Mr. Dodek

Of the rich filmography of Adolf Dymsza from the interwar period, consisting of 26 titles, only 13 films have survived in their entirety. Only three of these remain in good technical condition: Sportowiec mimo woli (The Reluctant Athlete), Dodek na froncie (Dodek at the Front), and Każdemu wolno kochać (Everyone’s Allowed to Love). The others were partially rescued thanks to reconstruction efforts carried out by the Experimental Film and Service Center and the Experimental Studio of Polish Radio. From the preserved fragments of ten films, a unique comedic anthology was created, simultaneously serving as a portrait of Adolf Dymsza — the most popular comedian of prewar Polish cinema. Archival scenes were interwoven with stylized contemporary inserts featuring Anita Dymszówna, the actor’s daughter and then a young artist at the National Theatre, as his partner. Adolf Dymsza, born Adolf Bagiński, began his career in cabaret and made his screen debut in 1918. He transitioned smoothly from silent cinema to sound films, reaching the peak of his popularity around 1935. On screen, he created a distinctive character type of a Warsaw wise guy — clever, energetic, resilient in the face of adversity, yet endowed with a good heart and inexhaustible optimism. The film’s protagonist is Mr. Dodek, an aging variety actor who is trying to secure an allotment garden plot. On the street, he is approached by a young reporter eager to interview a native Warsaw resident. Although he initially evades her, Dodek begins to spin tales about his childhood and school years. However, he must cut his memories short to make it to the office in time to submit the required documents. There, he recounts to the clerk his past occupations — he has been a sailor, mechanic, shopkeeper, and waiter — but it proves futile since there are no available plots. Subsequent offices and meetings serve as pretexts for more stories: about the hero’s sporting identities as a hockey player, footballer, and boxer, and later about his soldierly adventures. Returning to the theatre, Dodek encounters the reporter again and this time shares stories from his artistic career. This journey through the city and official offices is used to recall Dymsza’s most famous film roles in titles such as ABC miłości (The ABC of Love), Antek policmajster (Antek the Policeman), Dodek na froncie, Dwanaście krzeseł (The Twelve Chairs), Paweł i Gaweł (Paul and Gaweł), Sportowiec mimo woli, and Wacuś. The archival clips also feature a galaxy of prewar Polish cinema stars, including Mieczysława Ćwiklińska, Mira Zimińska, Helena Grossówna, Kazimierz Krukowski, Ludwik Sempoliński, Eugeniusz Bodo, and the Dan Choir.