Comedy echoes even in stone. This Vlasta Burian Plaque marks a spot touched by laughter. It honors a King. It honors the Král komiků.
Josef Vlastimil Burian lived from 1891 to 1962. He was better known as Vlasta Burian. The Vlasta Burian Plaque commemorates this Czech icon. He was a stage and film actor. He was a singer and a comedian. Burian also played football and directed films.
In the Czech Republic, Vlasta Burian remains a beloved figure. He is known as Král komiků. That means King of Comedians. His comic roles in films made him famous. This was before and during World War II. Czech television still shows his films. They are especially popular around Christmas.
Vlasta Burian ran a very popular comic theater. The Nazis shut it down in 1944. They closed all Czech-language theaters. After the war, authorities charged Burian with collaborating with the Nazis. He was convicted. Briefly, he was imprisoned. He could not return to the stage until 1950. In 1994, he was officially exonerated.
Vlasta Burian’s early life began in Liberec. He moved to Prague at age ten. His father worked as an official collecting food taxes. Young Josef often went to the National Theatre. He studied business. But he loved the theater.
Sports were another passion. Vlasta Burian excelled at football. He was a goalkeeper. He played for several Prague teams. These included Sparta Prague. He also competed in cycling and tennis. He won races and tournaments.
Burian first showed his comedy to friends. Then he performed in public. At first, his father disapproved. But after seeing his son’s act, he changed his mind. He supported his son’s artistic dreams.
Nina Červenková-Burianová became his wife in 1919. She supported him. She went to every show. She listened by phone when sick. Vlasta Burian valued her support.
Despite his public persona, Vlasta Burian was reportedly melancholic. He had mood swings. Some say he struggled with depression. In private, he lived an introverted life. His villa had a gymnasium and a swimming pool. He loved tennis and cycling.
Vlasta Burian collaborated with Jaroslav Marvan. They made many films together. These films include To neznáte Hadimršku and Revizor. Their work remains popular.
The Vlasta Burian Plaque says it simply. “Zde žil král komiků Vlasta Burian”. That means “Here lived the King of Comedians Vlasta Burian.”
Consider the weight of those words. A king lived here. A king of comedy reigned here. Remember Vlasta Burian and let us celebrate laughter. Let’s remember the power of comedy.