Released in 1964, director Oldrich Lipský's Lemonade Joe is the most famous and delightful musical Western parody in the history of Czechoslovak cinema. The screenplay was co-written by the director and the original author, Jirí based on his short stories serialized in a magazine and his stage play. The film is set in "Stetson City," a lawless town rampant with whiskey and gunfighters. The story follows the chaos that unfolds when the righteous cowboy Joe (Karel Fiala) suddenly arrives on the scene, confronting the rugged outlaws and promoting a wholesome soft drink, "Kolaloka" lemonade, to the townsfolk. Wittily subverting the clichés of classic Hollywood Westerns, the film is filled with cheerful slapstick comedy, silent film-era visual aesthetics, unique color-tinting effects, and witty musical numbers. It is a fascinating film highlighted by the brilliant ensemble of renowned…
