Věra Špinarová declined iconic ‘Girl on the Broom’ role amid 1970s Czech film casting misses

In the early 1970s, singer‑actress Věra Špinarová turned down the starring role of Saxana in the Czech fairy‑tale comedy Girl on the Broom (Dívka na koštěti). She chose to honor a lucrative concert tour of Germany and Switzerland, later regretting the decision when the film became a major hit.

The part was eventually given to Petra Černocká, while Milena Steinmasslová, who was also considered, played a smaller role. Another casting anecdote involves the 1957 drama Wolf’s Den (Vlčí jáma) by director Jiří Weiss. Actress Jana Rybářová was slated to portray the lead character Jana, but she died by suicide hours before filming began, and the role went to Jana Brejchová.

These missed opportunities illustrate how personal choices and tragic events shaped the careers of several Czech performers during the mid‑20th‑century film era.