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.[1] The film competed at 1946 Cannes Film Festival.
| Springman and the SS | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Jiří Trnka Jiří Brdečka |
| Written by | Ota Šafránek (story) Jiří Brdečka Jiří Trnka |
| Cinematography | Vladimír Novotný |
| Music by | Jan Rychlík |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Státní půjčovna filmů |
Release date | 20 December 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 2 May 2006.[2]
References
- Whybray, Adam (2020). The Art of Czech Animation: A History of Political Dissent and Allegory. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 45. ISBN 9781350104655.
- Stanchfield, Steve; Thunderbean Animation, Mackinac Media (2006). Cartoons for victory. Thunderbean Animation ; Distributed exclusively worldwide by Mackinac Media. OCLC 64130677 – via worldcat.
External links
- Springman and the SS at IMDb
- The short film Springman and the SS is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive.