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PAN TAU

Who doesn't remember of the amazing adventures of Pan Tau. The serial started in 1967 and ended in 1988 with a movie. 
Pan Tau is a friend of children able to change his appearance into a puppet by tapping with his fingers on his bowler. He won the hearts of children in a flash and as a result of his countless adventures he left an unforgettable impression on those children who were allowed to follow his adventures on TV. Together with his unusual dress and his magic bowler Pan Tau possesses a further distinguishing feature - he doesn't speak.

To the most successful episodes count those where Pan Tau together with Claudia and her grandfather rove through the land as tramps, and of course the climax of the serial with the Urban family who lives on the outskirts of Prag together with three generations. A member of this family (Alphons Urban) has been missing for many years and is the spitting image of Pan Tau. 
After Pan Tau had found the lost one and had brought him back to his family the craziest situations arose, particularly since Alphons appeared double from time to time (of course the double was Pan Tau). Only in these episodes Pan Tau alias Alphons Urban alias actor Otto Simanek was able to speak in this role.
The story round the family Urban comprised a total of 13 episodes, among other things the incomparable actor Vladimir Mensik (1924 - 1988) appeared in these episodes, who also acted in many other movies for children.

Altogether the Pan Tau serial comprises 33 episodes.
 

1. Pan Tau tritt auf 
2. Pan Tau und die schöne Bescherung
3. Pan Tau im Schnee
4. Pan Tau und der lange Sonntag
5. Pan Tau geht in die Schule 
6. Pan Tau und lauter Wasser 
7. Pan Tau und Claudia im Schloß 
8. Pan Pau packt die Koffer 
9. Pan Tau geht auf Reisen 
10. Pan Tau und die Zirkuswelt 
11. Pan Tau fährt Taxi 
12. Pan Tau wird gesucht
13. Pan Tau ist wieder da 
14. Pan Tau macht eine Bauchlandung 
15. Pan Tau und Robinson 
16. Pan Tau im Ballon 
17. Pan Tau und der Ziegenhund 
18. Pan Tau und die Verwandten 
19. Pan Tau macht Quark 
20. Pan Tau wird untersucht 
21. Pan Tau und vereinzelt Sonnenschein 
22. Pan Tau tanzt aus der Reihe 
23. Pan Tau und die Jagd auf den Frosch 
24. Pan Tau und der Blechschaden 
25. Pan Tau baut um 
26. Pan Tau unbekannt verzogen 
27. Alarm in den Wolken 
28. Elefantenjagd 
29. Das ist nicht zu fassen 
30. Zaubern ist nicht leicht 
31. Rein in die Kartoffeln, raus aus den Kartoffeln 
32. Die vertauschte Melone 
33. Auf Wiedersehen, Pan Tau

Added to these was the movie "Pan Tau - The Movie" in 1988.

With Pan Tau the Czech film underlined its leading role in a number of unforgettable movies for children like "Die Besucher", "Luzie, der Schrecken der Strasse", "Drei Haselnüsse für Aschenbrödel", "Die Märchenbraut", "Der fliegende Ferdinand" and "Der Zauberrabe Rumburak". 
Like for many other successful productions of the genre the director Jindrich Polak (1925) and the writer Ota Hofman were behind the successful figure of Pan Tau.
 


The actor Otto Simanek, born in 1925, gave the fairytale figure Pan Tau his shape. Simanek can be described as an absolute lucky chance. His childlike enthusiasm and his humor went down well by the viewers.

Together with his role as Pan Tau Otto Simanek had entrances in movies like "Der Baron von Münchhausen" (61), "Ta nase pisnicka ceska" (67), "Prisne tajne premiery" (67), "Zralé vino" (81) "Die Besucher" (83) and "Chobotnice z druhého patra" (86).

In 1992 the likeable actor died in Prague.


 
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