Dora Kalinówna personal archives Museum of the history of Polish Jews

Dora Kalinówna (Dora Klingbeil-Ratner) was born on 15 December 1900 in Jewish family in Lodz. She was daughter of Herman Klingbeil and Maria Haltrecht. In 1928 she married Józef Ratner but soon they divorced. She used the name “Kalinówna” as her stage alias. She was an actor and a singer. In 1926 she graduated from the drama department of the Warsaw Conservatory of Music. Since her graduation, until 1931, she was performing with the Qui Pro Quo Theatre.

Dora Kalinówna made her performance also in the Polish prewar cinema. She debuted on the silver screen in 1932 in the comedy Sto metrów miłości [A Hundred Meters of Love] directed by Michał Waszyński. She played Dora – the sister of Rybkes, one of the main protagonists (Ludwik Lawiński). The leading roles were played by Adolf Dymsza (Dodek) and Zula Pogorzelska (Zośka). Four years later she played the detective Mary Kurek in the action comedy musical Tajemnica panny Brinx [The Secret od Miss Brinx] directed by Bazyli Sikiewicz. The leading roles were played by: Alma Kar (Wanda Tarska), Lena Żelichowska (Katy Brinx) and Aleksander Żabczyński (Henry Gieras vel Henryk Malewicz). Both production were well received by the critics as well as by the viewers.

However, she owed the widespread acclaim to her performances at the vfriety theatre “Morskie Oko”. She was the one to sing for the first time – during the show Yo-Yo in 1932 – Tango Rebeka [Rebeka tango], known from many later arrangements. Lyrics for that, papular till this day, song were written by jest Andrzej Włast, music was composed by Zygmunt Białostocki. The song tells a story of the platonic love of young small-town Jewish woman to a wealthy, elegant man who once visited her store. Unfortunately no recordings of the show survived.

After World War II broke out Dora Kalinówna left Poland and settled in Brazil. She participated in the colourful life of the artistic emigration circles and continued her stage career. She performed on stages of many countries i.a. Palestine, Italy and France. She died on 24 April 1985 in Rio de Janeiro.

Marta Frączkiewicz