JIRI VOSKOVEC & JAN WERICH: Korespondence I, Korespondence II, Korespondence III. (3 volumes).

Praha: Akropolis, 2007-2008., 2007-2008.. Very good. - Octavo, pictorial white boards with a color illustration on each front cover. There is a tiny mark to the front edge of the Vol. I front cover, with some very light soiling to the rear cover of Vol. II. 351 pages plus colophon; 501 pages plus colophon; 511 pages plus colophon. Black-and-white illustrations. Near fine. <p>First editions. Edited by Ladislav Matejka.<p>Jiri [George] Voskovec was born Jiri Wachsmann [1905-1981]. He was a much revered Czech actor and playwright. After World War 1 Voskovec appeared with Jan Werich [1905-1980] as one of a comic duo in the tradition of Laurel and Hardy. "Together with Jaroslav Jezek, the father of Czech jazz, they moulded dadaism, circus, jazz, Chaplin, Buster Keaton, and American vaudeville into a new art form. They created a new form of intellectual political musical." - [Josef Skvorecky: "All the Bright Young Men and Women"]. Having created a sensation with their "Vest Pocket Revue" in April 1927, V + W were invited to join the Devetsil theatre group in May. In 1929 they renamed the group "Liberated Theatre" ["Osvobozene Divadlo"] and they took over every element of the productions. During the 1930s the productions of V + W became increasingly anti-fascist and their "Liberated Theatre" was eventually forced to close in 1938. The following year they fled to the United States. After World War 2 Voskovec settled permanently in the U.S. and Werich returned to Czechoslovakia. Both actors went on to have long careers in film, Voskovec appearing in 72 movies and Werich in more than 50. Four of their stage works were made into films: "Powder and Gasoline" [1931], "Your Money or Your Life" [1932], "Heave-ho" [1934], and "The World Belongs to Us" [1937]. Voskovec is known for his role as Juror #11 in "12 Angry Men"<p>All three volumes of this correspondence illuminate the lives of Voskovec and Werich at the times when they were separated by the totalitarian regime. Volume I covers the years 1945 to 1962 when Werich returned to Czechoslovakia from exile and Voskovec remained in America. Volume II runs from 1963 to 1968. Volume III contains letters written in their final years and includes a section "Ellis Island" in which Voskovec recounts the investigation which preceded his eleven-month internment in 1950 for alleged sympathy with Communism.<p>The text is in Czech.