He makes his escape just as the real Inspector General is set to appear, but those-in-need will be no better off when the real McCoy shows up then they were with Burian.

The Inspector-General

1933

No artwork available
8.0

No synopsis available yet.

Karel Havlíček Borovský

1931

No artwork available
10.0

No synopsis available yet.

Rozvod paní Evy

1937

Hero for a Night poster
6.7

The tailor Florian Kerzl is immersed in the Middle Ages. When he spoils the celebrations for the 500th anniversary of the founding of the town of Zdislavice, he is banished from the town. So he moves in his armor to the nearby ruins of a medieval castle. Where Florian has several interesting adventures and even falls in love with the film extra Hanni. Eventually he finds a treasure in the cellars of the old castle, containing the will of the former castle lord.

Hero for a Night

1935

Paní Morálka kráčí městem poster
8.0

No synopsis available yet.

Paní Morálka kráčí městem

1939

One in a Million poster
10.0

Věra Kalinová lives a life of luxury with her uncle, a factory owner. Having just won a literary contest, she receives an offer to work for the social affairs column of a magazine. The aspiring writer takes her future editorial role very seriously—she wants to experience "real life" first. Telling her family she is heading to the mountains, she disguises herself as a poor girl and visits an employment agency.

One in a Million

1935

Such Is Life poster
6.7

A story about domestic life in a typical working-class environment. Life and trials and how little situations have big consequences.

Such Is Life

1930

Pokušení paní Antonie poster
8.0

No synopsis available yet.

Pokušení paní Antonie

1934

No artwork available
10.0

No synopsis available yet.

Sedmá velmoc

1933

No artwork available
7.0

No synopsis available yet.

The Dogheads

1931

Men on the Offsides poster
6.8

The owner of the ready-to-wear store, Mr. Richard Naceradec from Zizkov, is an enthusiastic fan of S.K. Slavia and despite his wife's opposition, he goes to football every Sunday. Tailor Emanuel Habásko lives alone with his adult son Eman. Widow Ouholicková chases Krejcí endlessly, but father Habásko bravely resists. Habásko do not recognize any other club except S.K. Viktoria. One day, Naceradec will face Eman at the match between Slavia and Viktoria.

Men on the Offsides

1931

The World Belongs to Us poster
7.2

One of the few European films of the 30s to criticize the Nazis, even if they couldn't be directly named due to censorship: Gangsters with gray hats stir up trouble in what is obviously the Sudetenland.

The World Belongs to Us

1937

Teď zas my poster
8.0

The factory owner Hložek is in a constant dispute with his son Jiří. Jiří wants to modernize the factory, but his father is afraid that the new machines will deprive the workers of their jobs. News of the factory modernization divides the employees into two hostile camps. To prevent unrest, Hložek offers his son money from his mother's inheritance in exchange for his departure. Jiří's biggest opponents include two older employees of the company - the correspondent Málek and the accountant Mazara...

Teď zas my

1939

Hero of One Night poster
6.6

Country tailor Florian Svíčička neglects his work because of his interest in medieval history. When preparing an amateur performance at Zdislavice Castle, he gladly replaces the bailiff and plays the role of a knight. However, he ruins the performance and is shamefully banished. On his way home, he witnesses a horrific scene in the forest: two knights behead a young girl. It later turns out that it was a filming, and the girl Hana, a double for the famous diva Elvíra, spends the night with Florian at the castle because the filmmakers accidentally leave her. The master loses patience with Florian's excesses and Florian is fired from the tailoring shop. He sets off for Prague to find the girl he was with at the castle the night before. However, he does not know her name and accidentally comes to Elvíra's villa. The diva is not at home. Florian finds a love letter in the villa and thinks it is addressed to him. However, upon his return, Elvíra mercilessly throws Florian out...

Hero of One Night

1935

Matka Kráčmerka poster
9.0

The Kráčmer couple work diligently in the vegetable garden. They are saving for a dowry for their only daughter, Betynce, who is in a serious relationship with the doctor Zdeborský. Inspired by a newspaper report, they decide to buy Kráčmer a lottery ticket. Kráčmerka brings it home crying because she feels like she has thrown away all her possessions. After a sleepless night, she goes to the store to return the ticket. However, it is too late, the draw has already been made...

Matka Kráčmerka

1934

Your Money or Your Life poster
7.5

A czech film that focuses on an unfaithful husband who married in to money, as well as an impoverished man who is turns to theft.

Your Money or Your Life

1932

No artwork available
7.5

No synopsis available yet.

The Last Bohemian

1931

No artwork available
4.2

Juraj Hordubal returns from America after eight years, where he has earned enough money to improve his farm. However, his daughter Hafia does not recognize him and his wife Polana does not show any joy at his return. Štěpán Manya has been a farmhand on the farm all these years, and people claim that he has become Polana's lover. Juraj denies the accusations and believes that his wife's distance from him is only due to the long separation...

The Hordubals

1938

No artwork available
8.0

The story of a janitor's daughter who married into a "better man". Obedient to her mother and eager to "rise up" herself, Nanynka did everything she could to avoid being left with a bucket and rags and to be able to move a few floors higher. But marrying off a poor daughter is not exactly easy...

Vdavky Nanynky Kulichovy

1935

Duchacek Will Fix It poster
7.3

Mr. Ducháček runs the law firm of JUDr. Faukner in a peculiar but completely devoted manner, which manages the financial affairs of the Rispaldic family. The family members treat their lawyer Faukner with condescension, except for their daughter Julia, who secretly loves him. However, no one except Ducháček knows that the squandering family no longer has any money and that JUDr. Faukner is subsidizing it, because he is also secretly in love with Julia.

Duchacek Will Fix It

1938

1920s · 11 titles

No artwork available
NR

No synopsis available yet.

Babinský

1927

Battalion poster
6.4

Skid-row epic about a lawyer's decline.

Battalion

1927

No artwork available
5.8

A Czechoslovakian comedy directed by Carl Lamac and starring himself Theodor Pistek & Anny Ondra.

Lucerna

1925

No artwork available
NR

No synopsis available yet.

Bílé zlato

1928

The Fake Sweetheart poster
9.0

The film depicts the troubles of Herr Verner (Karel Hasler), a middle-aged bachelor dentist who wants to marry.

The Fake Sweetheart

1926

No artwork available
7.0

No synopsis available yet.

Sündenfall

1929

No artwork available
10.0

A biographical story about significant Czech dramatist, writer and actor Josef Kajetán Tyl.

Josef Kajetán Tyl

1926

No artwork available
8.0

No synopsis available yet.

Z českých mlýnů

1925

The Loves of Kačenka Strnadová poster
6.1

The film depicts the adventures of Kacenka (Zdena Kavková) and Vincek (Vlasta Burian), two innocent country bumpkins who live in a Czech small town, and the various jobs that Kacenka has once she moves to Prague, that beautiful capital city. Our heroine will have to bear difficult working conditions and to make things worse, she falls in love with a fake aristocrat. Fortunately her companion, Vincek who is also in Prague, has an unrequited love for her. Though he is the cause of many Kacenka's problems, Vincek finally will help and resolve her loves troubles. And of course there is a happy ending that brings the Czech couple together.

The Loves of Kačenka Strnadová

1926

No artwork available
NR

The problem of companionship marriages , i.e. marriages determined by purely practical rather than emotional motives, is addressed with all its pros and cons using two relationships . The four protagonists are the student Erich Helmholz and his wife Elli, a seamstress, both a happily married but not in love couple, and the consultant's daughter Maria, who comes from the best "stable" and who, in her ignorance, first allows herself to be impregnated by any man (without really understanding how this could have happened) and then, under pressure from her horrified parents, enters into a companionship marriage with another man who has brilliant career prospects.

Kameradschaftsehe

1929

No artwork available
9.0

No synopsis available yet.

Dům ztraceného štěstí

1928