Karel Dodal

Karel Dodal (21 January 1900 – 6 July 1986) was a Czech advertising filmmaker, animator, animated film director and producer and founder of animation in Czechoslovakia. Together with Irena Dodalová they founded IRE-film company, which produced first animated advertising films and independent animations of the 1930s.

Life Karel Dodal was born in Prague, Bohemia, Austria-Hungary (today the Czech Republic) on 21 January 1900. After World War I he was trained as a varnisher, soon he got his first job as a backdrops painter in theatre and film studio Urania, Prague. In mid 1920s he became animator and special effects assistant in Elekta Journal studio, creating graphs, animated backgrounds and film tricks.

Work In Elekta Journal Dodal created his first animations (unreleased film A Water Sprite in Love) and met his first wife and collaborator Hermína Týrlová. In mid 30's they produced 2 films together – Bimbo's Unfortunate Adventure and Tommy and Merimaid, inspired by American cartoons and animations, such as Felix the Cat). In the late 30's Elekta Journal policy in cinema advertisement changed, Dodal and Týrlová were fired and unsuccessfully tried to establish their own animation film studio. Couple divorced shortly after. Soon Karel Dodal met her future wife and collaborator Irena Leschnerová (born Rosnerová, later Irena Dodalová). They married in 1933 and founded a new animation studio IRE-film in Prague.

Dodal had to close their studio due to financial crisis in 1938. He moved to the United States, his wife Irena was transported to Theresienstadt Ghetto. They met after World War II in the United States. As they were not successful in continuation of their animation film production, they moved to Argentina, where they were offered jobs. Dodal moved without his wife to the United States, where he became a university film professor until his retirement.