Adventure at Marienstadt

(Przygoda na Mariensztacie)


1954   >   romantic comedy

The first color film in the history of Polish cinematography.

A propaganda production combining social realism guidelines with a romantic comedy.

The leading female role was the screen debut of Lidia Korsak (Korsakówna). The 18-year-old soloist of the “Mazowsze” Polish Song and Dance Ensemble was “stolen” for the cinema by director Leopold Buczkowski.

Songs with Ludwik Starski’s lyrics and music by Tadeusz Sygietyński, a co-founder of the “Mazowsze” Polish Song and Dance Ensemble. Members of this extremely popular group appear on the screen as a club musical ensemble.

A comedy about the reconstruction of the ruined Warsaw and love between two shock workers.

Hanka Ruczajówna comes to Warsaw with a folk music ensemble. During the trip she falls in love with a handsome work leader, Jan Szarliński, and with Warsaw itself. She moves from the country to the city and becomes a bricklayer. She finds Janek, but their love is put to a test when Szarliński expresses his support for foreman Ciepielewski, who is against using women for this kind of work. Hanka with a brigade of women joins the competition. The female workers renovate a beautiful palace. However, on the day of its opening the building is flooded. Everybody forgets about the previous rivalry and works hand in hand, women and men, to repair the damage.

The name of the main character (Szarliński) comes from an authentic brickwork forewoman interviewed by the director.

The action of “Przygoda na Mariensztacie” takes place in Warsaw, but the film was shot mainly in Łódź. A mock-up model of the Mariensztat square was built for the scene showing summer festivities, which was filmed... in the middle of a freezing cold December.


Crew:

director
Leonard Buczkowski
script
Ludwik Starski
d.o.p.
Seweryn Kruszyński, Franciszek Fuchs
designer
Roman Mann
editor
Krystyna Tunis
music
Czesław Aniołkiewicz
cast
Lidia Korsakówna, Tadeusz Schmidt,
Adam Mikołajewski, Tadeusz Kondrat,
Barbara Bieńkowska, Wanda Bojarska
Materials: SD
Length: 93’

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