SATIRE

Beginning in 1932, the now famous pair’s work turned increasingly anti-fascist, albeit their primary goal was to evoke laughter. Their parodies highlighted stupidity and totalitarianism. They produced an enormous amount of material and were also featured in four films together, including Pudr a Benzín (Powder and Gasoline, 1931) and Svět patří nám (The World Is Ours, 1937). After the Munich agreement of 1938, the political situation became tense, leading to the closure of the Liberated Theater of V+W on November 11 due to the pair’s anti-fascist ideology. After receiving an anonymous tip urging them to flee, Voskovec and Werich fled to the United States in January 1939. They were joined by their friend Jaroslav Ježek.