Personal Info
Birth date
1925-04-28 (100 Years)
Day of death
1992-05-08
Gender
Male
Known for
Acting
Place of birth
Třešť, Československo
Also known as
Oto Šimánek
Otta Šimánek
Ota Šimánek
Otto Šimánek
Biography
Otto Šimánek (April 28, 1925 Třešť - May 8, 1992 Prague) was a Czech mime, film and theater actor. He has starred in a number of comedies and several fairy tales. Probably his most famous role was the title role in the series Pan Tau. He trained as an electrician at Tesla in Prague and has so far played the theater only amateuristically. He later got to the Theater on May 5 and also traveled for a few months at the Theater under the Placht of Jindřich Plachta. He gained acting experience in various theaters. He worked in theaters in Zlín, Ostrava and finally in 1958 he was engaged in the Municipal Theaters of Prague, where he lasted until 1990. He played a number of large roles on the stage. The character of the clown Jean Debureau remains unforgettable for the audience in the dramatization of Kožík's novel The Greatest of the Pierots, where he could fully use his love for pantomime. Acting in the Prague theater also meant an opportunity to win film and television roles. He mainly played smaller roles in about forty films. The most famous is probably the role from the movie I'll Get Up Tomorrow and Bake My Tea. His character, Mr. Tau, entered the European and, to some extent, world film consciousness in the co-production series of the same name by director Jindřich Polák and screenwriter Ota Hofman. He also taught pantomime at the Prague Conservatory and DAMU. Among his students was, among others, the actor Petr Čepek. On the site of the pharmacy where Otto Šimánek was born, an ash statue was installed in 2011 depicting an actor in the role of Mr. Tau with a typical hand movement near his hat. The author is Daniel Stejskal.
Filmography
Bambi-Verleihung
9
Overview:
The Bambi, often called the Bambi Award and stylised as BAMBI, is a German award presented annually by Hubert Burda Media to recognize excellence in international media and television to personalities in the media, arts, culture, sports, and other fields "with vision and creativity who affected and inspired the German public that year", both domestic and foreign. First held in 1948, it is the oldest media award in Germany. The trophy is named after Felix Salten's book Bambi, A Life in the Woods and its statuettes are in the shape of the novel's titular fawn character. They were originally made of porcelain until 1958, when the organizers switched to using gold, with the casting done by the art casting workshop of Ernst Strassacker in Süßen.Three Wishes for Cinderella
7.48
Overview:
Popelka, a resourceful and independent young girl, is a servant in her stepmother's house and confides in her closest friend the owl. When she comes across three magical acorns, she's granted a single wish for each one of them.Arabela
8.3
Overview:
Arabela was a children's television series produced in Czechoslovakia which aired from 1979 to 1981. The series has 13 episodes and is in the Czech language.Pan Tau
6.6
Overview:
Pan Tau always had a gentle expression and a friendly smile, he was elegantly dressed in a stroller, with an umbrella and a white carnation in the lapel. Foremost, he was famous for his magic bowler hat. By tapping on his hat, Pan Tau was able to change his appearance into a puppet, to conjure up miscellaneous objects or to do other magic. His most characteristically behavior is that he would help children who were experiencing some sort of difficulties in-between their dreams and reality, like finding a place for skiing, settling family problems on Christmas, and even give a boy a good time at a fair when he is supposed to have piano lessons. To adults, he usually remained invisible.The Fabulous World of Jules Verne
7.2
Overview:
As the world progresses into the industrial age, a professor studying the "nature of pure matter" is spirited away by a would-be dictator and connived into building a super-bomb, as a young reporter and a girl rescued from the sea attempt to warn him of their mutual kidnapper's intentions to dominate the world with a new and more-deadly-yet weapon.The Fabulous Baron Munchausen
7.4
Overview:
A 20th century man lands on the Moon and discovers that Baron Munchausen has beaten him to it, accompanied by Cyrano de Bergerac and the characters from Jules Verne's novels about the conquest of the satellite.Who Wants to Kill Jessie?
7
Overview:
In this zany Czechoslovakian comedy, a scientist invents a machine that projects a sleeping person's dream on a screen; disaster soon follows when the machine malfunctions and the cartoon-like dream characters become very real!The Visitors
7.7
Overview:
It's the year 2484 and the Earth is threatened by a rogue comet which could fatally change its orbit. The solution is surprising - Adam Bernau, the greatest genius of 20th century developed 500 years ago an ingenious formula for easy transporting of continents and even worlds. Unfortunately, he made this discovery at the age of 11 and the exercise book containing it was destroyed in the fire. But this is not a challenge to Academic Filip who decides to send an expedition back in time to retrieve the precious exercise book from the fire. But everything is not so simple as it seems...The Octopuses from the Second Floor
7
Overview:
While on vacation with their bickering parents in Portugal, Eva and her little brother Johnny find two strange clots of clay on a polluted beach, who can speak and move on their own. They create two octopuses out of the blue and green material and take them home to Prague, soon discovering that their new pets attract electricity and other disasters.Death Is Called Engelchen
6
Overview:
Pavel is a Czech partisan fighter in the waning days of the war. Just as peace is declared, Pavel is shot in the spine and sent to the hospital emergency ward. As he fades in and out of consciousness, he recalls the events that led to his participation in the underground. Holding German occupation commander Engelchen responsible for all the horrors and deprivations heaped upon his comrades, Pavel is kept alive by the possibility of recovering and exacting vengeance upon the Nazi officer - no matter how long it takes.Inženýrská odysea
NYR
Overview:
Inženýrská odysea is a Czechoslovak/Czech TV series about three young students and their lives.O bílém jadýrku
NYR
Overview:
A romantic fairy tale about how a castle lady found her lost son, who demonstrated rare bravery, kindness of heart and intelligence. He answered the White Fairy's difficult riddles and thus obtained a miraculous seed, which was to restore Princess Johanka's speech. He was also able to forgive the chamberlain's son for depriving him of the seed and never forgot the cottager Blažej, who raised him for years when he was deprived of his castle home by intrigue. Milena Medová, the author of many television fairy tales, managed to write an original story about human calculation, envy and resentment, but also, and most importantly, about wisdom, courage, the art of forgiveness, i.e. about qualities that should be valued.Muž na radnici
NYR
Overview:
Muž na radnici was a Czechoslovak television program which was broadcast in 1976. The program was directed by Evžen Sokolovský. In 2011, it was announced that the program, along with 17 others, would be released on DVD within three years.Tomorrow I'll Wake Up and Scald Myself with Tea
6.25
Overview:
Former Nazi Klaus Abard survives to the 1990s by taking anti-ageing pills. He plans to use a time travel trip to return to Germany in 1944 and present Hitler with a hydrogen bomb, so that he can win the war. Unfortunately the pilot, woman-chasing Karel Bures, dies on the morning of the trip and his earnest twin brother Jan impersonates him, without knowing about the plot.Alarm in the Clouds
5.5
Overview:
In defiance of all the laws of physics Mr. Tau is walking on the wing of an aircraft flying close to Prague. Young Alenka is enthusiastic, but the other passengers are horrified. The security inspector Málek believes the report from the crew to be a code alerting him to a hijack, and orders an emergency landing. In the confusion at the airport the fairytale Mr. Tau disappears into one of the halls.Dva muži hlásí příchod
8
Overview:
An only son, Jirí Valenta (Jaromír Hanzlík), has been drafted to the army. At the barracks he acquires the nickname Seamstress because he sews rugs in his spare time. One day, his friend introduces him to Julka Vávrová (Jorga Kotrbová), a girl he is desperate to get rid of. The naive Jirí falls in love with the girl and accepts her invitation to spend Easter together in the country. There he learns that the girl is the single mother of the young boy Martínek, whose father is the married tractor driver.Sňatky z rozumu
7.5
Overview:
Sňatky z rozumu was a Czechoslovak television programme which was first broadcast in 1968. The programme was directed by František Filip.The End of Agent W4C
6.3
Overview:
The invincible agent Cyril Juan Borguette alias W4C has been assigned a mission to go to a hotel in Prague, get hold of a saltcellar with a plan for the military exploitation of Venus hidden in it, and hand it over to the beautiful agent Alice. He will have to compete for the saltcellar with other agents working for the world's various greater and smaller powers. The head of the Prague counter-intelligence unit gets news of agent W4C's mission. Deficient in personnel, he nominates accountant Foustka as agent 13B. Mr Foustka takes his dog Pajda with him and the two head for the airport. Pajda helps him track down agent W4C in a classy hotel that becomes the battleground for the interests and plans of the secret agents from different countries, each trying to get hold of the precious saltcellar.The Phantom of Morrisville
7.1
Overview:
Inspector Brumpby (Jaroslav Marvan) and the young crime reporter Allan Pinkerton (Vít Olmer) attend wedding of Sir Hannibal Morris (Oldrich Nový) with beautiful Clarence (Kveta Fialová). After the ceremony, Clarence's ex-husband, criminal Manuel Diaz (Waldemar Matuska), who was believed dead, shows up in her room. He wants to get his hands on Clarence and, most importantly, on the money she would inherit in the eventuality of her new husband's death. Diaz makes attempts on Hannibal's life. He knows his way about an underground labyrinth in the château and the traps he sets up for Hannibal seem to work, since Hannibal is apparently found dead after an explosion in the labyrinth, after which his body vanishes. The inspector tries to solve the countless mysteries. In this, he is joined by Allan, always ahead of the man of the law in his estimation and judgment of the situation.The Train of Childhood and Expectation
8.8
Overview:
A story of a little girl Verka and her life during the beginning of WWII. Based on Vera Sládková novels.Svatby pana Voka
5.6
Overview:
Czech nobleman Petr Vok of Rozmberk (Milos Kopecký) is no longer so young, but his amatory adventures continue to arouse the envy of men and the indignation of respectable ladies. In his "female retinue" at the chateau in Bechyne he has twelve comely girls, but he still manages to seduce the miller's wife and the maid. Lord Vok is in great financial difficulties. His elder brother Vilém advises him to marry a rich woman. Petr surprises him by announcing his intention to marry the very young Katerina of Ludanice.Acting
1991Podnájem na Champs Ellysèes as Georges De Rillettes
1989The Train of Childhood and Expectation (1 Episode) as Unknown
1989Trezor as Adámek
1988Pan Tau – der Film as Rudolf Karasek / Josef Novák
1987Merry Christmas Octopus as učitel
1987Kde bydlí štěstí as zlatník
1987The Octopuses from the Second Floor as Unknown
1987Ohnivé ženy se vracejí as Unknown
1986Statečný Azmun as Unknown
1986The Octopuses from the Second Floor (4 Episodes) as Teacher
1986Young Wine as Unknown
1986Území strachu as Unknown
1985Santa Lucia as Unknown
1985Šach mat as Unknown
1985Stalo se jedné neděle as Unknown
1984...and again that Lucy! as Mall Detective
1984Lucy, the Menace of Street as Mall Detective
1983Tři mušketýři (1 Episode) as Unknown
1983Malý pitaval z velkého města (1 Episode) as Unknown
1983The Visitors (3 Episodes) as Unknown
1983Poslední návrat as Unknown
1983Duch soudce Pauknera as Unknown
1983O bílém jadýrku as Unknown
1982Zelená vlna as Unknown
1982Kamenný orchestr as Matas
1981Poručík Petr (1 Episode) as Unknown
1981Mature Wine as Unknown
1981Had z ráje (1 Episode) as Mr. Forchheim
1980Arabela (1, 2 Episode) as Unknown, (uncredited)
1980Inženýrská odysea (2 Episodes) as Unknown
1979Švec Janek v pohádkové zemi as Unknown
1979No Magic from Tomorrow as Pan Tau
1978Alarm in the Clouds as Pan Tau
1978Co je platno kárat, co je platno kázat as Unknown
1977Básník, služka a král as Unknown
1977Tomorrow I'll Wake Up and Scald Myself with Tea as Patrick White
1976Panenka z vltavské tůně as Unknown
1976Muž na radnici (1 Episode) as Unknown
1976Wine Working as Unknown
1975Dva muži hlásí příchod as Unknown
1975Honza a Růžová panenka as táta
1973Three Wishes for Cinderella as King (voice) (uncredited)
1972Touha Sherlocka Holmese as Unknown
1972Bakaláři (3 Episodes) as Unknown
1971Lásky Emanuela Přibyla as Unknown
1971F. L. Věk (1 Episode) as Unknown
1971One of Them Is the Murderer as Adam (voice)
1971Svatby pana Voka as Unknown
1971You Are a Widow, Sir as průmyslník Alfred Keletti
1970Pan Tau (21, 12 Episode) as Pan Tau, Pan Tau / Alfons
1970Dobrodružství šesti trampů (1 Episode) as Unknown
1970Kalif čápem as Unknown
1969Maryla as Unknown
1969Men About Town as muž
1969Hříšní lidé města pražského (1 Episode) as Unknown
1969O kohoutovi, kose a kocourovi as Unknown
1969Úsměvy světa (1 Episode) as Unknown
1969Das Sonntagskonzert (1 Episode) as Self
1968Vo modrým ptáčku as Unknown
1968Sňatky z rozumu (1 Episode) as Unknown
1968Údolie večných karaván as Unknown
1968Přísně tajné premiéry as lupič Mareček
1968Vajíčko as Unknown
1967Sedm žen Alfonse Karáska aneb Když holky berou, já nevím kterou as Unknown
1967Malá Dorritka (2 Episodes) as Unknown
1967The End of Agent W4C as Inventor
1967Ta naše písnička česká as Unknown
1967Bidýlko as Unknown
1967Pinocchiova dobrodružství (5 Episodes) as (voice)
1966Svatební cesta aneb Ještě ne, Evžene! as Unknown
1966Sedm sestřiček as Unknown
1966Cesta řeky k moři as Unknown
1966Who Wants to Kill Jessie? as Unknown
1966Poslední růže od Casanovy as Unknown
1966The Phantom of Morrisville as Unknown
1966Every Young Man as voják
1966Crime at the Girls School as Prop Man (segment "Jak se koupe žena")
1966Bejvávalo (5 Episodes) as Unknown
1965A Prayer for Katerina Horovitzova as krejčí
1965Případy komisaře Mejzlíka (1 Episode) as Unknown
1965Bubny as Unknown
1965Polka jede do světa as Unknown
1964Tři chlapi po roce as (uncredited)
1964Fear as okrskář v Roudné
1964Začít znova as Unknown
1964The Hope as Fojtar
1964Zajatci tmy as Unknown
1964Šlechetný cowboy Sandy as Unknown
1963Tři chlapi v chalupě as Unknown
1963Death Is Called Engelchen as Unknown
1963Světáci as Unknown
1963Táto, přečti to! as Unknown
1962Sganarel lékařem as Unknown
1962Malý Bobeš ve městě as Unknown
1962The Black Dynasty as Unknown
1962Objev na Střapaté hůrce as Unknown
1962The Fabulous Baron Munchausen as Michal Ardan
1962Chicken on Travels as Teacher
1962Tvrdohlavá žena a zamilovaný školní mládenec as Unknown
1961Tři chlapi v chalupě (8 Episodes) as Arnošt Kacíř
1961Spadla s měsíce as Unknown
1961Where an Alibi Is Not Everything as Moravec
1961Policejní hodina as Unknown
1961Black Saturday as Slávek (voice)
1960Bajaja as Unknown
1960Všude žijí lidé as Rehák
1960Zkouška pokračuje as Inspicient
1960Letiště nepřijímá as Pilot Dvořák
1959Dařbuján a Pandrhola as Unknown
1959Dům na Ořechovce as Unknown
1958Desire as Brother-in-law (segment "Lidé na zemi a hvezdy na nebi")
1958The Fabulous World of Jules Verne as The Man on the Train
1958Tlustý anděl z Rouenu as Unknown
1958Měšťáci as Unknown
1956Medvěd as Unknown
1954Shoesmachine as laborer
1954Nedělní dostaveníčko as Unknown
1949I andělé ztrácejí trpělivost as Unknown
1948Bambi-Verleihung (1 Episode) as Self