Czech actress Eliška Pleyová, Known for Film Roles and Style, Dies by Suicide at 30 Amid Gestapo Scrutiny
Prague, September 8, 1942 – Eliška Pleyová, a celebrated Czech actress and frequently enough lauded as one of the most stylish women of her time, has died by suicide at the age of 30. Her death, occurring just two months after her second birthday, casts a shadow over the Czech film and theater community and reveals a tragic consequence of Nazi occupation.
Pleyová rose to prominence in the 1930s, appearing in approximately twenty films, frequently portraying mannequins, fashion salon owners, secretaries, and barmaids. Titles included Miss Mother, Grandfather Against his Will, and Girl in Blue. Beyond film, she performed in operettas, securing engagements at the Oldřich Nový Theater, the Brno provincial theater, and, most recently, the Tyl Theater in Nusle. She also contributed to radio and music productions, consistently recognized for her impeccable fashion sense.
In 1942, Pleyová’s final film role was a mannequin in Otakar Vávra’s romantic drama, Enchanted. She would not live to see its premiere. Her death followed a suicide attempt during a recovery stay in Luhačovice, where she cut her wrist with a razor. She was hospitalized in Uherské Hradiště, but tragically jumped from a window, resulting in fatal injuries.
sources indicate Pleyová’s desperate act stemmed from fear of arrest by the Gestapo.She learned she was under surveillance due to a close acquaintance’s involvement with the resistance movement. Pleyová died unmarried and without children.News of her death was briefly reported in Czech periodicals at the time. She was buried on September 12, 1942, at the Buben Cemetery in Prague.
