Old Polish tango: Adam Aston - Odrobinę szczęścia w miłości, 1934

Adam Aston & Orkiestra Syrena Rekord -- Odrobina szczęścia [w miłości] (A Bit Of Luck In Love) Tango z f-mu "Co mój mąż robi w nocy" (Tango from the film comedy What Does My Husband Do At Nights?) Muz. Jerzy Petersburski / Tekst Emanuel Schlechter, Syrena -Electro 1934 (Polish)

NOTE: Adam ASTON -- one of three Polish „Crooner Giants" of the 1920/30s (Adam Aston, Mieczysław Fogg & Tadeusz Faliszewski) sings one of the loveliest prewar Polish hits "Odrobinę szczęścia w miłości" which translates: (To Have) A Bit Of Luck In Love. Composed in 1934 by Jerzy Petersburski (who was author of the world famous tango "Oh Donna Clara") and originally sung by actress and singer Tola Mankiewiczówna in a musical comedy "Co mój mąż robi w nocy" (What Does My Husband Do At Nights?), it quickly became an evergreen and its charmful beginning words written by a poet Emanuel Schlechter: "O czym marzy dziewczyna gdy dorastać zaczyna/ kiedy z pączka zamienia się w kwiat" (What is the maiden dreaming of/when she begins turning into a lady/ when, from the bud, she turns into a flower) - have become a popular quote for generations of Polish lovers.

Tola MANKIEWICZÓWNA -- whose photoes are presented in this slideshow -- was one of the most talented Polish actresses and singers in the interwar period, who in the same time, was the most easy going person, open hearted and completely deprived of the great stars whims and fancies. Modest and elegant, always naturally smiling and with friendliness in her intelligent eyes she was a living negation of a popular opinion about all those "monsters" wrapped up in their white furs and diamonds and throwing crystal ashtrays at the hotel chambermaids. Blessed with a strong and clear soprano, she started performing in late 1920s as soloist in Warsaw and Poznań Opera Houses, however her scenic temperament dragged her away from the "high" repertoire towards operetta, film and cabaret shows. In beginning of the 1930s she appeared on stage of the operetta theatre "Nowości" as well as in revues of the renowned cabaret "Morskie Oko", but enormous popularity was brought to her by her roles in the musical movies: "Manewry miłosne" (The Love Manouvers) with Aleksander Żabczyński, "Co mój mąż robi wnocy" (What Does My Husband Do At Nights) with Michał Znicz and Kazimierz "Lopek" Krukowski, or "Pani minister tańczy' (Madame Minister Dances) again with Aleksander Żabczyński. Unfortunately, the peak of her career -- in 1939 -- meant also the end of it. German -- Russian attack on Poland from West and East, in September 1939 meant the life catastrophe for the majority of Polish artists. In first days of war, Mankiewiczówna joined the cavalcade of exiles from Warsaw, escaping the fires and the German bombs and heading eastwards, towards the Polish-Lithuanian border. However, Soviet attack from the East on the 17th September, trapped many of them in Bialystok or in Wilno. Mankiewiczówna was in that number and until 1941 she stayed in Bialystok, where she performed in a local theatre until, in 1942 she was back in Warsaw. She worked as waitress in the "Actors' Cafe" and performed clandestinely, for selected audiences in private homes, presenting Polish patriotic repertoire. She survived the annihilation of the Polish capital city in 1944-45, and after the close of military actions in May 1945, she tried to continue her artistic life. Yet, her prewar roles of the "burgeois" upper class lady did not help her to accomodate in the postwar communist-occupied state, which was slowly sharpening its pro-Stalinist deal. Therefore, she often acted on provincial stages, having never managed to reconstruct her prewar status. After 1956, when the political terror weakened, she made a couple of tours in Western Europe and USA where, voyaging the Polish emigree circuit she could again perform for her prewar fans - now applauding her in small and poorly heated, rented auditoriums. She returned to Poland and slowly withdrew from the artistic activity. She earned her living working as a clerk (and even accepting, for some time, a position of a lower official in a post office). She died in Warsaw, in 1985.

See another hit from that film "Cztery nogi" (Four Legs) recorded by Faliszewski http://youtu.be/lDdW8ThW-Pc and its original version in the movie, sung by Mankiewiczówna and Michał Znicz http://youtu.be/-LgwYd0mz2g

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[bambi68735]

Dziękuję za piękne tango i video a przede wszystkim za obszerną biografię T. Mankiewiczówny!

[240252]

@bambi68735 Zawsze mnie wzrusza informacja, o jej pracy na poczcie. Tak się zemścili komuniści za jej role hrabin i ministrowych. Ale nie była jedyna. Żelichowska zarabiała na życie jako manikiurzystka, I to gdzie - w Kalifornii! Niegdyś to jej oklepywano policzki, teraz ona musiała to robić gwiazdom takim, jaką sama była. A tercet Smosarska-Nakoneczna-Wilczówna­, objeżdżający polonijne salki w USA z "Odą do młodości" i wierszami Konopnickiej,bo trudniejszego repertuaru nie chcieli?..

[barbcard]

A sheer delight. Lyrical and lilting: exactly what we need in these crazy times. Like you, G., Aston almost never fails and the photos are tres charmante.

[240252]

@barbcard Thanks, Dear, yet your nice compliment finds me in a sadly-pensive mood after recent news about preparations to sign by Polish government the ACTA agreement - which, in fact, is the beginning of a total intellectual control over the web. And Poland is soon joining that nightmarish preface to a new-totalitarian global state. Polish hackers blocked yesterday - in response - for several hours all governmental pages. So, a kind of a war begins. Will YT & our Astons survive?

[tango3721]

Hello Grzegorz - this tune is lovely - Petersburski was an awesome composer. Tola Mankiewiczowna - was an outstanding talent - probably - on par with Jadwiga Smosarska - even though - nobody could dimm Smosarska's huge presence. I wonder if Miss Mankiewich - was happy with her decision to remain in Warsaw - in relative obscurity - while Miss Smosarska lived in the United States but she missed Poland. Each time she visited her native land - her loyal fans - loved her. Great weekend to you!!!

[240252]

@tango3721 Dear Lana, thank you for your lovely comment! Please, read what I just wrote to B. - as my comment to the news about the so called ACTA agreement and the great danger emerging from it for the freedom of our free exchange of ideas and clips, also in You Tube. All that looks very upsetting... :-((

[Klippanowski]

Piekne dzieki!! Niestety nasze plyty ebonitowe przepadly w pozarze w we wrzesniu 39 wiec z radoscia slucham tych Panskich.

[MaisSimples]

Bravo!

[dzheger]

Another one of Petersburski's delightful tangos with the enticing voice of Aston.

[barbcard]

@240252 I agree about the potential censoring efforts, but it seems that here the majority agree about keeping the web open in the name of enhancing the ever-growing supply of knowledge. (Despite the stupidity and outright racism and anti-semitism of a lot of sites.) At least that's my sense of things. Yes, YT and our Astons will survive! I've got to be optimistic about SOMETHING these days, given the scary absurdity of candidates in the primary elections for the next presidential election.

[1920sbuff]

Wonderful...