Vladimir Mensik, a native of Ivancice in Moravia, is considered by many to be the best Czech film actor of all time. From an early age, he enjoyed going to fairs, feasts, parties and was amazed by all the world of carousels, circuses and sparklers.
He stood in front of the camera for the first time during the filming of the film Great Opportunity/Velka Prilezitost and acted as an extra several times. He drew more attention with a role of an Italian mechanic in Radok's film Vintage Car/Dedecek Automobil. While filming, Mensik left theater and signed a contract with the Barrandov Film Studio. He then returned to the stage only rarely.
On the other hand, at the turn of the 50's and 60's, his film career could be fully launched. In addition to comic roles (bartender in Lemonade Joe/Limonadovy Joe, policeman in White Lady/Bila Pani, ing. Cert in Murder of Ing. Cert/Vrazda Ing. Certa) also managed tragicomic or even dramatic characters (waiter Kici in the detective story 105% Alibi, janitor from the film When the Cat Comes, monk Bernard in Marketa Lazarova, and Jorek Pyrk from the unforgettable film All Good Citizens/Vsichni Dobri Rodaci).
Great Czech director Milos Forman cast him in his film Loves of a Blonde/Lasky jedne plavovlasky. In the 1970s, he appeared mainly in comedies, where his frequent acting partner was Jiri Sovak. He also starred in many fairy tales and shows.
Do you know this interesting thing about him?
Sometime in the 1960s, he lost his ID card, and when he was applying for a new one, the officer wrote the second nine so carelessly when writing the year of birth (1929) that Mensik easily turned it into a four. His motive was to retire earlier. His deception grew to such proportions that in 1974 he received the title of merited artist for his "fiftieth” birthday and in 1984 the then president Gustav Husak sent him a congratulatory letter on his “sixtieth” birthday.
