director Mieczysław Krawicz
screenplay (based on themes from a fable of the same name by Aleksander Fredro) Napoleon Sądek, Jan Fethke, Ludwik Starski
director of photography Stanisław Lipiński
music Henryk Wars
with Adolf Dymsza, Eugeniusz Bodo, Helena Grossówna, Józef Orwid, Ludwik Sempoliński, Tadeusz Fijewski
UNSIGNED REVIEW, [NIE PODPISANA RECENZJA], ‘KINO’, 1938, NO. 40
It would be entirely wrong to suspect that the film is just a development of the popular tale by Fredro, and told by Pan Jowialski? The authors borrowed just the story’s title and its location plan, which is explained in the first two lines: ‘Poe and Joe shared the same house, Poe lived upstairs, and Joe – downstairs.’ All the rest was supplemented by as many as three writers, and it must be admitted that they came up with a galore of ideas. The comedy is very funny and overflowing with good situational comicality. The diversity of humour is further enhanced by the actors, each representing a different genre. Thus we have Miss Gross – charming, naive and fresh, Bodo – a comic with a premeditation, Dymsza – an impetuous comic relishing his own grotesqueness, Orwid – the unfailing, well-tried cynical-sentimental entertainer, and others. This little comedy is charming, ingenious and funny. It is worth seeing.
JERZY TOEPLITZ, HISTORY OF THE FILM ART, VOL. IV (1934-1939) [HISTORIA SZTUKI FILMOWEJ, T. IV], WARSZAWA, 1969
One characteristic feature of the Polish film comedy, including all its varieties, was lack of originality (…) What was then the significance of the adjective “Polish” in respect to comedy? The only distinguishing mark were the actors. (Among them) Adolf Dymsza – a typical Warsaw sly boots and artful dodger, a character created from the observations of the metropolitan folklore. Owing to Dymsza, (…), to foul-tongued and jovial Władysław Walter, to Lvov-based Szczepcio and Tomcio – a duo of streetwise knaves, as well as Krukowski and Lawiński – the masters of the Jewish quips, the film comedy of the thirties has preserved shreds of the atmosphere depicting the customs of interwar Poland.
WIESŁAW STRADOMSKI, HISTORY OF THE POLISH FILM (ED. J. TOEPLITZ), VOL. II (1930-1939) [HISTORIA FILMU POLSKIEGO, T. II,POD RED. J. TOEPLITZA], WARSZAWA, 1988
An interesting figure in the world of film was Eugeniusz Bodo. He had a rather coarse-featured countenance, a pretty heavy profile (…). He was wanting in natural grace, his appearance predisposing him primarily to character parts. But this did not prevent him from playing romantic lovers and charming seducers, although he also impersonated tragic heroes and scoundrels of the blackest dye. He was fond of singing songs, the conventional elements of film comedies of that time.
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