
Acting
Karel Effa
Born — Died
1922-05-23 — 1993-06-11
Place of birth
Praha, Československo
Known for
Acting
Credits
68 titles
Karel Effa, originally named Karel Effenberger (May 23, 1922 in Prague - June 11, 1993 in Prague), was a Czech actor. As a professional soldier during World War II, he served in the Government Army during the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia, which was deployed to Italy. Here he later ran to the Czechoslovak troops fighting on the side of the Western Allies. After the war, he remained in the army with the rank of sergeant, playing and singing for two years in the newly formed Army Art Ensemble of Vít Nejedlý. From there he went to the Theater of Satire, from there to the Theater of State Film, from there to the Music Theater in Karlín, from where he briefly jumped to the ABC Theater to r…
Known for
7.0No synopsis available yet.
Bakaláři
1972
8.0Disciplined Italian composer Antonio Salieri becomes consumed by jealousy and resentment towards the hedonistic and remarkably talented young Salzburger composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
Amadeus
1984
7.3Thirty Cases of Major Zeman is a Czechoslovak action-drama television show intended as a political propaganda to support the official attitude of the communist party. The series were filmed in the 1970s. Each episode encompasses one year, and investigations are stylized to that year. Most are inspired by real cases. The series follows the life of police investigator Jan Zeman during his career from 1945 to 1975.
Thirty Cases of Major Zema
1976
7.1Pan Tau always had a gentle expression and a friendly smile, he was elegantly dressed in a stroller, with an umbrella and a white carnation in the lapel. Foremost, he was famous for his magic bowler hat. By tapping on his hat, Pan Tau was able to change his appearance into a puppet, to conjure up miscellaneous objects or to do other magic. His most characteristically behavior is that he would help children who were experiencing some sort of difficulties in-between their dreams and reality, like finding a place for skiing, settling family problems on Christmas, and even give a boy a good time at a fair when he is supposed to have piano lessons. To adults, he usually remained invisible.
Pan Tau
1970
6.7Hospital at the End of the City is a popular television series first released in Czechoslovakia in 1977, it featured an ensemble cast and received much viewer praise in central Europe. The series ran from 1977 to 1981 for a total of twenty episodes. The success of the series inspired the German television series The Black Forest Clinic.
Nemocnice na kraji města
1978
7.1A fairy-tale about an old lady who takes care of snow and Jakub who does not fear death. It reflects the idea of people's longing for happiness, love and understanding, their effort to overcome troubles and win over death. It criticizes greed and evil desires.
The Feather Fairy
1985
Film credits
2010s · 1 titles
1980s · 11 titles
8.0Disciplined Italian composer Antonio Salieri becomes consumed by jealousy and resentment towards the hedonistic and remarkably talented young Salzburger composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
Amadeus
1984
7.1A fairy-tale about an old lady who takes care of snow and Jakub who does not fear death. It reflects the idea of people's longing for happiness, love and understanding, their effort to overcome troubles and win over death. It criticizes greed and evil desires.
The Feather Fairy
1985
6.7A second part of a funny adventures of six years old Lucie and her two magic dolls.
...and again that Lucy!
1984
6.7A second part of a funny adventures of six years old Lucie and her two magic dolls.
...and again that Lucy!
1984
5.0In one kingdom, there was a stupid king. And he suddenly became wise because he met a magical grandfather who gave him a backpack. Who would have thought that it was possible to carry wisdom in a backpack? The subjects of the king, who came to his senses in such a strange way, certainly did not know this. But not for long. And so the king had to earn his wisdom and his beloved bride...
A co ten ruksak, králi?
1986
The character of a simple folk smart guy who gets involved in a chess game between the powerful provides the excellent Josef Dvořák with space for a series of brilliant clownish acts.
S Pydlou v zádech
1985
7.7The Sultan awaits the arrival of his son, Prince Omar, who has brought up in a distant land. The master tailor and his assistances are making clothes for the prince. Labakan, the most gifted of his assistances, craves to be a Sovereign's heir so he steals the princely garments snd poses as the Sultan's son.
The False Prince
1985
4.3The dreaded Italian mafioso, Marian Labuda, will also be convinced. Mafioso Carmello was guilty of the principles of his organization when he tried to fool the boss and earned a death sentence. The convict runs away from the killer through Vienna to Prague, which his Austrian colleague in crime recommended as a safe hiding place. None of them knows that the Czechs learned so much tricks under real socialism that a seasoned Italian professional is not enough to watch.
Bulldogs and Cherries
1981
The 50th anniversary of the Barrandov studios was celebrated with a spectacular show: many directors and other important people gathered in the expensive decorations of the Variety Theatre auditorium (built for the Circus Humberto series). They smiled and showed well-deserved relaxation after a job well done in managing socialist cinema. Vladimir Sís interspersed this with excerpts from films, mainly his own and also a little of others who had worked on the "Hill of Dreams".
Barrandovské nokturno aneb Jak film tančil a zpíval
1985
No synopsis available yet.
Byt je vykraden, maminko...
1984
8.0This wacky musical comedy builds on absurd ideas, parodic humour and many variously subverted references to famous...
Hodinářova svatební cesta korálovým mořem
1980
1970s · 15 titles
5.1To Moscow have arrived the participants of the international conference of the zoophilologists and also the international jury which is to elect for the world festival the best performance of the program of Moscow circus. Mrs Whistler (Iva Janzurová), British associate professor, makes her understood with the animals in their language but the Czech professor Ruzicka (Jirí Sovák), though he is capable of using the animals language, prefers teaching the animals the human language. Ruzicka's friend, the poodle Archibald, speaks "in Human" very well. The scientific dispute ends with a bet - if Ruzicka teaches the circus elephant to sing, Mrs Whistler will eat up her hat.
Circus in the Circus
1976
7.5When famous detective Nick Carter visits Prague, he becomes involved in strange case of a missing dog and even stranger carnivorous plant. He becomes convinced that he is standing against his greatest enemy, the Gardener, who supposedly died years ago in a swamp...
Adela Has Not Had Supper Yet
1978
6.8After a soldier cuts off the arm of king's cousin, king decides to deactivate the army. Of course, generals don't like it at all and they try to kill the king. The assassin should be artificial body in the shape of actress Evelina Keleti and with brain of psychotic serial killer Fany Stubová. They also manage to kill king's astrologer Stuart Hampl, who warns the king. Accidentally, Hampl's brain is implanted into assassin's body, actress Keleti is killed and chaos begins.
You Are a Widow, Sir
1971
6.4Two criminal gangs are ruthlessly fighting for a 1-million dollar check that, purely by chance, got into the flat of shy high school teacher George Camel. As the number of victims sharply increases, Camel is mistakenly regarded as a mass murderer and cunningly uses his horrifying reputation to get the respect and heart of his beloved Sabrina, a journalist from a local newspaper. But this game turns out to be risky and in the end, both gangs don't hesitate to seize the check at all costs, including an improvised operation
Four Murders Are Enough, Darling
1971
6.5Martin, a poor student, volunteers to go on a quest to find a cure for the princess Adriana, who is stricken with a strange illness. Unknown to Martin or anyone else, the princess is actually under the spell of the powerful magician Andlobrandini, who is preparing a rejuvenating elixir made from the blood of nine men's hearts.
The Ninth Heart
1979
7.3Doctor Adéla Neradová, a medical doctor, has succumbed to the desire to uncover a criminal and become a kind of Sherlock Holmes in skirts. The thankless role of her Dr. Watson has fallen to her husband Peter, a professional photographer who helps her with the cases she gets involved in, but usually gets everything mixed up.
Affairs of my Wife
1973
5.9This futuristic science fiction comedy features an atomic bomb blast that causes women to grow beards and lose the ability to have children. A summit meeting is held at the United Nations, with the proposed solution of building a time machine. The decision is made to travel back in time and murder Einstein, with the hopeful result being that without the noted mathematician's research there will be no atomic bombs.
I Killed Einstein, Gentlemen
1970
6.2When a comet passes the Earth at close range, it pulls a small part of North Africa with it. Carried along are a bunch of people, among them Angelika, who has just escaped from a ruthless weapon dealer's ship, and her two brothers, who are searching for her. Then there's a group of natives planning a rebellion against the French colonists. All conflicts become secondary when the people finally realize that they're doomed to live together on an alien planet. However, this time of peace and happiness won't last for long...
On the Comet
1970
7.1A trespassing gang of boys encounter a ghost in the ruins of a castle. When they rescue the ghost who is caught in a trapset, they become allies in a fight to prevent ruins from being turned into mushroom farm by the city authorities.
Long Live Ghosts!
1977
No synopsis available yet.
Zpívající přístavy
1971
4.7A young man seeks freedom and eventually gets conformed. To escape society, he wanders south. After some adventures he returns to his lover, where he expects a civil career.
Good-for-Nothing
1978
A rich man can not cheer his daughter Marcelka. He calls overseas doctors and tries to repaint his castle but nothing helps. Only young boy Petrik is able to amuse Marcelka with his artistry.
Marcelka
1971
NRA satirical story about a young teacher, Josefína, who resolutely embarks on a fight against a group of bricklayers who demand exorbitant prices for their dubious and poor-quality services and, under the pretext of helping, rob the inhabitants of a western Slovak village...
Pozor, ide Jozefína...
1977
6.2A fairy tale about how those who have a heart and are not stingy will not fail. The most popular hero of Czech fairy tales, besides the brave prince and the beautiful princess, is undoubtedly Honza, who is often not stupid at all, but on the contrary brave, clever, handsome and cheerful.
Almost King
1977
7.0Three Men Travelling is billed as a loosely related sequel to Tri chlapi v chalupe (1963), sending our country protagonists set out from their family nests in the village of Ouplavice into the big wide world. Grandpa Potucek, (Lubomír Lipský) and his son Václav (Jan Skopecek) take part in the cooperative's excursion to spa town Karlovy Vary, a Pilsen brewery and some agricultural enterprises in western Bohemia. During the course of a series of misunderstandings and merrymaking, grandfather Potucek decides he will not let problems with sick calves unsettle him, and that he will persevere in his role as the leader of the cooperative.
Three Men Travelling
1973
1960s · 18 titles
7.0Five young people take off in a lighter-than-air machine at the Prague Centennial Exhibition. In an Art Nouveau style, the film consists of live action generally shot in black and white, as well as hand-drawn, stop-motion, and cutout animation. Various live-action and animated elements are often composited into the same scene.
The Stolen Airship
1967
7.4A 20th century man lands on the Moon and discovers that Baron Munchausen has beaten him to it, accompanied by Cyrano de Bergerac and the characters from Jules Verne's novels about the conquest of the satellite.
The Fabulous Baron Munchausen
1962
7.1A satire of the Great American Way, with Lemonade Joe a "clean living" gunfighter who drinks only Kola-Loca Lemonade and convinces everyone else in town (with his gun skills) that all "real men" drink ONLY lemonade!
Lemonade Joe
1964
7.0While old Oliva tells a group of children about his life as a sailor and how he met Diana and her cat with sunglasses, a strange circus arrives in town.
When the Cat Comes
1963
7.0In this zany Czechoslovakian comedy, a scientist invents a machine that projects a sleeping person's dream on a screen; disaster soon follows when the machine malfunctions and the cartoon-like dream characters become very real!
Who Wants to Kill Jessie?
1966
6.0A young boy from Prague is trying to find a Soviet soldier from the old 1945 picture.
The Lost Photography
1960
7.5Like a fairy tale, King Henry and King Good-thought decided long ago that their only children should marry and so prevent war arising between their kingdoms ever again. But the young prince is wary of marrying anyone he doesn’t know.
The Terribly Sad Princess
1968
8.0Farmers get away from their arguments by embarking on a religious pilgrimage, enjoy a picnic en route, and on their return decide to form a cooperative.
The Pilgrimage to the Holy Virgin
1961
6.0This three-part Austrian/Czech comedy stretches the boundaries of what is considered to be humorous. Part one finds a silent film actor upset because of a rival actor's attention to the former's wife. When he kills his rival, it is only when he is strapped to the electric chair that he realizes that this is his last live scene. The second episode has the wife of an elderly British nobleman having an affair with the young gamekeeper of their estate. Part three finds a peasant woman taking a lover when her husband goes off to fight the war.
The Pipes
1966
After a night of partying together, the groom-to-be and his friend wake up to find that the wedding is taking place today. The movers are already bringing in new furniture, and on the way to get the bouquet, the groom, who is still slightly drunk, suffers an accident. The friend leaves to calm the bride down and is almost married himself. After various obstacles, the wedding finally takes place.
Svatební cesta aneb Ještě ne, Evžene!
1966
6.2Professor Wilkens has invented a formula for a new type of fuel and puts it on a microfiche that he sends to his daughter and her bodyguard, but multiple different mysterious groups, including the "Chinese Carnation", would kill to get their hands on it.
Secret of the Chinese Carnation
1964
7.3During the Thirty Years' War, ploughman Petr, recruiter Matěj and country girl Lenka are caught up in both sides of the war and experience many adventures before they find happiness.
The Jester's Tale
1964
5.0In this crime story, surprisingly, neither the all-powerful criminals nor the spies or saboteurs are pursued, as was once common. The plot is almost mundane: someone unwittingly siphoned off alcohol from a tanker, unaware that it was deadly methyl alcohol, intended for industrial use. Finding out where the poison has been transported and which people it endangers requires painstaking work.
Black Saturday
1961
Captain Martin from the police's child department and his colleague Kraus are called to Znojmo to help solve a case regarding stolen toys found in the town's subterranean passages. The members of the local police department are convinced that the thieves are the well-known "customers" from the Znojmo elementary school, pupils Exner and Mandlík. Martin, however, has doubts about these culprits. These doubts grow even stronger after the local self-service shop is robbed and the local tobacco store reports that it is missing a lot of imported cigarettes. Martin questions the children, inspects both shops and searches through the underground.
Martin and Nine Fools
1966
6.7About the great Czech satirist Jaroslav Hašek, who was captured by the Russians during the First World War. Not wanting to fight for the interests of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy, Hašek enters the Red Army and, as a commissar of the international brigade, goes the military way from Samara to Irkutsk.
A Great Road Ahead
1963
6.0The Prague Grand Orchestra travels by train to a music festival in Yugoslavia. Only the singer Sona Klánová missed the departure. In the meantime, she managed to buy a ticket to Belgrade at the air-terminal from Mrs Navrátilová, who couldn't make the trip. In the meantime, the orchestra conductor is beside himself with despair. He phoned to Prague from the border, and when he realized that Sona had left her house in a taxi, he thought that she would catch up with them by the road. The orchestra delayed the train's departure with an improvised concert for the custom officers and the passengers.
A Star Travels South
1964
7.0It is the 1930s. Physician Bartos devotedly attends poor patients in the city suburbs, at the same time researching the possibilities of regeneration of human tissues after transplantation. His former colleague Rosen, now working as an assistant at the private clinic of surgeon Kirchenbruch, considers the research a mere utopia. The disappointed Bartos, trying to verify his theories, therefore accepts the outrageous proposal of Marion, owner of a brothel - to surgically replace the face of her lover, the wanted thief Cutter, with the face of murdered Father Hopsasa. Bartos is well paid but his successful operation remains a secret.
The Borrowed Face
1965
No synopsis available yet.
Pražská romance
1969
1950s · 9 titles
6.8A Czech fairy tale about a princess named Lada who runs away from home in a mouse fur disguise in order to escape an unwanted and forced marriage.
The Princess with the Golden Star
1959
3.8May 1945. On the outskirts of Prague, ordinary people meet Soviet soldiers-liberators with tears of joy in their eyes. In the early days of the lull, someone sadly recalls a pre-war life; someone unexpectedly meets his love; someone is returning from enemy dungeons looking hopefully into the future; and someone, having moved from a tank into a Czech tram, warmly recalls his craft as a car driver... These days, all those who survived the Great War fire swear an oath to keep peace on Earth forever, honoring the memory of those who gave their lives for simple human happiness.
May Stars
1959
5.5An anthology of three absurd, ironic tales inspired by Čapek’s “Tales from One Pocket” and “Fables and Side Stories,” each showing uncanny forces disrupting ordinary lives: in Krejčík’s “Glorie,” a gentle clerk is haunted by a sudden halo; the other two segments by Mach and Makovec similarly blend everyday routines with ironic, supernatural twists.
Of Things Supernatural
1959
5.9Jaroslav Hašek screens four film stories in the fairground shed around 1900. After period advertising slides and a "newspaper", we see "the first part of a sensational, exemplary, parfuss, salon program - a film from the life of school-age children, shot under very difficult circumstances". The plot of this film takes place partly in a school classroom and partly in a gymnasium toilet, where the primate Chocholka took refuge from a Latin composition. "Exemplary Family Happiness" is the second film that takes the viewer into the family of the municipal official Honzátek, in which many stormy scenes occurred when the hamster, provided by Honzátek Jr., moved into the sofa - a wedding gift from Sister Ema. Equally surprising are two other stories, one of which tells about the "father of the poor", the owner of a company with unrecoverable cash flow and a famous patron, and the other about the fateful consequences of a joint trip between the old bachelor Mr. Hanzlíček and his neighbors.
Jaroslav Hasek's Exemplary Cinematograph
1956
6.1The employees of the furniture company MARS welcome a rare visitor with hired music. Their boast that they would put together an orchestra is taken seriously, so they receive a small gift - musical instruments for thirty musicians.
Hudba z Marsu
1955
6.7Four short stories by the greatest Czech satirist Jaroslav Hašek. "Soup for Poor Children" tells the story of how Prince Robert himself cooked soup for poor children, "Meeting of the Municipal Council in Mejdlovary" is the history of filling the position of municipal policeman, "Trampotes of Mr. Tenkrát" shows how strange events lead to marriage and promotion, "Revolt of the Convict Šejba" depicts the victorious fight of the convict Šejba for a dumpling for ministering at mass.
Hasek’s Tales from the Old Monarchy
1952
9.0The story of a friendship for life and death captures a real event that took place in the snowy Krkonoše Mountains in 1913. The actors of the drama were Bohumil Hanč, one of our first ski racers, and his friend Václav Vrbata. The film's plot takes place between 1912 and 1913 and is framed by two international 50 km races. After winning in 1912, Bohumil Hanč wants to stop racing at the behest of his wife Slávka. In 1913, strong foreign competitors enter the race, so Bohumil succumbs to the pleas of his friends and decides to race for the last time. However, the weather changes during the race. Strong winds and snow begin to blow, severe frost sets in, and for the racers, it means a fight for their lives.
Sons of the Mountains
1956
7.5A few bus-loads of holidaymakers from the agricultural cooperative on a day trip arrive to see the show at the Slavia Circus. But, they have bad luck. It is Monday, the day on which the employees have their extra day off.
The Circus Will Be
1954
5.9The plot of the film follows a bus ride on the Prague - Karlovy Vary route and the actions of the people on it. A diverse group of people with various interests, professions and personalities gathered on the bus. Their encounter in the close environment of the bus gave the opportunity to create a whole series of good humorous situations. The ride on the express bus is a symbolic example of the contemporary life of our society, in which, just like when riding a bus, it is necessary to suppress many private interests and selfish qualities in order to successfully reach the destination.
Florenc 13,30
1957
1940s · 6 titles
8.5Martin Plechatý and Petr Nový roam occupied Prague with their trams. Times are hard and sometimes survival is not easy - especially when, in an attempt to help a threatened (and charming) neighbor, you get involved with an SS man, hit him on the head and kill him. At least that's how the two friends explained the situation to each other when their opponent collapsed to the ground. What to do with the body now? An endless anabasis begins, in which even a baby stroller comes into play...
Nobody Knows Anything
1947
5.6The plump, punctual and slightly despotic Mr. Tříška worked as a housing officer, which completely damaged his psychological resilience, he is short-tempered and easily angered. The intended rest in the countryside, where he went with his whole family, however, turns out completely differently than he expected - because all the hardworking hands join together to ensure the fastest possible completion of the agricultural work, and there is also time left for his singing interests. And the main character is finally so carried away by the new environment that he eagerly joins in.
Rodinné trampoty oficiála Tříšky
1949
6.9Prague, 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
No synopsis available yet.
The Musician
1948
10.0Grammar school teacher Bláha hurts himself in pursuit of a red lizard, and is lying unconscious in the lonely house of Santrucek family. The postman, who found Bláha's coat and hat in the water, announces to everyone in town that the professor has drowned. But, the venerable citizens are at that moment more interested in the theatre group with the beautiful guest actress Eva Gazdová. They demand a change of repertoire and manage to persuade the theatre manager to have the group play the musical comedy The Red Lizard instead of an established play.
Red Lizard
1949
NRMr. Novák, an insurance company clerk, only cares about his job, nothing else interests him. Even the social changes in February 1948 leave him indifferent. He only becomes aware of them when the insurance company is closed down. He has to make a decision: either retire or go to work in a factory. Neither of these options appeals to Mr. Novák...
Pan Novák
1949
Series credits
7.0No synopsis available yet.
Bakaláři
1972
7.3Thirty Cases of Major Zeman is a Czechoslovak action-drama television show intended as a political propaganda to support the official attitude of the communist party. The series were filmed in the 1970s. Each episode encompasses one year, and investigations are stylized to that year. Most are inspired by real cases. The series follows the life of police investigator Jan Zeman during his career from 1945 to 1975.
Thirty Cases of Major Zema
1976
7.1Pan Tau always had a gentle expression and a friendly smile, he was elegantly dressed in a stroller, with an umbrella and a white carnation in the lapel. Foremost, he was famous for his magic bowler hat. By tapping on his hat, Pan Tau was able to change his appearance into a puppet, to conjure up miscellaneous objects or to do other magic. His most characteristically behavior is that he would help children who were experiencing some sort of difficulties in-between their dreams and reality, like finding a place for skiing, settling family problems on Christmas, and even give a boy a good time at a fair when he is supposed to have piano lessons. To adults, he usually remained invisible.
Pan Tau
1970
6.7Hospital at the End of the City is a popular television series first released in Czechoslovakia in 1977, it featured an ensemble cast and received much viewer praise in central Europe. The series ran from 1977 to 1981 for a total of twenty episodes. The success of the series inspired the German television series The Black Forest Clinic.
Nemocnice na kraji města
1978
6.6Young boy Cestmir finds a magic rock which allows him to bring the seeds of the flowers which allow flying from Blue Planet...
The Flying Cestmir
1984
No synopsis available yet.
Dnes v jednom domě
1980
7.0No synopsis available yet.
Klapzubova jedenáctka
1968
8.3No synopsis available yet.
Ze staré drogerie
1983

