Czechoslovak Animated Film Study Notes

Author: Harriet R. Polt
Published in Film Quarterly, Spring 1964, Vol. 17, No. 3, pp. 31-40
Czechoslovak animated films have received numerous awards and are recognized as some of the world's outstanding examples in animation, specifically within Europe.
The study focuses on Czechoslovak animation studios and the evolution of Czech animated films from 1945 to the late 1950s, with emphasis on notable traditions in the genre.
Clarifications on the terminology surrounding animation are necessary due to differences in definitions across various cultures.

In the United States, "animation" primarily refers to drawn animation and is synonymous with "cartoon."
In Europe, particularly in France, the term "cinema d'animation" encompasses drawn animation, puppet animation, object animation, photo-animation, and other techniques involving non-live-action filmmaking.
In German and Czech, the equivalent term for animation is "trick film," covering various categories of non-live-action films.
This study will include all forms of animation—drawn, puppet, silhouette, painting, and photo-animation.

The Czechs began creating cartoons in the 1920s, but significant development in the animation industry occurred post-World War II.
The