Eduard Bass (born Eduard Schmidt; 1 January 1888 – 2 October 1946) was a Czech prose writer, journalist and singer. He began his career as a cabaret artist, but from 1920 he worked as a journalist and was one of the most respected journalists of his time. During his journalistic career, he also wrote several novels. His most famous works include Klapzubova jedenáctka and Cirkus Humberto.
Life
Eduard Bass was born Eduard Schmidt on 1 January 1888 in the Újezd district of Prague. In 1905, he graduated from the real school in Prague-Old Town and at the same time he apprenticed with his father, who owned a small brush factory. From 1905, he studied chemistry at the Czech Technical University in Prague, but also worked as a sales representative for his father's company. While working, he travelled around Europe, attending cabaret performances, and he aspired to perform in cabaret himself.
In 1910, he began performing in the Prague cabaret U Bílé labutě ('At White Swan'). Because the singer František Leopold Šmíd with a similar surname was the main star there, he took the pseudonym Bass after his sonorous bass voice. In 1913, he moved to the Červená sedma ('Red Seven') cabaret, and later became its director. In 1915, he married actress (and later sculptor) Táňa Kryková and moved into a house on Jiráskovo Square.
Other successful novels by Bass are Cirkus Humberto (1941) and Lidé z maringotek (1942). Both are about people working in circuses, the first written as epic saga and the second in the form of short stories. The first was filmed as a TV series (Cirkus Humberto; 1988) and the second as a movie (People on Wheels; 1966).
Selected works
His literary work include:
See also
- List of Czech writers