Prominent Poles
Ryszard Boleslawski known as Richard Boleslawski, real name Boleslaw Ryszard Srzednicki, film director, actor, screenwriter, art director
Born: February 4, 1889, Warsaw, Russian partition of Poland (presently Poland)
Died: January 17, 1937, Los Angeles, California, USA
Higher education. Became an actor when sixteen years old. Studied in the Moscow Art Theater under I. M. Moskvin . In 1909 appeared in Moscow’s theaters.
First movie. In 1914 appeared in the movie “Mimo zhisni”. Then co-directed and acted in a Bolshevik propaganda film. “Bread”.
Joining the uhlans. In 1916 he joined the uhlans in the Polish Rifle Brigade under the command of J. Dowbor-Musnicki. Put in charge of the motion picture coverage of the Polish army campaigns he shot in 1920 a semi-documentary “The Miracle of the Vistula”. From 1920 to 1922 he acted and directed in Polish theaters in Poznan and in Warsaw.
In 1922 he went to Germany where he acted in the film “Die Gezeichneten” (Love One Another).
Emigration to the USA. The same year he left for the USA where, in the late 20s, he became a successful director of several Broadway plays. He also headed the Laboratory Theater, an experimental group.
Carreer in Hollywood. In 1929 he moved to Hollywood when he became soon one of the prominent directors (see below the list of the movies he directed and, when available, the names of famous actors that played in his movies). His carreer was interrupted when he died suddenly in 1937.
In addition to acting he also wrote several books:
The Way of the Lancer (1932; about the battles of Polish uhlans in Russia)
Lance Down (like above)
Six Lessons of Dramatic Art (1933)
The list of films directed by Boleslawski:
Tri Vstrechi (Russia)
Bread (Russia)
The Miracle of the Vistula (Poland)
All other movies were made in the USA
1930 The Grand Parade (partial directing)
The Last of the Lone Wolf
Treasure Girl
The Gay Diplomat
Woman Pursued
Rasputin and the Empress (Ethel, John, and Lionel Barrymore)
Beauty for Sale
Storm at Daybreak
Fugitive Lovers
Hollywood Party
1934 Men in White (Clark Gable)
Operator 13
The Painted Veil (Greta Garbo)
Clive of India
Les Miserables (Frederic March, Charles Laughton)
1935 Metropolitan
O’Shaughnessy’s Boy
The Garden of Allah (Marlene Dietrich, Charles Boyer)
Theodora Goes Wild (Irene Dunne)
1936 Three Godfathers
1937 The Last of Mrs.Cheyney
Sources:
MS Cinemania 94
Katz’s Film encyclopedia
MSN Entertainment
WIEM (Wielka Polska Encyklopedia Internetowa)
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Prominent Poles
