CAESAR: Anticka Feerie o 11 Obrazech. Hudbu Slozil Jaroslav Jezek. by Voskovec, Jiri [George]; Werich, Jan - 1932.

Praha: Odeon, 1932., 1932.. Good. SIGNED BY JAN WERICH - Octavo, bound in brick red cloth with the original pictorial front wrapper by Frantisek Zelenka bound in. The spine is foxed & faded with the head & tail chipped. The corners of the covers are slightly rubbed & creased with tiny dents to their top edges. There is a small area of staining to the rear cover. 88 pages plus colophon & 3 pages of ads. The contents are very good. <p>First edition.<p>Signed in full by Jan Werich on the title page.<p>Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar" has frequently been adapted to reflect the political situation in the country of its production. Here the adaptation by the satiric duo Voskovec and Werich [V + W] reflects the threats of fascist persecution and civil unrest which influenced almost all creative output in the Czechoslovakia of the 1930s. The characters of the powerful Roman dignitaries are viewed not through their successful careers but rather through their less successful private lives and human failings. According to Voskovec, Caesar does not represent any individual politcian. He is an aging man, a deceived lover and an effective soldier whose betrayal of republican principles and the bourgeois traditions of patrician morality provokes the resistance of reactionaries.<p>The music for the piece was composed by V + W's regular composer Jaroslav Jezek. The striking color wrapper illustration, signed "FZ", is by Frantisek Zelenka. Zelenka was the most influential Czech set designer of his time. In the 1930s, when he was closely associated with V + W's Liberated Theatre, his designs were particularly fresh and innovative, influenced by Surrealism, Dada and the Bauhaus. His work was later banned by the Nazis and he was put to death at Auschwitz.<p>The text is in Czech.<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".