In pre-war Poland, Lidia Wysocka was one of the most respected Polish women. She had everything to make a great career, and even Hollywood filmmakers competed for her employment. Associated with an older and married artist, she decided to reject the proposal.
She was a movie star in pre-war Poland. Despite the offer straight from Hollywood, she gave up the offer
Already in her childhood, Lidia Wysocka showed acting talent and a passion for the stage, which is why she began her studies at the State Institute of Theater Arts, winning the favor of all lecturers. Despite the rules in force, according to which first-year students were not allowed to appear on the screen, an exception was made for the young girl. She made her debut in 1935 in the film Love Me Only. After this role, her career quickly began to gain momentum. In 1938, she was offered a six-month “test” in Hollywood, which she turned down.
After trying to sit in a locked villa for six months and learn English, I would have been given money to go home
— later in the “Kino” magazine, but it was only the official version. The real reason was love.
The affair with the older actor caused a scandal. He abandoned his wife and child for her
In 1938, Wysocka met Zbigniew Sawan, 12 years her senior, on the set of The Last Brigade. The initial sympathy quickly turned into a fiery romance. However, there was a scandal, because the actor was married to the well-known Maria Malicka at that time. To save the marriage, the woman became pregnant, but the birth of the child did not change anything. Sawan moved out of the house and officially became involved with the young one. After the outbreak of war, the couple lived in her mother’s house in Chyliczki. It was there that the German director Leni Riefenstahl visited them. However, the meeting did not take place in a pleasant atmosphere, which was described by the artist’s sister years later.
Leni with a radiant smile announces that the war is over and the tragedy is over, to which Lidia very coldly replies that for us the tragedy is just beginning
Jaga Boryta recalled, adding that these words clearly irritated the German. Actors were repeatedly offered roles in theaters licensed by the occupant, but they did not accept the offer. One of the refusal decisions cost them a lot.
When Sawan ended up in the camp, she fought for his freedom. A few years later, he left her for a younger woman
In 1941, Sawan and Wysocka were arrested and transported to Pawiak. Although she left prison after a month, her beloved ended up in the Auschwitz camp. The fight for his life began, in which she was supported by her colleague Ina Benita and the wife of the actor Malick. The women negotiated with German officials to release Sawan and after a few months they managed to achieve their goal. Two years after these events, the couple’s son, Piotr Nowakowski, appeared in the world. It was only after the end of the war in 1947 that the actor finally divorced his wife and married Wysocka a year later. They led a quiet life, first in Szczecin, and later in the capital, at the same time fulfilling themselves professionally. However, the luck lasted only until 1957. Then they parted, and Sawan became involved with 21-year-old Krystyna Wróblewska, with whom he married after a year of acquaintance.
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Source: Gazeta
Bruce is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment . He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
