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.
Known For
Bambi
1948
Bakaláři
1972
Pan Tau
1970
Pan Tau
1970
Das Sonntagskonzert
1969
Arabela
1980
Arabela
1980
The Visitors
1983
F. L. Věk
1971
Hříšní lidé města pražského
1969
Malý pitaval z velkého města
1983
Three Wishes for Cinderella
1973
Filmography
Bambi
as Self · 1948
Bakaláři
· 1972
Pan Tau
as Pan Tau · 1970
Pan Tau
as Pan Tau / Alfons · 1970
Das Sonntagskonzert
as Self · 1969
Arabela
· 1980
Arabela
as (uncredited) · 1980
The Visitors
· 1983
F. L. Věk
· 1971
Hříšní lidé města pražského
· 1969
Malý pitaval z velkého města
· 1983
Three Wishes for Cinderella
as King (voice) (uncredited) · 1973
Úsměvy světa
· 1969
The Train of Childhood and Expectation
· 1989
Inženýrská odysea
· 1980
Muž na radnici
· 1976
Sňatky z rozumu
· 1968
The Fabulous World of Jules Verne
as The Man on the Train · 1958
The Octopuses from the Second Floor
as Teacher · 1986
The Dow Hour of Great Mysteries
as Kaiser · 1960
Tři chlapi v chalupě
as Arnošt Kacíř · 1961
Poručík Petr
· 1981
Bejvávalo
· 1966
The Fabulous Baron Munchausen
as Michal Ardan · 1962
Had z ráje
as Mr. Forchheim · 1981
Případy komisaře Mejzlíka
· 1965
Pinocchiova dobrodružství
as (voice) · 1967
Little Dorrit
· 1967
Death Is Called Engelchen
· 1963
Tomorrow I'll Wake Up and Scald Myself with Tea
as Patrick White · 1977
Tři mušketýři
· 1983
Who Wants to Kill Jessie?
· 1966
You Are a Widow, Sir
as průmyslník Alfred Keletti · 1971
Dobrodružství šesti trampů
· 1970
The End of Agent W4C
as Inventor · 1967
Tvrdohlavá žena a zamilovaný školní mládenec
· 1962
Dva muži hlásí příchod
· 1975
...and again that Lucy!
as Mall Detective · 1984
Nedělní dostaveníčko
· 1954
Maryla
· 1969
Bidýlko
· 1967
Ta naše písnička česká
· 1967
The Hope
as Fojtar · 1964
Crime at the Girls School
as Prop Man (segment "Jak se koupe žena") · 1966
Pan Tau – der Film
as Rudolf Karasek / Josef Novák · 1988
Poslední růže od Casanovy
· 1966
Tlustý anděl z Rouenu
· 1958
Lucy, the Menace of Street
as Mall Detective · 1984
Svatební cesta aneb Ještě ne, Evžene!
· 1966
A Prayer for Katerina Horovitzova
as krejčí · 1965
The Octopuses from the Second Floor
· 1987
Básník, služka a král
· 1977
No Magic from Tomorrow
as Pan Tau · 1979
Spadla s měsíce
· 1961
Merry Christmas Octopus
as učitel · 1987
Zajatci tmy
· 1964
Men About Town
as muž · 1969
Black Saturday
as Slávek (voice) · 1961
Cesta řeky k moři
· 1966
One of Them Is the Murderer
as Adam (voice) · 1971
Podnájem na Champs Ellysèes
as Georges De Rillettes · 1991
Švec Janek v pohádkové zemi
· 1979
Ohnivé ženy se vracejí
· 1987
Tři chlapi po roce
as (uncredited) · 1964
Panenka z vltavské tůně
· 1976
Dařbuján a Pandrhola
· 1959
Malý Bobeš ve městě
· 1962
Objev na Střapaté hůrce
· 1962
Sganarel lékařem
· 1962
I andělé ztrácejí trpělivost
· 1949
Sedm žen Alfonse Karáska aneb Když holky berou, já nevím kterou
· 1967
Co je platno kárat, co je platno kázat
· 1978
Desire
as Brother-in-law (segment "Lidé na zemi a hvezdy na nebi") · 1958
Stalo se jedné neděle
· 1985
Začít znova
· 1964
Touha Sherlocka Holmese
· 1972
Polka jede do světa
· 1965
Táto, přečti to!
· 1963
Přísně tajné premiéry
as lupič Mareček · 1968
The Phantom of Morrisville
as Miky · 1966
Honza a Růžová panenka
as táta · 1975
Lásky Emanuela Přibyla
· 1971
Všude žijí lidé
as Rehák · 1960
O kohoutovi, kose a kocourovi
· 1969
Duch soudce Pauknera
· 1983
The Black Dynasty
· 1962
Šlechetný cowboy Sandy
· 1964
Chicken on Travels
as Teacher · 1962
Policejní hodina
· 1961
Tři chlapi v chalupě
· 1963
Fear
as okrskář v Roudné · 1964
Young Wine
· 1986
Wine Working
· 1976
Bubny
· 1965
Kalif čápem
· 1970
Alarm in the Clouds
as Pan Tau · 1978
Where an Alibi Is Not Everything
as Moravec · 1961
Světáci
· 1963
Every Young Man
as voják · 1966
Poslední návrat
· 1983
Kde bydlí štěstí
as zlatník · 1987
Shoesmachine
as laborer · 1954
Mature Wine
· 1981
Zelená vlna
· 1982
Území strachu
· 1986
Měšťáci
· 1958
Dům na Ořechovce
· 1959
Santa Lucia
· 1985
O bílém jadýrku
· 1983
Vo modrým ptáčku
· 1968
Kamenný orchestr
as Matas · 1982
Svatby pana Voka
· 1971
Sedm sestřiček
· 1966
Medvěd
· 1956
Bajaja
· 1960
Šach mat
· 1985
Letiště nepřijímá
as Pilot Dvořák · 1960
Údolie večných karaván
· 1968
Trezor
as Adámek · 1989
Zkouška pokračuje
as Inspicient · 1960
Statečný Azmun
· 1986
Vajíčko
· 1969