Josef Kemr

20 June 1922, Prague – 15 January 1995, Prague

Josef Kemr wanted to become an actor since childhood. When he was only eleven, he played various children’s roles in the City Theatre in Královské Vinohrady. His father, however, did not approve of his son’s theatrical activities and made him study in a business school. Kemr then went through different professions and finally in 1941 left home and joined the travelling theatre company of Anna Budínská-Červíčková. In 1945 he became a member of the ensemble of the Kladno theatre, then of several smaller theatres and in 1950 was employed by Prague City Theatres. Between 1965 and 1995 he was a member of the drama ensemble of the National Theatre as one of its key players.

Kemr made his first appearance in front of a film camera when he was fourteen in Líza Soars to the Skies (Lízin let do nebe, 1937) by Václav Binovec. Due to the great breadth and plasticity of his acting expressions, with which he could play tragic, tragicomic and serious characters, he soon became a sought-after actor. His notable roles include, for example, those in Bořivoj Zeman’s Holiday with Angel (Dovolená s Andělem, 1952) and Angel in the Mountains (Anděl na horách, 1955), in Ján Kadár’s and Elmara Klos’s At the Terminus (Tam na konečné, 1957) and especially in František Vláčil’s historical fresco Markéta Lazarová (1967). Josef Kemr’s other significant performances include those in Karel Kachyňa’s historical drama The Nun's Night (Noc nevěsty, 1967) and Otakar Vávra’s Witchhammer (Kladivo na čarodějnice, 1970). In his later years, he was known mostly for roles of distinctive, sometimes whimsical but nice old men from the countryside and wise old men, e.g. in Seclusion Near a Forest (Na samotě u lesa, 1976) by Jiří Menzel or in František Vláčil’s poetic film The Little Herdsman from the Valley (Pasáček z doliny, 1983). Josef Kemr also often appeared on television, in more than 250 films, television productions, fairy tales and series. Especially popular with the audience were the comic stories The Cottagers (Chalupáři, 1975), in which he played side by side with Jiří Sovák and gave life to one of the main characters.

Josef Kemr’s acting skills were characterised by universality, austerity and straightforwardness connected with a distinctive vocal expression, although his works and talents were disregarded by the communist regime. Kemr was a deeply religious Catholic and a very high-principled man, who resolutely rejected the 1968 occupation by the armies of the Warsaw Pact. During Normalisation, his artistic activities were restricted due to his political and religious views. In spite of this, directors often cast him at least into smaller and supporting roles because of his ability to imbue even ordinary roles with charisma. His contribution was fully recognised only after the Velvet Revolution in 1989. In 1993 he became the first ever recipient of the Thalia Award for Lifetime Achievement in the category of drama.

Josef Kemr was a widely recognised moral authority in the eyes of the Czech audience. In 1989 he signed the petition A Few Sentences and on 25 November was one of the leading speakers in anti-communist demonstrations at Letná.