Springman and the SS
Springman and the SS (Czech: Pérák a SS) is a 1946 Czechoslovak animated short film directed by Jiří Trnka featuring Pérák, the Spring Man of Prague. The film is also known as The Chimney Sweep in the United States. The film competed at 1944 Cannes Film Festival.
| Springman and the SS | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Jiří Trnka Jiří Brdečka |
| Written by | Ota Šafránek (story) Jiří Brdečka Jiří Trnka |
| Music by | Jan Rychlík |
| Cinematography | Vladimír Novotný |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Státní půjčovna filmů |
Release date | December 20, 1946 |
Running time | 14 minutes |
| Country | Czechoslovakia |
Plot
A chimney sweep disguises as a Spring-heeled Jack-like figure during the Nazi occupation. The heroic and mischievous black-clad "Springer," with a mask fashioned out of a sock and defying the curfew, is capable of performing fantastic leaps due to having couch springs attached to his shoes. He taunts the occupying German army sentries and the Gestapo before escaping in a surrealistic, slapstick chase across the darkened city.
Cultural impact
Trnka's postwar interpretation of Pérák as a quasi-superhero formed the basis for sporadic revivals of the character in Czech science fiction and comic book stories.
Home release
Pérák a SS is featured in a DVD anthology of World War II propaganda cartoons, Cartoons for Victory, which was released on May 2, 2006.
External links
- Springman and the SS at IMDb
- The short film Springman and the SS is available for free download at the Internet Archive