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- Bella Darvi became a 50s symbol for one of the many movie "Cinderellas" whose bright and beautiful Hollywood fairy tale would come crashing down, ending in bitterness and tragedy. A self-destructive brunette beauty, her life was full of misfortune. Of Polish/French descent, she miraculously survived the tortures of a WWII concentration camp as a youth, only to get caught up in the phony glitter and high-living style of Monaco's casinos as a young adult in Europe. An inveterate gambler and drinker, she was, by chance, "discovered" by movie mogul Darryl F. Zanuck and his wife, Virginia Fox, who thought she had a foreign cinematic allure à la Ingrid Bergman. Despite her lack of acting experience, the Zanucks paid off her gambling debts and whisked her away to Hollywood to be groomed for stardom. Her marquee name "Darvi" was derived from the combined first names of her mentors. It should have been a dream-come-true opportunity. Fate, however, would not be so kind. After three high profile roles in The Egyptian (1954), Hell and High Water (1954) and The Racers (1955) opposite three top male films stars (Victor Mature, Richard Widmark and Kirk Douglas, respectively), Darvi's limited abilities were painfully transparent. Not only was she hampered by an ever-so-slight crossed-eyed appearance, she had a trace of a lisp which, combined with a foreign accent, made her speech appear slurred and difficult to understand. It didn't take long for the actress to go off the deep end. Within a short time, a major sex scandal involving Mr. Zanuck had wife Virginia packing Darvi's bags and any "career" she once had here in America was over. She retreated back to Europe, made a few inconsequential films, and quickly returned to her adverse habits -- liquor and the gambling tables. But this time there was no one to save her. Mounting debts and despair eventually turned her thoughts to suicide. After several attempts, Darvi finally succeeded in 1971 by turning on the gas stove in her apartment. She was only 42.
- Michal Czernecki was born on 4 April 1978 in Sosnowiec, Slaskie, Poland. He is an actor, known for Krew z krwi (2012), Television Theater (1953) and Na dobre i na zle (1999).
- Composer
- Music Department
- Writer
Wladyslaw Szpilman was born in 1911 in Sosnowiec. On leaving school, he went to Warsaw to study music (piano) in the Chopin School of Music, under Professor Jozef Smidowicz, and later, under Professor Aleksander Michalowski (both scholars of Franz List). In 1931 he went to Berlin to the Academy of Music studying under Professor Leonid Kreutzer and Arthur Schnabel (piano) and Professor Franz Schreker (composition). At this time he wrote his Violin Concerto, Piano Suite "Zycie Maszyn" (The Life of Machines), Concertino for piano with Orchestra, many works for piano and violin and also some songs. In 1935 Szpilman entered the Polish Radio, where, except during the war, he worked until 1963. In 1946, he published his book "Death of a City" - memories from 1939 to 1945. Since 1945, Szpilman has appeared in concerts as a soloist and with chamber groups in Poland, throughout Europe and in America. He and Bronislav Gimpel formed a very successful piano duet in 1932, which grew in 1962 to the Warsaw Piano Quintet, that performed about 2,500 concerts until 1987 worldwide, with the exception of Australia. In 1936 he also started his career as a composer of songs (about 500). About 150 of them were in Poland's pop charts and they are "evergreens" of Polish pop music culture to this day. In the 50s he wrote also about 40 songs for children, for which he received in 1955 the award of the Polish Composers Union. He also wrote many orchestral pieces (ballet, Small Overture, etc.), musicals, music for children's theater and music for about 50 children's radio broadcasts, as well as film music: "Wrzos" (1937); "Dr. Murek" (1939); "Pokoj Zwyciezy Swiat" (1950); "Call My Wife" (1957), and others. In 1961, he initiated and organized the Sopot International Song Festival in Poland, and also founded the Polish Union of Authors of Popular Music. In 1964, he became a member of Presidium of Polish Composers Union, and ZAIKS (Polish ASCAP). In April 1998, his book "Death of the City" will be published by ECON Verlag, a leading German publisher, with commentary by a famous German writer and poet: Wolf Biermann.- Actor
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Lukasz Simlat was born on 11 December 1977 in Sosnowiec, Slaskie, Poland. He is an actor and producer, known for Amok (2017), Corpus Christi (2019) and United States of Love (2016).- Rafael Stachowiak was born in 1981 in Sosnowiec, Slaskie, Poland. He is an actor, known for Undine (2020), Naked Among Wolves (2015) and The Teachers' Lounge (2023).
- Actress
- Additional Crew
Malgorzata Hajewska was born on 14 September 1965 in Sosnowiec, Slaskie, Poland. She is an actress, known for Iluzja (2022), 33 Scenes from Life (2008) and Wataha (2014).- Actor
- Soundtrack
Jan Kiepura, the son of a baker, was born in 1902 in the gloomy mining town of Sosnowiec, now in Poland, but situated in Russia at that time. He left his native town, that - although dirty and dark - would always remain dear to his heart, for Warsaw, where he started studying law. At the same time he took singing lessons with Waclaw Brzesinsky and Tadeusz Leliwa. He soon realized that singing was his real vocation and was lucky to benefit from the support of his parents, who understood how talented he was in this field. At age 23, Jan was hired for the first time, as a replacement in the choir of the Warsaw Opera, but he sang so loud that his voice covered all the other ones, which resulted in his being fired. However, three months later, he found himself on the same stage, but in the right place this time, as the lead singer of Gounod's "Faust". This outstanding performance marked the beginning of a rapid rise: from then on, Jan Kiepura was wanted everywhere in the world. In addition,it was not long before the cinema - now talking - required his beautiful voice and his good looks. As of the early thirties he starred in a series of filmed operettas. It was on the set of "Mein Herz ruft nach dir" that he met the woman of his life, Hungarian-born Marta Eggerth, another star singer, with whom he lived until his death in 1966 and who gave him two sons. In March '38, the couple fled Austria and took refuge in the South of France. The following year, he joined the French Polish Legion and shortly after the Phoney War, he was assigned the mission to defend the cause of invaded Poland in the States. He found Marta there and after the end of the War they teamed together on Broadway where they co-starred in "The Merry Widow" and "La Polonaise". In 1953, Jan and Marta settled down in the USA for good and Jan acquired American citizenship shortly afterwards. But his career quickly declined and, at the age of 64, he died of a heart attack in his New York State home.- Director
- Actor
- Writer
Maciej Englert was born on 17 February 1946 in Sosnowiec, Slaskie, Poland. He is a director and actor, known for Teatr Polskiego Radia (2004), Television Theater (1953) and Kobieta w ogrodzie (1991). He has been married to Marta Lipinska since 1968. They have two children.- Director
- Writer
- Actress
Magdalena Piekorz was born on 2 October 1974 in Sosnowiec, Slaskie, Poland. She is a director and writer, known for The Welts (2004), Drowsiness (2008) and Close-ups (2014).- Agnieszka Podsiadlik is a Polish actress. She graduate from the AST National Academy of Theatre Arts in Krakow. She made her debut at the Teatr Slaski, and was later invited by Grzegorz Jarzyna to join the Rozmaitosci Teatr, where she continues to perform. On screen, Agnieszka Podsiadlik is known for her roles in the TV series Ekipa (2007) and Gleboka woda (2011).
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
Jacek Cygan was born on 6 July 1950 in Sosnowiec, Slaskie, Poland. He is known for Intacto (2001), Into the Wind (2022) and Facet (nie)potrzebny od zaraz (2014). He is married to Ewa Labunska.- Maria Modzelewska was born on 15 April 1903 in Sosnowiec, Poland, Russian Empire [now Sosnowiec, Slaskie, Poland]. She was an actress, known for Ziemia obiecana (1927), Serce na ulicy (1931) and Iwonka (1925). She died on 25 September 1997 in Skolimów, Konstancin-Jeziorna, Mazowieckie, Poland.
- Actor
- Director
- Writer
Krzysztof Materna was born on 28 October 1948 in Sosnowiec, Slaskie, Poland. He is an actor and director, known for Cold War (2018), Za chwile dalszy ciag programu (1988) and Solidarity of Arts (2011).- Filip Warot was born on 20 February 1994 in Sosnowiec, Slaskie, Poland. He is an actor, known for A Girl and an Astronaut (2023), Nothing is Lost (2019) and Komisarz Alex (2012).
- Wojciech Niemczyk was born on 28 December 1982 in Sosnowiec, Slaskie, Poland. He is an actor, known for Pitbull (2021), Cursed (2017) and Television Theater (1953).
- Krystyna Królówna was born on 12 November 1939 in Sosnowiec, Slaskie, Poland. She was an actress, known for Chlopi (1973), Chlopi (1972) and Bo oszalalem dla niej (1980). She died on 6 July 2022 in Warsaw, Mazowieckie, Poland.
- Wladyslaw Kiepura was born in Sosnowiec, Poland, on March 30th 1904. Younger brother of opera singer Jan Kiepura and with his own tenor merits, he also followed a musical career although initially he wanted to be an actor. Jan introduced him to teacher Tadeusz Leliwa and Wladyslaw started his own operatic career, although he also studied Philosophy. In 1932 he made his debut singing the lead role in Gounod's Faust with Ada Sari at the Kraków Opera. That same year he sang at Sosnowiec's church to help raising funds for restoration and cathedral building. He started a successful string of performances in Poland, Germany, Hungary, Riga and Italy, where he sang at the San Carlo theatre. He premiered Halka in Hamburg in 1935 and would also play in the 1937 film of the same name. On January 29, 1939 he made his debut at La Scala, where he sang Rodolfo in La Bohème. He also toured both South and North America. Like his famed brother he sang in several languages, and many parts were common between them: the Duque of Mantua, Caravadossi, Don José, Calaf... They even recorded together. And they both emigrated to the USA because of their Jewish ancestry and the Nazi rules against related artists. During the war years they raised funds for the Allies and Polish resistance. Wladyslaw went there in 1939, and a year later he married and established, returning every now and then to his beloved Poland, and singing at the Chicago Civic Opera, the Carneggie Hall and other venues until his retirement. He finally settled in Florida and became a real estate investor. He died there in 1998 at 94 years of age.
- Jerzy Gralek was born on 23 June 1946 in Sosnowiec, Slaskie, Poland. He was an actor, known for Krew z krwi (2012), Pan Tadeusz (1999) and General. Zamach na Gibraltarze (2009). He died on 15 February 2016 in Kraków, Malopolskie, Poland.
- Maria Zabczynska was born on 14 September 1903 in Sosnowiec, Poland, Russian Empire [now Sosnowiec, Slaskie, Poland]. She was an actress, known for Za zaslona (1938), Sprawa pilota Maresza (1956) and Poscig (1954). She was married to Aleksander Zabczynski. She died on 27 January 1981 in Warsaw, Mazowieckie, Poland.
- Lukasz Faustmann was born on 31 October 1992 in Sosnowiec, Slaskie, Poland. He is an actor, known for Tajemnice milosci (2021).
- Ewa Maria Hesse was born on 5 May 1945 in Sosnowiec, Slaskie, Poland. She is an actress, known for Prywatne sledztwo (1987), Tulipan (1986) and Czerwone i biale (1975).
- Grzegorz Niedbalik was born on 15 May 1978 in Sosnowiec, Slaskie, Poland. He is an actor, known for Rób swoje, ryzyko jest twoje (2002) and Dom (1980).
- Jerzy Slonka was born on 22 September 1949 in Sosnowiec, Slaskie, Poland. He is an actor, known for Quo vadis (2001), Moja Angelika (1999) and Pulkownik Kwiatkowski (1995).
- Jan Ciszewski was born on 23 May 1930 in Sosnowiec, Slaskie, Poland. He was an actor, known for Kill It and Leave This Town (2020) and Swieta wojna (1965). He died on 12 November 1982 in Warsaw, Mazowieckie, Poland.
- Katarzyna Dorosinska was born on 10 April 1989 in Sosnowiec, Slaskie, Poland. She is an actress, known for Adwokat (2019), Oszukane (2013) and Mój biegun (2011).