Mr. Prokouk

Mr. Prokouk (Czech: Pan Prokouk) is a character created by Karel Zeman for a series of Czech animated short films in the 1940s and 1950s.

Prokouk, a stop-motion animation puppet made of wood,[1] is a sympathetic, irrepressible everyman character[2] with a bristling mustache, a long nose,[3] and a pork pie hat.[4] The French newspaper Le Monde described the character as an "animated cousin" of Jacques Tati's character Monsieur Hulot,[5] and the catalogue of a 2001 Karel Zeman retrospective at the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive suggested that Prokouk might be taken as Zeman's alter ego.[4] The short films in which he appears are comic[6] with a didactic touch.[1]

The character first appeared in the 1946 short Podkova pro štěstí ("Horseshoe for Luck").[5][7]

Prokouk became the most well-known character in Czech animated cinema[8] and a familiar figure in Czech culture.[1][5] The films were especially popular with young audiences.[9]

Filmography

The following table is based on information from the Karel Zeman Museum's filmography.[7]

YearCzech titleEnglish title
January 1, 1946Pan Prokouk: Podkova pro štěstíMr. Prokouk: A Horseshoe for Luck
June 17, 1947Pan Prokouk ouřadujeMr. Prokouk, The Office Clerk
September 1, 1947Pan Prokouk v pokušeníMr. Prokouk in Temptation
1947Pan Prokouk na brigáděMr. Prokouk, The Volunteer
January 1, 1948Pan Prokouk filmujeMr. Prokouk, The Filmmaker
July 23, 1949Pan Prokouk vynálezcemMr. Prokouk, The Inventor
1955Pan Prokouk, přítel zvířátekMr. Prokouk, The Animal Lover
August 28, 1957Pan Prokouk detektivemMr. Prokouk, The Detective
1959Pan Prokouk akrobatemMr. Prokouk, The Acrobat

References
  1. Sadoul, Georges (1972), Dictionary of Film Makers, Berkeley: University of California Press, p. 286
  2. Berry, Mark F. (2002), The Dinosaur Filmography, Jefferson, NC: McFarland, p. 145
  3. Pinteau, Pascal (2004), Special Effects: An Oral History, New York: Harry N. Abrams, p. 233
  4. Czech Center, New York (2001), "Mr. Prokouk and More! Zeman Shorts, 1946-1955", A Ship With Painted Sails: The Fabulous Animation Of Karel Zeman, Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive, archived from the original on 2 February 2015, retrieved 2 February 2015
  5. Luciani, Noémie (20 January 2015), "La Magie Karel Zeman: les chefs-d'œuvre miniatures de l'enchanteur tchèque", Le Monde, retrieved 2 February 2015
  6. Hames, Peter (2009), Czech and Slovak Cinema: Theme and Tradition, Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, p. 196
  7. Karel Zeman Museum, "Filmography", MuzeumKarlaZemana.cz, archived from the original on 2 February 2015, retrieved 2 February 2015
  8. Solomon, Charles (15 February 2001), "An Inventive Mind Colors Filmmaker Karel Zeman's Art", Los Angeles Times, retrieved 2 February 2015
  9. Dobson, Nichola (2009), Historical Dictionary of Animation and Cartoons, Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, p. 217
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