Fiala was born on 3 August 1925 in
Hrušov (Ostrava),
Czechoslovakia, and initially worked as a
chimney sweeper While still a student, Fiala began performing in operas at the
National Theatre in
Prague in 1949. He was committed to that theatre through 1954 after which he joined the roster of principal artists at the
Hudební divadlo Karlín where he performed roles for several decades. He was particularly successful in portraying parts in operettas and musicals, including such roles as Count Danilo in Lehar's
The Merry Widow, Freddy in
My Fair Lady, and Jim Kenyon in
Rose-Marie. Fiala is chiefly remembered for his numerous appearances in films of Czech operas, operettas, and musicals. His first film was in 1956 where he portrayed the title role in
Dalibor, a movie version of Smetana's
opera of the same name. A major success for him was the title part in the 1964 musical film
Lemonade Joe. ==Politics==