Limonádový Joe aneb Konská opera

Although this film is (obviously) all in Czech, most English speakers won't have any trouble figuring out the story, since it's an extremely broad parody of a genre most people are familiar with. The hero is dressed all in white, the bad guys wear black and skulk around like Snidely Whiplash. On the women's side, we have your basic saloon girl with a heart of gold and the virginal ingenue, who we know will eventually end up with Lemonade Joe. Considering this movie was made under Communist rule, it's a pretty dead-on satire of the American Western.

For forty years (oops, revealed my age, oh well), I have been trying to track this down. I first saw this film at age twelve, in a drive in theater, on a double bill with (I think) a re-release of "The Great Race". Historical note: the version I saw was dubbed, not subtitled (I long thought it Italian in origin); the tinting was not sepia with yellow highlights, it was just glaring yellow; and it was called "The Lemonaid Kid" not "Lemonaid Joe" (hence part of the difficulty tracking it down). (Since this release title is reminiscent of "The Lemondrop Kid", I can imagine paranoid lawyers at MGM giving this film's release a lot of hassle, which may explain how it got so buried.) I thought it the funniest thing I had ever seen and that impression stuck with me as I grew older and developed a taste for the more absurdist and aggressive style of comedy, e.g., the Marx Brothers, Monty Python, etc. i knew I had seen something very special in "Lemonaid", but found no references to it in movie catalogs like the Maltin book, and nobody who knew films seemed to know anything about it - and I come from Rochester, NY, home of the second largest collection of film in the country, the Dryden-Eastman collection. People there know film. But nobody knew this film.

This film had a major impact on a very young man and changed his taste in comedy forever, and perhaps changed all of his perceptions, insofar as humor is one of the most important responses we make to the world. That says a lot for the power of this film. I certainly hope another viewing will justify my warm memories of it.

Note added August 26, 2009:

Well, I finally found it - it is currently available in 10 chapters at Youtube.

It is not only everything I remember it for, but far more - one of the wildest visual comedies of its era and one of the sharpest satires I have ever seen.

The only weakness is the ending - while it makes its point, it's too blunt and too easy.

But the rest of the film is basically Brecht-Weill remaking "Support Your Local Sheriff" (which hadn't been made yet, of course) - absolutely incredible mix of pop culture and art-house comedy styles, as unforgettable now as it was 40 years ago (well beyond mere 'camp,' it hasn't aged a bit), decidedly one of a kind.

(PS - I've read Leone fans wondering if this film references "fistful of Dollars" - oh, no - Leone, Corbucci, and other Italian directors were almost certainly influenced by this.)

Made during the "Prague Spring", which produced a burst of creativity, this movie brims with lightheartedness and wild satirical wit. It's a spoof of Westerns, not so much the John Ford type as silent-movie serials. I could go on a long time telling you my favorite jokes from it, but I won't... Lobby your local revival theater or TV station, because too few people have had the opportunity to see this utterly original movie.

Oldrich Lipsky was a Czech director who was well known in his country for unique bizarre comedies. Silly, wacky and crazy are just a couple words to describe his films. "Lemonade Joe" is a musical western comedy. It's a fun parody that pays homage to the old west, and is filmed in awesome sepia tones. The movie makes many jokes and references to western culture, such as the town name of Stenson City. I love how over the top the film is. Great music, bar fights, slapstick and cartoonish gunfights. Lemonade Joe knows that alcohol will ruin his ability to shoot, so that's why he enjoys Kola-Loka Lemonade. Did I mention the film has hot and voluptuous Czech actresses. Eastern Europe women rock!(dobre) You must Czech out Lemonade Joe. For more Lipsky madness also watch "Dinner for Adele".

This is an amazingly broad comedy--very silly and cartoon-like. In many ways it's like a Czechoslovakian version of "The Villain".

This western is set in a lawless town in Arizona. A local saloon owner, Doug Badman, is thrilled that the entire town is evil--spending all their time getting drunk and availing themselves of the services of 'professional girls'. However, when Lemonade Joe shows up, he's out to clean up the town and introduce them to the invigorating effects of a lemonade drink, 'Kolaloka'. In fact, he's the regional rep for the product and shows everyone its benefits by shooting baddies right and left and restoring justice. Joe is a clever amalgam of various B-western heroes like Gene Autry and Roy Rogers, though he's even more virtuous--and looks a lot like Gene Raymond.

Doug's brother, the even more evil Horace Badman (also known as 'Hogofogo'), arrives in town and is upset to see that order and sobriety are the rule of the day. He's determined to destroy Lemonade Joe and steal his pure girlfriend. Horace is a LOT like the cartoon character Snidely Whiplash (from the "Dudley Dooright" cartoons). He's very cartoony and silly. I could say more about the plot but don't want to spoil it.

The film doesn't even try to be subtle in any way. The humor is very much the sort kids would like. But, despite being VERY cheesy and silly, it is fun and I had a few good laughs (I loved the cliff scene). The ending is pure chaos and silliness...but works. All in all, a super-silly but enjoyable romp.