Krawicz, Mieczysław

(1893-1944)

   Film director, scriptwriter, and set designer Krawicz belonged to a group of the most popular prewar Polish filmmakers. He started his career in the mid-1920s working as a set designer for Edward Puchalski, Aleksander Hertz, and Ryszard Ordyński. In 1929 he directed his first film, the melodrama Sinful Love (Grzeszna miłość) starring Jadwiga Smosarska, who later appeared in some of his films such as the costume drama The Countess of Łowicz (Księżna Łowicka, 1932), the comedy Jadzia (1936), and the melodrama I Lied (Skłamałam, 1937). Apart from Smosarska, Krawicz worked with the best-known Polish actors: Eugeniusz Bodo, Adolf Dymsza, Ina Benita, Franciszek Brodniewicz, and Aleksander Żabczyński. The list of Krawicz's films includes The Masked Spy (Szpieg w masce, 1933), featuring prewar cabaret icon Hanka Ordonówna who sings Henryk Wars's song "Love Will Forgive You Everything" ("Miłość ci wszystko wybaczy"), one of the prewar musical hits. Krawicz's trademark became simple yet charming comedies such as Good for Nothing (Niedorajda, 1937) and Paweł and Gaweł (Paweł i Gaweł, 1938), both with Dymsza, and melodramas such as What We Don't Talk About (O czym się nie mówi, 1939), with Stanisława Angel-Engelówna and Mieczysław Cybulski.

   Other films: On the Path of Shame (Szlakiem hańby, 1929), Uhlans, Uhlans (Ułani, ułani, chłopcy malowani, 1932), Everybody May Love (Kazdemu wolno kochać, 1933), Uhlan's Pledge (aka Love in the Army, Śluby ułańskie, 1934), Two Joasias (Dwie Joasie, 1935), His Great Love (Jego wielka miłość, 1936), My Parents Are Getting Divorced (Moi rodzice rozwodzą się, 1938), Hubert and Bertrand (Hubert i Bertrand, 1938), I'm the Boss Here (Ja tu rządzę, 1939), A Sportsman against His Will (Sportowiec mimo woli, 1939).

   Historical Dictionary of Polish Cinema by Marek Haltof