Martin Frič
Directing
Biography
Martin Frič was a Czech film director, screenwriter and actor. He had more than 100 directing credits between 1929 and 1968, including feature films, shorts and documentary films. Throughout his life, Frič struggled with alcoholism.
Born: March 29, 1902
Place of Birth: Prague, Bohemia, Austria-Hungary [now Czech Republic]
Known For
School Is the Foundation of Life
Seventh form pupils at a grammar school in Přívlaky are preparing for a secondary school sports competition. Class creep Krhounek gives the class teacher Lejsal a copy of the seventh form’s magazine Roar. Most of the teachers insist on severe punishing the culprit. The author does not own up and consequently the whole class is punished by being banned from taking part in the schools competition. The most gifted pupil, Benetka, rather sharply criticises the school in a homework essay on a subject of his choice. The strict Czech language teacher is convinced Benetka is the author of the school magazine. Benetka denies the charge but his expulsion from school is proposed anyway on account the views he expounded in his essay. Eventually, Boukal, the author of the school magazine comes forward and admits to writing it. The pupils are allowed to take part in the contest and thanks to Benetka they win. In the meantime however the teachers vote to expell him.
Father Vojtech
Father Vojtech (Czech: Páter Vojtěch) is a 1929 silent Czech romance film directed by Martin Frič.
Lelíček in the Services of Sherlock Holmes
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.
The Good Soldier Švejk
The first film treatment of the fate of the good soldier Švejk, a dog dealer from Prague, who is arrested after the Sarajevo assassination, psychiatrically examined and later called up to c. and k. army to fight for the emperor lord.
Long Live the Dead Man
Wealthy and ill Petr Kornel (Karel Hasler) is not pleased with the carousing lifestyle of his nephew. He stops supporting him financially and demands that he change his name. Out of gratitude Kornel bequeaths a substantial sum of money to his nurse Alice (Adina Mandlová) with the condition that she marries. Petr Suk (Hugo Haas), as the nephew is now named, visits the doctor. In the waiting room his X-ray is mistakenly switched with one of another patient's. On the basis of this he presently learns that he is seriously ill and has only one day of life left to him.
Klapzubova jedenáctka
The World Belongs to Us
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.
White Paradise
After a young man is arrested for a crime he didn't commit, the daughter of the local tavern owners must spring to the rescue.
The Twelve Chairs
The first movie adaptation of the Russian novel "The Twelve Chairs" by Ilya Ilf and Yevgeniy Petrov. The basic idea from this movie, in which a barber and an antique salesman were searching for money hidden in one of of twelve chairs, was later reused for other official and unofficial adaptions of the book
The Squeeker
Filmography
as Broadcast Voice (voice)
as Janitor (voice)
as Customer (voice)
as Sherlock Holmes
as kancelista na inspektorátu drah
as Sherlock Holmes
as Novice