Julius Fucik was a Czech composer and conductor of military bands. Today his marches are still played as patriotic music in the Czech Republic. However, his worldwide reputation rests on one work: his Opus 68 march, the Entrance of the Gladiators (Vjezd gladiatoru), which is universally recognized, often under the title Thunder and Blazes, as one of the most popular theme tunes for circus clowns.
