| Vlasta Burian | |
|---|---|
Vlasta Burian (1937) |
|
| Born | Josef Vlastimil Burian April 9, 1891 Liberec, Austria-Hungary |
| Died | January 31, 1962 (aged 70) Prague, Czechoslovakia |
| Occupation | Stage & Film actor and Director, Comedian, Athlete, |
| Years active | 1914-1944; 1950–1962 |
| Spouse | Nina Červenková (1919–1962) |
| Partner | Anna Emílie Pírkovová (1911–1912) |
Josef Vlastimil Burian, better known as Vlasta Burian, (April 9, 1891, Liberec – January 31, 1962, Prague) was a Czech stage and film actor, singer, comedian, footballer and a film director. In the Czech Republic, he is known as Král komiků (King of Comedians).
He is well known in the Czech Republic for his comic roles in many movies before and during World War II. His films are still shown regularly on Czech television, being particularly popular around Christmas time. He ran a popular comic theater until 1944, when the Nazis closed down all Czech-language theaters.
After the war Burian was charged and convincted of collaboration with the Nazis. He was briefly imprisoned, and then not permitted to return to the stage until 1950. He was officially exonerated of all charges in 1994.
His famous movie partner was Jaroslav Marvan, with whom he made the following films:
Before getting established in his acting and film career, Burian actually played as the regular goalkeeper for Viktoria Žižkov around 1916. A plaque in FK Viktoria Stadion now commemorates his appearances for the club.