Henryk Wars (born Henryk Warszawski, after 1947 Henry Vars; 29 December 1902 – 1 September 1977) was a Polish composer. He composed scores for 50 films during the interwar period in Poland and 60 more in the United States. He composed dozens of hits for revue-theatres and films including ''Miłość ci wszystko wybaczy (Love Will Forgive You Everything)'' sung by Hanka Ordonówna, ''Umówiłem się z nią na dziewiątą (I Have a Date with Her at Nine)'' and ''Sex Appeal'' sung by Eugeniusz Bodo, ''Ach, jak przyjemnie (Ah, How Lovely!)'' and ''Już nie zapomnisz mnie (Now, You Will Remember Me)'' sung by Aleksander Żabczyński. Wars also composed a symphony, now obscure though available on the Internet, as is his Piano Concerto of 1948. After emigrating to the United States in 1947, he changed his name to Henry Vars. He was a friend of

John Wayne Marion Robert Morrison (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne and nicknamed The Duke or Duke Wayne, was an American actor who became a popular icon through his starring roles in films made during Hollywood's Go ...

Biography

Wars was born to a Jewish musical family in the Russian

partition of Poland The Partitions of Poland were three partitions of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth that took place toward the end of the 18th century and ended the existence of the state, resulting in the elimination of sovereign Poland and Lithuania for 12 ...

. He began studies at the Academy of Fine Arts, but soon obtained a scholarship to the Music Conservatory in Warsaw, from which he graduated in 1925, having studied composition with Professor

Roman Statkowski Roman Statkowski (24 December 1859 – 12 November 1925) was a Polish composer, most notable for his operas and chamber music. Early life Statkowski was born in Szczypiorno, near Kalisz, and initially trained as a lawyer. When he deserted the l ...

and

Emil Młynarski Emil Szymon Młynarski (; 18 July 18705 April 1935) was a Polish conductor, violinist, composer, and pedagogue. Life Młynarski was born in Kibarty (Kybartai), Russian Empire, now in Lithuania. He studied violin with Leopold Auer and composi ...

. He was a long-time music director for Syrena Rekord.Fater, Isaschar (1970). Jewish Music in Poland between the Two World Wars, p. 296 In 1927 he composed a song called ''New York Times'' ("I do nothing all day but read the New York Times") that was sung in the ''Karuzela (Merry-Go-Round)'' Theatre by Tadeusz Olsza and recorded by Henryk Gold's Orchestra for ''Syrena Rekord''. His first big hit, though, was ''Zatańczmy tango (Let's Dance a Tango)'', composed in 1928 for Stanisława Nowicka and Eugeniusz Bodo. He was hired as a pianist for the ''Morskie Oko'' theater and joined Henryk Gold's band. During the 1930s, he composed songs for a string of musical comedies in Poland, and his importance there is comparable to that of

Irving Berlin Irving Berlin (born Israel Beilin; yi, ישראל ביילין; May 11, 1888 – September 22, 1989) was a Russian-American composer, songwriter and lyricist. His music forms a large part of the Great American Songbook. Born in Imperial Russ ...

in America. His melodies from this period (along with those of

Jerzy Petersburski Jerzy Petersburski (1895–1979) was a Jewish Polish pianist and composer of popular music, renowned mostly for his Tangos, some of which (such as '' To ostatnia niedziela'', ''Już nigdy'' and ''Tango Milonga'') were milestones in popularizat ...

and

Zygmunt Wiehler Zygmunt Wiehler (10 February 1890, Kraków, Austria-Hungary –26 December 1977, Warsaw) was a Polish popular and film music composer and director. Wiehler attended the Music Conservatory in Kraków. From 1907 he was connected professionally ...

) are still quite popular in Poland to this day, with his most popular songs often associated with pre-war

Lwów Lviv ( uk, Львів) is the largest city in Western Ukraine, western Ukraine, and the List of cities in Ukraine, seventh-largest in Ukraine, with a population of . It serves as the administrative centre of Lviv Oblast and Lviv Raion, and is o ...

. Recent recordings include ''Ach, śpij kochanie'' (''Ah, Sleep My Darling'') by

Grzegorz Turnau Grzegorz Jerzy Turnau (born 31 July 1967) is a Polish composer, pianist, poet and singer. He has released eleven albums to date, including one (Cafe Sułtan) made up of his own versions of songs by Jeremi Przybora and Jerzy Wasowski, and most h ...

and others, as well as many performances of ''Tylko we Lwowie''. In 2002, the song ''Umówiłem się z nią na dziewiątą'' (''I have a date with her at nine'') appeared in ''The Pianist'' directed by

Roman Polański Raymond Roman Thierry Polański , group=lower-alpha, name=note_a ( né Liebling; 18 August 1933) is a French-Polish film director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. He is the recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, tw ...

. He composed his first film score for ''Na Sybir'' in 1930, after gaining fame as a conductor and performer at various

Warsaw Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officiall ...

cabarets and theaters including ''Morskie Oko, ''Hollywood'', and ''Wielka Rewia''. He composed scores for ''Paweł i Gaweł, Szpieg w masce (A Masked Spy), Piętro wyżej (Upstairs), and ''Zapomniana melodia (A Forgotten Tune)'' films. "He was the pioneer of swing music in Poland." Shortly before the outbreak of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

, he was drafted into the

Polish Army The Land Forces () are the land forces of the Polish Armed Forces. They currently contain some 62,000 active personnel and form many components of the European Union and NATO deployments around the world. Poland's recorded military history stre ...

and served in the defense of Poland in 1939. He was taken

prisoner of war A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold prisoners of ...

by the

German army The German Army (, "army") is the land component of the armed forces of Germany. The present-day German Army was founded in 1955 as part of the newly formed West German ''Bundeswehr'' together with the ''Marine'' (German Navy) and the ''Luftwaf ...

but managed to escape from a stopped train. He organized the big band ''Tea-Jazz'' in

Soviet The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...

-occupied

in 1940. He composed his first symphony at this time. In late 1941, he and his musicians joined the

Polish II Corps The Polish II Corps ( pl, Drugi Korpus Wojska Polskiego), 1943–1947, was a major tactical and operational unit of the Polish Armed Forces in the West during World War II. It was commanded by Lieutenant General Władysław Anders and fought wit ...

of General Anders as part of the ''Polska Parada'' cabaret. After being demobilized from the army in 1947, he emigrated to the US. In the US, he changed his name to Henry Vars and after a period of struggling and poverty, managed to resume his musical career. He was

's friend. His songs were sung by such well-known stars as

Margaret Whiting Margaret Eleanor Whiting (July 22, 1924 – January 10, 2011) was an American popular music and country music singer who gained popularity in the 1940s and 1950s.Mapes, Jillian.Margaret Whiting, Iconic Standards Singer, Dies at 86. ''Billboard' ...

Bing Crosby Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, musician and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwide. He was a ...

Doris Day Doris Day (born Doris Mary Kappelhoff; April 3, 1922 – May 13, 2019) was an American actress, singer, and activist. She began her career as a big band singer in 1939, achieving commercial success in 1945 with two No. 1 recordings, " Sent ...

Brenda Lee Brenda Mae Tarpley (born December 11, 1944), known professionally as Brenda Lee, is an American singer. Performing rockabilly, pop and country music, she had 47 US chart hits during the 1960s and is ranked fourth in that decade, surpassed onl ...

and

Dinah Shore Dinah Shore (born Frances Rose Shore; February 29, 1916 – February 24, 1994) was an American singer, actress, and television personality, and the top-charting female vocalist of the 1940s. She rose to prominence as a recording artist during ...

. He composed the score and the title song for the '' Flipper'' movie and television series, as well as

Daktari ''Daktari'' ( Swahili for "doctor") is an American family drama series that aired on CBS between 1966 and 1969. The series is an Ivan Tors Films Production in association with MGM Television starring Marshall Thompson as Dr. Marsh Tracy, a vete ...

. He also composed score for the 1956 western film Gun the Man Down.

Concert Music

* ''Symphony No. 1 (1949) '' * ''Piano Concerto (1950)'' * ''City Sketches (1951)''

Songs

Pre-World War II songs

* ''A mnie w to graj'' (words by

Jerzy Jurandot Jerzy Jurandot, born ''Jerzy Glejgewicht'' (19 March 1911 – 16 August 1979), was a popular Polish poet of Jewish ancestry, dramatist, satirist and songwriter. History Jurandot was born and died in Warsaw. He first became successful at the ...

, movie ''Bolek i Lolek'', sung by

Adolf Dymsza Adolf Dymsza (born Adolf Bagiński; 7 April 1900 – 20 August 1975) was a Polish comedy actor of both the pre- World War II and post-war eras. He starred in both theatre and film productions, mainly before World War II. He and Kazimierz Krukowsk ...

) * ''A u mnie siup, a u mnie cyk'' (words by Emanuel Szlechter, sung by

) * ''Ach, jak przyjemnie'' (words by

Ludwik Starski Ludwik Starski (born Ludwik Kałuszyner, 1 March 1903 in Łódź – died 29 February 1984 in Warsaw) was a Polish Jewish lyricist, sound engineer and screenwriter of the twentieth century. He was the father of the set designer Allan Starski, wh ...

, movie ''Zapomniana melodia'' from 1938, sung by Adam Aston, later by

Irena Santor Irena Wiśniewska-Santor (Polish pronunciation: ; born 9 December 1934), known professionally as Irena Santor, is a Polish singer, musical performer and actress. Her career started in 1950. She's noted for singing in clear mezzo-soprano, consid ...

) * '' Ach, śpij kochanie'' (words by

, movie ''Paweł i Gaweł'' from 1938, sung by Eugeniusz Bodo and

) * ''Będzie lepiej'' (words by Emanuel Szlechter, movie ''Będzie lepiej'' from 1936) * ''Co ja zrobię, że mnie się podobasz?'' (words by

, movie ''Papa się żeni'', 1936, sung by Zbigniew Rakowiecki and

Lidia Wysocka Lidia Wysocka (June 24, 1916 – January 2, 2006) was a Polish stage, film and voice actress, singer, cabaret performer and creative director, theatre director and costume designer, editorialist. Filmography In 1934 she dubbed Madeleine Carrol ...

) * ''Dobranoc, oczka zmruż'' (words by Emanuel Szlechter, movie ''Włóczęgi'' from 1939, sung by Szczepko and Tońko, also known as ''Kołysanka Tońka'') * ''Ewelina'' (words by

, movie ''Papa się żeni'', 1936, sung by Mira Zimińska) * ''Jak pani się ten pan podoba'' (words by Andrzej Włast, sung by Krystyna Paczewska) * ''Jak za dawnych lat'' (words by Andrzej Włast or

, sung by Stefan Witas) * ''Już nie mogę dłużej kryć'' (words by

, movie ''Pani minister tańczy'' from 1937, sung by Tola Mankiewiczówna and Aleksander Żabczyński) * ''Już nie zapomnisz mnie'' (words by

, movie ''Zapomniana melodia'' from 1938, sung by Aleksander Żabczyński) * ''Już taki jestem zimny drań'' (words by Jerzy Nel and

, movie ''Pieśniarz Warszawy'' from 1934, sung by Eugeniusz Bodo) * ''Kocha, lubi, szanuje'' (words by

Konrad Tom Konrad Tom (9 April 1887 – 9 August 1957), born Konrad Runowiecki, a Polish Jewish actor, writer, singer and director, born in Warsaw. Wrote song lyrics in Polish and in Yiddish for stage, film and cabaret, including '' szmonces''. His wife was ...

, Emanuel Szlechter, movie ''Kocha, lubi, szanuje'', sung by

Mieczysław Fogg Mieczysław Fogg (born Mieczysław Fogiel; 30 May 1901, Warsaw3 September 1990, Warsaw) was a Polish singer and artist. His popularity started well before World War II and continued well into the 1980s. He had a characteristic way of staying ...

, later by

) * ''Kocham'' (words by J. Roland, movie ''Bezimienni bohaterowie'' from 1931) * ''Maleńka Jenny'' (words by J. Roland, movie: ''Głos pustyni'' from 1932, sung by

) * ''Miłość ci wszystko wybaczy'' (words by

Julian Tuwim Julian Tuwim (13 September 1894 – 27 December 1953), known also under the pseudonym "Oldlen" as a lyricist, was a Polish poet, born in Łódź, then part of the Russian Partition. He was educated in Łódź and in Warsaw where he studied law ...

, movie ''Szpieg w masce'' from 1933, sung by Hanka Ordonówna) * ''My dwaj, obacwaj'' (words by Emanuel Szlechter, movie ''Będzie lepiej'' from 1936, sung by Szczepko and Tońko) * ''Na cześć młodości'' (words by

, movie ''Sportowiec mimo woli'' from 1939) * ''Na pierwszy znak'' (words by

, movie ''Szpieg w masce'' from 1933, sung by Hanka Ordonówna) * ''New York Times'' (from 1928, sung by Tadeusz Olsza and Eugeniusz Koszutski) * ''Nic o Tobie nie wiem'' (words by

and Emanuel Szlechter, movie ''Włóczęgi'' from 1939, sung by

Andrzej Bogucki Andrzej Bogucki (11 November 1904 – 29 July 1978) was a Polish television, stage and film actor, as well as operetta singer and songwriter, sometimes referred to as "The Polish Chevalier". Bogucki and his wife Janina née Godlewska (8 March ...

and Zbyszko Runowiecki) * ''Nic takiego'' (words by Marian Hemar, movie ''ABC miłości'' from 1935, sung by Kazimierz Krukowski and

) * ''O, Key'' (words by

and Emanuel Szlechter, movie ''Czy Lucyna to dziewczyna'' from 1934, sung by Eugeniusz Bodo and Jadwiga Smosarska) * ''On nie powróci już'' (words by Andrzej Włast, sung by Chór Dana) * ''Panie Janie w stylu jazz'' (words by

, movie ''Zapomniana melodia'' from 1938) * ''Piosenka o zagubionym sercu'' (words by A. M. Świniarski, movie ''Pan minister i dessous'', sung by Hanka Ordonówna) * ''Płomienne serca'' (words by Marian Hemar, movie ''Na Sybir'' from 1930, sung by Tadeusz Faliszewski) * ''Reformy pani minister'' (words by

, movie ''Pani minister tańczy'' from 1937, sung by Tola Mankiewiczówna) * ''Serce Batiara'' (words by Emanuel Szlechter, movie ''Serce Batiara'' for 1939 release, but all copies lost) * ''Sexapil'' (words by Emanuel Szlechter, movie ''Piętro wyżej'' from 1937, sung by Eugeniusz Bodo) * ''Szczęście raz się uśmiecha'' (words by

, movie ''Pan minister i dessous'', sung by Hanka Ordonówna) * ''Tak cudnie mi'' (words by

, movie ''Pani minister tańczy'' from 1937, sung by Tola Mankiewiczówna and Aleksander Żabczyński) * ''Tyle miłości'' (words by

, movie ''Jego ekscelencja subiekt'' from 1933, sung by Eugeniusz Bodo) * ''Tylko Ty'' (words by Aleksander Jellyn) * ''Tylko we Lwowie'' (words by Emanuel Szlechter, movie ''Włóczęgi'' from 1939, sung by Szczepcio and Tońko) * ''Tylko z Tobą i dla Ciebie'' (words by

and Jerzy Nel, movie ''Pieśniarz Warszawy'' from 1934, sung by Eugeniusz Bodo) * ''Umówiłem się z nią na dziewiątą'' (words by Emanuel Szlechter, movie ''Piętro wyżej'' from 1937, sung by Eugeniusz Bodo) * ''W hawajską noc'' (words by

and Emanuel Szlechter, movie ''Czarna perła'', sung by Eugeniusz Bodo and later by

) * ''Zakochany złodziej'' (words by Emanuel Szlechter and

) * ''Zapomnisz o mnie'' (words by Andrzej Włast, sung by Tadeusz Faliszewski) * ''Zatańczmy tango'' (words by Andrzej Włast) * ''Złociste włoski'' (words by

, movie ''Jego ekscelencja subiekt'' from 1933, sung by Eugeniusz Bodo) * ''Zrób to tak'' (words by

and Jerzy Nel, movie ''Pieśniarz Warszawy'', sung by Eugeniusz Bodo)

Wartime songs

From ''Piosenki z plecaka Helenki''. See external link below. * ''Polacy, do broni'' * ''Może dzień ... może rok'' * ''Po mlecznej drodze'' * ''Ochotniczki'' * ''Malowane usta'' * ''Za pięć dwunasta'' * ''Gdzie najlepiej'' * ''Ochotniczka Helenka''

Selected filmography (soundtrack)

* '' Exile to Siberia'' (1930) *'' Jego ekscelencja subiekt'' (1933) *'' Pieśniarz Warszawy'' (1934) *''

ABC miłości ''ABC miłości'' (''ABC of Love'') is a 1935 Polish film directed by Michał Waszyński. Cast *Adolf Dymsza... Wincenty Poziomka * Maria Bogda ... Helenka * Kazimierz Krukowski ... Krupkowski, revue actor * Basia Wywerkówna ... Basienka *Kon ...

(1935) *'' Będzie lepiej'' (1936) *'' Bolek i Lolek'' (1936) *'' Papa się żeni'' (1936) *'' Znachor'' (1937) *'' Robert and Bertram'' (1938) *''

Ostatnia brygada ''Ostatnia brygada'' (alternative title: ''Prawo do szczęścia'') is a 1938 Polish film directed by Michał Waszyński. The film's art direction is by Jacek Rotmil. Cast * Zbigniew Sawan ... Andrzej Dowmunt * Maria Gorczyńska ... Lena * E ...

'' (1938) *'' Włóczęgi'' (1939) *''

Wielka droga ''Wielka droga'' is a 1946 Polish film directed by Michał Waszyński. Plot The plot spans from shortly before the outbreak of World War II to its end. In the city of Lwów (PL) in 1939 Adam and Irena fall in Love, but are separated by the outb ...

'' (1946) *'' Chained for Life'' (1951) *'' The Big Heat'' (1953) *'' Seven Men From Now'' (1956) *'' The Unearthly'' (1957) *''

China Doll A china doll is a doll made partially or wholly out of glazed porcelain. The name comes from ''china'' being used to refer to the material porcelain. Colloquially the term ''china doll'' is sometimes used to refer to any porcelain or bisque doll, ...

'' (1958) *'' The Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come'' (1961) *'' Battle at Bloody Beach'' (1961) *'' House of the Damned'' (1963) *'' Flipper'' (1963) *'' Flipper's New Adventure'' (1964) *'' Fools' Parade'' (1971)

References

External links

* * lyrics by Emanuel Schlechter, sung by Tadeusz Olsza
''Lwowskie Piosenki,''
Lyrics in Polish with

accent for ''Dobranoc, oczka zmruż'', ''Serce batiara'', ''My dwaj, obacwaj'', and ''Tylko we Lwowie''. Any actual performance may vary significantly from these words.
''Piosenki z plecaka Helenki,''
book by

Feliks Konarski Feliks Konarski (pseudonym: Ref-Ren) (9 January 1907 – 12 September 1991) was a Polish poet, songwriter, and cabaret performer. Early life Konarski was born in Kiev and attended a Polish school there. In 1921, he was able to get to Pola ...

(alias REF-REN), Rome, 1946; in Polish.
"Film Scores of Henry Vars in the United States: An Overview"
by Linda Schubert in ''Polish Music Journal'', Vol. 4, No. 1.
''Szwajcarski paszport na Sybir,''
"Swiss passport to Siberia" by Diana Poskuta-Włodek in Nowy Dziennik, New York, 23 July 2004; in Polish.
Polish Tangos: The Unique Inter-War Soundtrack to Poland’s Independence

When Henryk Wars took on Hollywood
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wars, Henryk Polish composers Polish film score composers Male film score composers American male composers Musicians from Warsaw 20th-century Polish Jews 1902 births 1977 deaths Polish military personnel of World War II Polish prisoners of war World War II prisoners of war held by Germany Escapees from German detention Polish cabaret performers Polish emigrants to the United States 20th-century American composers 20th-century comedians 20th-century American male musicians