Little Known Spaghetti Western Actors ~ Karel Effa

[These daily posts will cover little known actors or people that have appeared in more recent films and TV series. Various degrees of information that I was able to find will be given and anything that you can add would be appreciated.]

Karel Effa was born Karel Effenberger on May 23, 1922, in Prague. As an illegitimate child, he was raised in Březové Hory near Příbram. He returned to Prague after finishing elementary school and graduated from the business academy in Beroun. In 1940, he joined the government military garrison in Hradec Králové, which was deployed in Italy. He defected to the Allied army and joined the Czechoslovak troops.

After the war, he remained in the army as a sergeant in the Vít Nejedlý Army Art Ensemble (1945-1947). Instead of a military career, he eventually became an actor and went through the Theatre of Satire (1947-1948), the State Film Theatre (1948-1951), the Music Theatre in Karlín (1951-1955), Werich's ABC Theatre (1957-1958), the Karlín Theatre again (1960-1979) and Semafor (1979-1993). In the 1950s, he occasionally performed on stage.

He was brought to film by director Jiří Weiss in the role of the racer Jarda in the drama “Looted Border” (1947). That year, he also played the lifeguard Pobřísl “The Sign of the Anchor”, the auction participant in “Poslední mohykán”, “Portasi” (The Rrgular), “Antlers” (“The Stage Manager”), “The Stage Manager: Nobody Knows Anything” and the “Muzikant” (“The Musician). Effa has also appeared on radio and television productions

In all sixty-five films between 1947 and 1987.

In 1982 he was awarded the Meritorious Worker of Czechoslovak Cinematography. He was the author of dozens of tramp songs, which are still played today. He published a memoir book about his life experiences "In the Sign of Chance" (1987). Karel Effa died after a serious illness on June 11, 1993 in Prague at the age of seventy-one.

Karel Effa appeared in one Euro-western, “Limonádový Joe aneb Konská opera” (Lemonade Joe) as the Pancho Kid in 1964.

EFFA, Karel (aka Effa, K. Effa) (Karel Effenberger) [5/23/1922, Prague, Czechoslovakia – 6/11/1993, Prague, Czech Republic] – theater, film, TV actor, musician, singer.

Lemonade Joe – 1964 (Pancho Kid)