CWIKLINSKA, MIECZYSLAWA

born Jan. 1, 1880, Lublin, Pol. died July 28, 1972, Warsaw pseudonym of Mieczyslawa Trapszo outstanding comic actress renowned for her roles in both operettas and the classics. Cwiklinska, who came from a Polish theatrical family, made her debut in Warsaw in 1900. She toured Russia in 1906 and in 1910 went to Paris to study voice. In 1918, after appearing in various European cities, such as Dresden and Berlin, she returned to Warsaw and worked with several companies until she was invited to join the National Theatre in 1927, a position she held until 1939. In 1933 she made her film debut, and she eventually appeared in 40 films. In addition to operettas, Cwiklinska gradually added to her repertoire comic roles in plays by such Polish playwrights as Aleksander Fredro, Michal Balucki, and Jzef Blizinski, as well as such foreigners as George Bernard Shaw and Armand Salacrou. On April 25, 1950, she celebrated the golden jubilee of her career in the theatre and was awarded highest honours by the Polish government.