A telephone from the film Ucho and pocket handkerchiefs from the television program Televarieté anchor a new exhibition dedicated to the career of Jiřina Bohdalová at a showcase highlighting her career.
The exposition features original costumes, costume designs, props, period photographs, posters, and other artifacts from films, series, and fairy tales. Many exhibits come from the collections of Czech Television, theater stages, and private collections, and are presented to the public for the first time. The display recalls Bohdalová’s work in theater, film, television, and dubbing, and includes less-known moments from her life alongside personal items and documents. The opening was attended by Bohdalová and her daughter, actress Simona Stašová. The exhibition was created with Bohdalová’s consent, and she significantly participated in its preparation, according to the organizers.
Film and Television Artifacts
Visitors can view the telephone from the banned film Ear, which highlights the dramatic aspect of her film career, alongside costumes from that movie and from films such as Worldly people and Lady on the rails. For fans of Televariety, the exhibition displays the actress’s handkerchiefs combined with her costumes. The show began airing during the normalization years in 1971, and Bohdalová co-hosted it with Vladimír Dvořák from 1977 until it ended in 1998.
Children’s Production and Early Work
A special place at the exhibition is dedicated to Bohdalová’s work for children, featuring characters such as Křemílek and Vochomůrka, Rákosníček, and the Little Witch, to whom she lent her voice. A unique curiosity is a clip from the film Pižla and Žižla, in which the actress performed as a five-year-old in 1936.
Awards and Honors
For her film mastery, she received two Czech Lion awards for her roles in Immortal Aunt and Fany. The Karlovy Vary International Film Festival honored her for her extraordinary artistic contribution, and the Zlín Film Festival awarded her a lifetime achievement prize. In 2010, she received the Thalia Award for lifetime mastery in drama, followed by the Medal of Merit in 2011. In 2021, she was awarded the Order of the White Lion, I Class, by the then-president Miloš Zeman.