Who Wants to Kill Jessie?

Superman as a cunning villain, a dangerous gunslinger, and the sexy Jessie unexpectedly enter the lives of the Beránek family. And Mr. Beránek himself is largely to blame. If only he had dreamed about his wife, none of this would have happened!

The comic-book comedy Who Wants to Kill Jessie? marks the debut of a brilliant duo: director Václav Vorlíček and screenwriter Miloš Macourek. The film is strikingly politically incorrect, especially considering that in a socialist country it was forbidden to draw on Western cultural models—unless in the form of parody. That is why the characters from a bad American comic book must ultimately submit to the censorship of dreams, overseen by an emancipated professor from a socialist country. At the same time, the comic-book aesthetic gave the creators considerable freedom, both in terms of the plot and its visual form: the characters do not speak, but communicate through speech bubbles. It is also worth mentioning that the animated elements were created by the legendary Czech cartoonist Kája Saudek. The originality of the film is further demonstrated by the fact that it attracted the interest of American producers, although the planned remake was ultimately abandoned after the events of August 1968.

Petr Vlček

Václav Vorlíček (1930–2019) – film director and screenwriter renowned for his distinctive blend of fantasy, humor, and imaginative storytelling. His films are marked by inventive plots, playful confrontations between the real and the imaginary, and a deep fascination with magic, science fiction, and eccentric scientific experiments. He began his career at Barrandov Studios as an assistant set designer. He later studied directing at FAMU (1951–1956) and returned to Barrandov as an assistant director. In the early 1960s, he started directing independently, focusing mainly on children’s films and comedies. Many of his works went on to achieve cult status, and in the Czech Republic he is often affectionately referred to as the king of fairy tales and comedy.

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