director George Meyer (aka Joseph-Louis Mundwiller)
screenplay Antoni Fertner, Jakub Jasiński, George Meyer
director of photography George Meyer
with Antoni Fertner, Józefina Kowalewska, Iza Kołpakówna.
ANTONI FERTNER, ‘COMICAL TRAVELS’ [PODRÓŻE KOMICZNE], KRAKÓW 1960
Jakub Jasiński, the director of the Warsaw telephone exchange, opened the only cinema in the capital. It was opened at the Plac Teatralny under the exotic name of ‘Oaza’. Jasiński hit on the idea of making his own film, but nobody in Poland had any idea about film-making technique. (…) But the resourceful Jasiński seized the opportunity when a technician from the Pathé Meier company was returning from Russia to France and invited him to Warsaw. I was offered the main role. The picture was to be named ‘Anton in Warsaw for the First Time.’ Most of the scenes would be set in the fashionable Warsaw gardens, where a clumsy loser from the provinces falls victim to two cunning Warsaw courtesans. Dazzled by the city life, Anton does not notice that he is being robbed of all his savings. Acting was totally up to the actors. The position of director was totally unknown at the time. Apart from me, two ballet dancers (Kowalewska and Kołpakówna) were engaged and all minor roles were left to their fate, meaning casual passersby or guests at restaurants. (…) Meyer shoots, people smack their lips in admiration, small children keep following our crew, screaming. After a few days the whole picture was ready and the premiere took place on 22 October 1908 at the ‘Oaza.’ Flocks of people tried to get in; unfortunately, the screening room could seat only 180. The film ran for months!
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