Jan Rubes
Encyclopedia
Jan Ladislav Rubeš CM
(6 June 1920 – 29 June 2009) was a Czech-Canadian bass
opera
singer and actor
.
, Czechoslovakia
, the son of Ružena (née Kellnerová) and Jan Rubeš. Not too long after World War II
, he graduated from the Prague Conservatoire
and joined the Prague Opera House as a bass singer. In 1948, he won first prize at the Geneva International Music Festival, and emigrated to Canada
at the end of the year to pursue a career in a wider sphere.
Beginning as a singer with the Canadian Opera Company
, he subsequently directed and became director of touring, before switching to radio and television, where he became known as an actor and presenter well known in Canada.
He is noted for his portrayal of an Amish
patriarch in Peter Weir
's major-market film Witness
.
On 22 September 1950, Rubeš was married to Susan Douglas Rubeš
, by whom he has three sons, Dr. Christopher Jan Rubeš (M.D.; deceased, 1996), Jonathan Mark Rubeš, and Anthony Dean Rubeš.
His nephew Jan Rubeš was worked in Czech Television
programs and stayed in the foreign film market. He is also an actor.
On 29 June 2009, Rubeš died after a stroke in Toronto General Hospital.
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
(6 June 1920 – 29 June 2009) was a Czech-Canadian bass
Bass (voice type)
A bass is a type of male singing voice and possesses the lowest vocal range of all voice types. According to The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, a bass is typically classified as having a range extending from around the second E below middle C to the E above middle C...
opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
singer and actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
.
Life and career
Rubeš was born in VolyněVolyne
Volyně is a small, ancient market town in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic, situated around south of Prague, roughly mid-way between Strakonice and Vimperk. Volyně has a resident population of 3,180 as of 2005...
, Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
, the son of Ružena (née Kellnerová) and Jan Rubeš. Not too long after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he graduated from the Prague Conservatoire
Prague Conservatory
Prague Conservatory, sometimes also Prague Conservatoire, in Czech Pražská konzervatoř, is a Czech secondary school in Prague dedicated to teaching the arts of music and theater acting.- Instruction :...
and joined the Prague Opera House as a bass singer. In 1948, he won first prize at the Geneva International Music Festival, and emigrated to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
at the end of the year to pursue a career in a wider sphere.
Beginning as a singer with the Canadian Opera Company
Canadian Opera Company
The Canadian Opera Company is an opera company in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is the largest opera company in Canada and the third largest producer of opera in North America. The COC performs in its own opera house, the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts.-History:For 40 years until...
, he subsequently directed and became director of touring, before switching to radio and television, where he became known as an actor and presenter well known in Canada.
He is noted for his portrayal of an Amish
Amish
The Amish , sometimes referred to as Amish Mennonites, are a group of Christian church fellowships that form a subgroup of the Mennonite churches...
patriarch in Peter Weir
Peter Weir
Peter Lindsay Weir, AM is an Australian film director. After playing a leading role in the Australian New Wave cinema with his films such as Picnic at Hanging Rock, The Last Wave and Gallipoli, Weir directed a diverse group of American and international films—many of them major box office...
's major-market film Witness
Witness (1985 film)
Witness is a 1985 American thriller film directed by Peter Weir and starring Harrison Ford and Kelly McGillis. The screenplay by William Kelley, Pamela Wallace, and Earl W...
.
On 22 September 1950, Rubeš was married to Susan Douglas Rubeš
Susan Douglas Rubes
Susan Douglas Rubes is an Austrian-born actress and producer.She was born Zuzka Zenta in Vienna, Austria, the daughter of Alfred and Charlotte Burstein. When she was young, her parents moved to a ranch in central Bohemia, Czechoslovakia...
, by whom he has three sons, Dr. Christopher Jan Rubeš (M.D.; deceased, 1996), Jonathan Mark Rubeš, and Anthony Dean Rubeš.
His nephew Jan Rubeš was worked in Czech Television
Czech television
Czech television may refer to:*Television in the Czech Republic*Česká televize...
programs and stayed in the foreign film market. He is also an actor.
On 29 June 2009, Rubeš died after a stroke in Toronto General Hospital.
Awards and recognition
- 1989: nominee, 10th Genie Awards10th Genie AwardsThe 10th annual Genie Awards were held on March 22, 1989. This was in the middle of a strike at the CBC that caused the ceremony to be scaled down and several nominees to boycott the awards in sympathy. The awards were dominated by David Cronenberg's Dead Ringers which won ten awards...
, Best Actor, Something About Love - 1990: winner, Earle Grey AwardEarle Grey AwardThe Earle Grey Award is the Lifetime Achievement Award of the Canadian Gemini Awards. The Earle Grey Award is presented annually to an actor or actress in recognition of their body of work in television...
- 1995: appointed Member, Order of CanadaOrder of CanadaThe Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
Motion pictures
- 1950: Forbidden JourneyForbidden JourneyForbidden Journey was a political thriller film situated in post-World War II Canada. A communist spy attempts to pass information to his uncle in Canada while spies try to hunt him down. It starred Jan Rubes and his future wife Susan Douglas. The film premiered at the Princess Theater in...
- 1963: The Incredible JourneyThe Incredible JourneyThe Incredible Journey, by British author Sheila Burnford, is a children's book first published by Hodder & they travel 300 miles through the Canadian wilderness searching for their beloved masters. It reveals the suffering and stress of an arduous journey, together with the unwavering loyalty and...
- 1975: Lions For Breakfast
- 1979: Your Ticket is No Longer Valid
- 1980: Mr. Patman
- 1981: The Amateur
- 1981: Utilities
- 1985: Murder in Space (TV series)Murder in Space (TV series)Murder in Space is a science fiction murder mystery movie set in the near future. The crew of an international space mission are on the return leg from Mars to Earth when an explosion occurs on the craft Conestoga, shortly after the murders start...
- 1985: One Magic ChristmasOne Magic ChristmasOne Magic Christmas is a 1985 Canadian-American holiday film from Walt Disney Pictures directed by Phillip Borsos and starring Mary Steenburgen and Harry Dean Stanton.-Synopsis:...
- 1985: WitnessWitness (1985 film)Witness is a 1985 American thriller film directed by Peter Weir and starring Harrison Ford and Kelly McGillis. The screenplay by William Kelley, Pamela Wallace, and Earl W...
- 1987: Blood Relations
- 1987: Dead of WinterDead of WinterDead of Winter is a thriller film made in 1987 It was directed by Arthur Penn and is a remake of the 1945 film My Name Is Julia Ross and stars Mary Steenburgen who plays three roles in the film.-Plot:...
- 1988: The Outside Chance of Maximilian GlickThe Outside Chance of Maximilian GlickThe Outside Chance of Maximilian Glick is a 1990 Canadian film based on the novel by Morley Torgov.-Plot:The story is about a young Jewish boy from a small Manitoba community who has an overbearing family. To make matters more difficult, he likes a Christian girl, whom he later competes with in a...
- 1988: Something About Love
- 1988: This Kiss
- 1989: Blind Fear
- 1989: Cold Front
- 1989: Courage MountainCourage MountainCourage Mountain is a 1990 independent drama film sequel to Johanna Spyri's novel Heidi...
- 1989: The ExpertsThe Experts (1989 film)The Experts is a 1989 American comedy film starring John Travolta, Arye Gross and Kelly Preston. It was written by Steven Greene, Eric Alter, and Nick Thiel and directed by Dave Thomas.-Plot:...
- 1990: The Amityville CurseThe Amityville CurseThe Amityville Curse is the fifth installment to the Amityville Horror saga and was directed by Tom Berry, it stars Kim Coates, Cassandra Gava and Jan Rubes.-Plot:...
- 1991: DeceivedDeceivedDeceived is a 1991 American thriller film starring Goldie Hawn and John Heard.-Plot:Adrienne Sauders is happily married to her art dealer husband, Jack . They have one child together. Adrienne hears from a friend that she thought she saw Jack in town when he claimed to be on an out of town...
- 1991: Class ActionClass Action (1991 film)Class Action is a 1991 American drama thriller film directed by Michael Apted. Gene Hackman and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio star; Laurence Fishburne, Colin Friels, Fred Dalton Thompson, and Donald Moffat are also featured.-Plot:...
- 1992: On My Own
- 1993: Coming of Age
- 1994: D2: The Mighty DucksD2: The Mighty DucksD2: The Mighty Ducks is the second film in The Mighty Ducks trilogy and the first theatrical sequel to The Mighty Ducks. It was produced by Avnet–Kerner Productions and distributed by Walt Disney Pictures, and it was originally released on March 25, 1994...
- 1994: The Birds 2: Land's End
- 1994: Mesmer
- 1995: Roommates
- 1997: Never Too Late
- 1998: Music from Another Room
- 1998: The White Raven
- 1999: Nightmare Man
- 1999: Snow Falling on CedarsSnow Falling on Cedars (film)Snow Falling on Cedars is a film directed by Scott Hicks. It is based on David Guterson's novel of the same title. It was released in 1999 and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Cinematography.-Plot:...
- 2000: Believe
- 2001: Anthrax
- 2002: The Burial SocietyThe Burial SocietyThe Burial Society is a 2002 is a neo-noir thriller film written and directed by Nicholas Racz. The film stars Rob LaBelle, Jan Rubes, Allan Rich, Bill Meilen, Seymour Cassel, and David Paymer...
- 2003: The Republic of Love
- 2004: Daniel and the Superdogs
Television movies
- 1975: Deadly Harvest
- 1977: The Day My Granddad Died
- 1984: Charlie Grant's War
- 1985: Murder by Reason of Insanity
- 1988: No Blame
- 1988: Two Men
- 1990: Descending Angel
- 1992: Devlin
- 1994: The Birds II: Land's EndThe Birds II: Land's EndThe Birds II: Land's End is the 1994 television movie sequel to Alfred Hitchcock's 1963 classic The Birds. It stars Brad Johnson, Chelsea Field, James Naughton, and Tippi Hedren, in a role different from the one she played in the original Hitchcock film. The original music score was composed by Ron...
- 1994: "Lamb Chop in the Haunted Studio" (PBS)
- 1995: Serving in Silence: The Margarethe Cammermeyer StoryServing in Silence: The Margarethe Cammermeyer StoryServing in Silence: The Margarethe Cammermeyer Story is a 1995 American television film on NBC.-Plot:The film recounts the events in the life of Colonel Margarethe Cammermeyer which led to her retirement from the Washington National Guard under the U.S...
- 1996: The Marriage Bed
- 1997: Flood: A River's Rampage
- 1999: What Katy Did
- 2005: Our FathersOur Fathers (film)Our Fathers is a 2005 television film directed by Dan Curtis and starring Ted Danson, Christopher Plummer, Brian Dennehy and Ellen Burstyn...
Television series
- 1963: The Forest RangersThe Forest RangersThe Forest Rangers was a Canadian television series that ran from 1963 to 1965. It was a co-production between CBC Television and ITC Entertainment and was Canada's first television show produced in colour...
- 1970-1971: Castle Zaremba
- 1983: Vandenberg
- 1975-1983: Guess What (host)
- 1985: Kane & Abel (miniseries)
- 1986: Crossings (miniseries)
- 1986: Kay O'BrienKay O'BrienKay O'Brien is an American television series set at fictional Manhattan General Hospital, that aired for one season on CBS during the 1986-87 television season.-Overview:...
- 1988: Sharon, Lois & Bram's Elephant Show (Special guest)
- 1990-1992: Max Glick
- 1992: By Way of the Stars (miniseries)
- 1996: The X-FilesThe X-FilesThe X-Files is an American science fiction television series and a part of The X-Files franchise, created by screenwriter Chris Carter. The program originally aired from to . The show was a hit for the Fox network, and its characters and slogans became popular culture touchstones in the 1990s...
- 1996-1998: Due SouthDue SouthDue South is a Canadian crime drama series with elements of comedy. The series was created by Paul Haggis, produced by Alliance Communications, and stars Paul Gross, David Marciano, and latterly Callum Keith Rennie...
- 1997: The Third Twin (miniseries)
- 2000: Stargate SG-1Stargate SG-1Stargate SG-1 is a Canadian-American adventure and military science fiction television series and part of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's Stargate franchise. The show, created by Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner, is based on the 1994 feature film Stargate by Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich...
External links
- Jan Rubes at The Canadian EncyclopediaThe Canadian EncyclopediaThe Canadian Encyclopedia is a source of information on Canada. It is available online, at no cost. The Canadian Encyclopedia is available in both English and French and includes some 14,000 articles in each language on a wide variety of subjects including history, popular culture, events, people,...
- NorthernStars: Jan Rubes