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The Junk Shop is a 1965 Czechoslovak comedic short film directed by Juraj Herz, based on a story by Bohumil Hrabal called Baron Prasil. It is the very first film made by the director. Though his very first film, it displays his knack for bizarre, disquieting and creepy visuals that will become more prominent throughout his career. This film was originally intended to be part of the anthology film Pearls of the Deep but it was excluded due to its running time being too long. The film follows a group of comical patrons and shopkeepers at a local junk shop, including Hanta (Václav Halama), the titular Baron Prasil, a pervert, comedian and scoundrel who is missing his front teeth, his boss Bohoušek (František Ketzek), a straight man who is constantly aggravated by the odd personalities at his shop and Mařenka ( Bobina Maršatová ), a beautiful woman who lives on the next floor who Bohoušek admires. Hedvicka is another young woman Bohoušek admires though she offends him when she mentions the scale he steps on lists his weight as 364 pounds. "Cleo" is another patron, an older Hindu woman with facial hair growing in who constantly irritates Bohoušek with tales of her former youth and beauty. The cast is largely non-professional actors which is not unusual for the Czech new wave. Cast Václav Halama as Hanta Frantisek Ketzek as Bohoušek Bobina Maršatová as Mařenka Libuse Palecková as Pepicek's angry mother Plot Bohoušek works at his junk shop dealing with very odd people all day. He mentions he would like to win a car in the new contest. He spots Mařenka airing a carpet on the next floor while scantily-clad and imagines her as various famous paintings such as the Mona Lisa. The homely old woman with a mustache Cleo comes in outraged that she is only offered one crown for the love letters from her former suitors. She claims she was a famous beauty and deserves more money for her letters. Hedvicka shows up and weighs herself at 100 pounds on Bohoušek's scale. He tries next and is offended when she says he is 364 pounds. Bohoušek says Hedvicka is lovely and draws circles on the breast of her shirt. She says he deserves to be slapped for that. Cleo shows up again and whines again that her letters are worth so little. She says she was once a famous circus dancer all the men admired and hurls a knife at Bohoušek. He is fed up with her stories and makes her leave. He gives her five crowns to leave him alone.