WYWERKA, ALBERT

(1894-1945)

One of the leading Polish cinematographers during the interwar period, Wywerka began his career in 1919 photographing Eugeniusz Modzelewski's filmThe Lackey(Lokaj) and Nina Niovilla'sTamara. Later he worked with the best-known prewar directors, among themJózef Lejtes, Michał Waszyński, Jan Nowina-Przybylski, Edward Puchalski, Leonard Buczkowski, Konrad Tom, andJuliusz Gardan. Among approximately sixty-five films that he photographed are several classic examples of early Polish cinema. They includecomedieswithAdolf Dymszasuch asAntek, the Police Chief(1935) andDodek at the Front(1936), both directed by Waszyński; musical comedies includingAda!Don't Do That! (1936, Tom) andMiss Minister Is Dancing(1937, Gardan); as well as patriotic pictures such asDaredevils(1928, Buczkowski),The Heroes of Siberia(1936, Waszyński), andKościuszko at Racławice(1938, Lejtes). Wywerka's filmography also contains other examples of the prewar canon, for example Nowina-Przybylski'sThe Boor(1931) andThe Vagabond(1933), Waszynski'sThe Dybbuk(1937) andThe Quack(1937, photographed with Zbigniew Gniazdowski), as well as several other films.