Roman Polanski Biography (1933-)

Born August 18, 1933, in Paris, France; son of Ryszard (a painter and plastics manufacturer) and Bula (maiden name, Katz-Przedborska) Polanski; married Barbara Kwiatkowski Lass (an actress), December, 1959 (divorced, 1961); marriedSharon Tate (an actress), January 20, 1968 (murdered August 9, 1969); married Emmanuelle Seigner (an actress), 1989; children: Morgane, Elvis. Addresses: Agent: Jeff Berg, International Creative Management, 8942 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills, CA 90211.

Nationality: French
Gender: Male
Occupation: Director, producer, writer, actor
Birth Details: August 18, 1933; Paris, France

Famous Works

CREDITS
Film Director
The Bicycle (also known as The Enchanted Bicycle, Rower, and Zaczarowany rower), 1955
Usmiech zebiczny (also known as Teeth Smile), 1957
Rozbijemy zabawe (also known as Break Up the Dance), 1957
The Crime (also known as A Murderer and Morderstwo),1958
Two Men and a Wardrobe (also known as Dwaj ludzie z szafa),1958
The Lamp (also known as Lampa), 1959
When Angels Fall (also known as When Angels Fall Down... and Gdy spadaja anioly), 1959
(And editor) The Fat and the Lean (also known as and Les gros et la maigre and Gruby i chudy), 1961
Knife in the Water (also known as Knight without Armor andNoz w wodzie), Kanawha Films, 1962
"Amsterdam," The Beautiful Swindlers (also known as The World'sGreatest Swindlers, World's Greatest Swindles, The World's Most Beautiful Swindlers, Les plus belles escroqueries du mond, Piu belle truffe del mondo, and De Wereld wil bedrogen worden), Ellis, 1964
Mammals (also known as Ssaki), 1964
Repulsion, Royal, 1965
Cul-de-sac, Filmways, 1966
The Fearless Vampire Killers (also known as Dance of the Vampires and Fearless Vampire Killers: Pardon Me but Your Teeth Are in My Neck), Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1967
Rosemary's Baby, Paramount, 1968
Macbeth, Caliban Films, 1971
(And editor) What? (also known as Che?, Diary of Forbidden Dreams, Quoi?, and Was?), Production Aristique Cinematographiques, 1973
Chinatown, Paramount, 1974
The Tenant (also known as Le locataire), Paramount, 1976
Tess, Columbia, 1980
Pirates, Cannon, 1984
Frantic, Warner Bros., 1988
Bitter Moon (also known as Lunes de fiel), 1992
Death and the Maiden (also known as La jeune fille et la mort), Fine Line, 1994
The Ninth Gate (also known as La neuvieme porte and La novena puerta), Lions Gate Films, 1999, Artisan Entertainment, 2000
The Pianist (also known as Der Pianist and Le pianiste), Focus Features, 2002
Film Producer
(With others) G. G. Passion, 1966
A Day at the Beach, Paramount, 1969
(With Andrew Braunsberg) Macbeth, Caliban Films, 1971
Weekend of a Champion (also known as Afternoon of a Championship), 1972
Bitter Moon (also known as Lunes de fiel), 1992
Castelnuovo, Castelnuovo Corp., 1999
The Ninth Gate (also known as La neuvieme porte and La novena puerta), Lions Gate Films, 1999, Artisan Entertainment, 2000
The Pianist (also known as Der Pianist and Le pianiste), Focus Features, 2002
Film Appearances
Maly, "Jacek," Trzy opowiesci (also known as Three Stories), 1953
Mundek, Pokolenie (also known as A Generation), 1954
Adas, The Bicycle (also known as The Enchanted Bicycle, Rower, and Zaczarowany rower), 1955
Maly, Koniec wojny (also known as End of the Night and Koniec nocy), 1956
Kanal (also known as Canal and They Loved Life), 1957
Wraki (also known as The Wrecks), 1957
Zaadzwoncie do mojej zony (also known as Phone My Wife), 1958
Bad boy, Two Men and a Wardrobe (also known as Dwaj ludzie z szafa), 1958
Old woman, When Angels Fall (also known as When Angels Fall Down... and Gdy spadaja anioly), 1959
Musician, Lotna, Pol-Ton, 1959
Dudzio (some sources cite Polo), Niewinni czarodzieje (also knownas Innocent Sorcerers), 1960
Jola's tutor, Zezowate szczescie (also known as Bad Luck),1960
Romek, Do widzenia, do jutra (also known as Good Bye, Till Tomorrow and See You Tomorrow), 1960
Ostroznie yeti (also known as The Abominable Snowman), 1960
The lean servant, The Fat and the Lean (also known as Les groset le maigre and Gruby i chudy), 1961
Samson, 1961
Mammals (also known as Ssaki), 1964
Spoons player, Repulsion, Royal, 1965

Alfred, The Fearless Vampire Killers (also known as Dance of the Vampires and Fearless Vampire Killers; Pardon Me but Your Teeth Arein My Neck), Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1967
Man watching cabaret, The Magic Christian, Commonwealth, 1970
Himself, Ciao, Federico!, 1970
Interviewer, Weekend of a Champion (also known as Afternoon ofa Champion), 1972
Zanzara (Mosquito), What? (also known as Che?, Diary ofForbidden Dreams, Quois?, and Was?), Production Aristique Cinematographiques, 1973
Man with knife, Chinatown, Paramount, 1974
Villager in tavern, Blood for Dracula (also known as Andy Warhol's Dracula, Andy Warhol's Young Dracula, Dracula, YoungDracula, Dracula cerca sangue di vergine ... e mori di sete, Dracula vuole vivere: cerca sangue di vergine!, and Du sang pour Dracula), 1974
Narrator, The Evolution of Snuff (also known as Confessions ofa Blue Movie Star), 1976
Trelkovsky, The Tenant (also known as Le locataire), Paramount, 1976
Chasse-croise, 1982
L'envers du decor: Portrait de Pierre Guffroy (also known as Behind the Scenes: A Portrait of Pierre Guffroy), 1991
Kurilov, Back in the U.S.S.R., 1992
Himself (in archive footage), Hugh Hefner: Once upon a Time, 1992
Inspector, Una pura formalita (also known as A Pure Formality and Une pure formalite), Roissy, 1994
Himself, Grosse fatigue (also known as Dead Tired and High Stress), Gaumont/Buena Vista International, 1994
Himself (in archive footage), The Story of X, Playboy Home Video/Universal Music and Video Distribution, 1998
Himself, Ljuset haaler mig saellskap (also known as Light KeepsMe Company), First Run Features, 2000
Hommage a Alfred Lepetit (also known as Tribute to Alfred Lepetit), Les Films du Jeudi, 2000
Himself (in archive footage), The Kid Stays in the Picture, FocusFeatures/USA Films, 2002
Papkin, Zemsta (also known as The Revenge), Vision Film Distribution, 2002
Stage Director
Lulu (opera), Spoleto Festival, Italy, 1974
Rigoletto (opera), Spoleto Festival, 1976
Amadeus, Warsaw, Poland, 1981, then Paris, 1982
Tales of Hoffman, 1996-1997
Master Class, Paris, 1996-1997
Tanz der Vampire (musical adaptation of The Fearless Vampire Killers), Vienna, Austria, 1997
Stage Appearances
Amadeus, Warsaw, Poland, 1981, then Paris, 1982
The Metamorphosis, Paris, 1988
Also appeared in Son of the Regiment.
Television Appearances
Specials
Empire of the Censors, 1995
(In archive footage) The Last Days of Sharon Tate: The E! True Hollywood Story, E! Entertainment Television, 1999
Intimate Portrait: Mia Farrow, Lifetime, 1999
Roman Polanski: Reflections of Darkness, Arts and Entertainment, 2000
Episodic
Playboy after Dark, 1969
Himself, Sen kvaell med Luuk, 1998
Radio Appearances
Appeared on The Merry Gang.
RECORDINGS
Videos
Director of the music video "Gli Angeli" by Vasco Rossi, 1996.
WRITINGS
Screenplays
The Bicycle (also known as The Enchanted Bicycle, Rower, and Zaczarowany rower), 1955
Usmiech zebiczny (also known as Teeth Smile), 1957
Rozbijemy zabawe (also known as Break Up the Dance), 1957
The Crime (also known as A Murderer and Morderstwo),1958
Two Men and a Wardrobe (also known as Dwaj ludzie z szafa),1958
(With others) The Lamp (also known as Lampa), 1959
When Angels Fall (also known as When Angels Fall Down... and Gdy spadaja anioly), 1959
The Fat and the Lean (also known as Les gros et la maigre and Gruby i chudy), 1961
(With Jerzy Skolimowski and Jakub Goldberg) Knife in the Water (also known as Knight without Armor and Noz w wodzie), Kanawha Films, 1962
(With Gerard Brach) "Amsterdam," The Beautiful Swindlers (also known as The World's Greatest Swindlers, World's Greatest Swindles, The World's Most Beautiful Swindlers, Les plus belles escroqueries du mond, Piu belle truffe del mondo, and De Wereld wil bedrogen worden), Ellis, 1964
Mammals (also known as Ssaki), 1964
(With Brach and David Stone) Repulsion, Royal, 1965
(With Brach) Cul-de-sac, Filmways, 1966
(With Brach and Jean Leon) A Taste for Women (also known as DoYou Like Women? and Aimez-vous les femmes?), Comet, 1966
(With Brach) The Fearless Vampire Killers (also known as Danceof the Vampires and Fearless Vampire Killers: Pardon Me but Your TeethAre in My Neck), Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1967
Rosemary's Baby, Paramount, 1968
(With others) La fille d'en face (also known as The Girl acrossthe Way and The Woman Opposite), 1968
A Day at the Beach, Paramount, 1969
(With Brach) "La riviere de diamants," Cinema Different 3, 1970
(With Kenneth Tynan) Macbeth, Caliban Films, 1971
Le bateau sur l'herbe (also known as The Boat on the Grass), 1971
(With Brach) What? (also known as Che?, Diary of Forbidden Dreams, Quoi?, and Was?), Production Aristique Cinematographiques, 1973
Chinatown, Paramount, 1974
(With Brach) The Tenant (also known as Le locataire), Paramount, 1976
Tess (based on the novel Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy), Columbia, 1980
(With Brach and John Brownjohn) Pirates, Cannon, 1984
(With Brach) Frantic, Warner Bros., 1988
(With Brach and Brownjohn) Bitter Moon (also known as Lunes defiel), 1992
The Ninth Gate (also known as La neuvieme porte and La novena puerta), 1999
Other
Three Films (contains Cul-de-sac, Knife in the Water, and Repulsion), Harper (New York City), 1975
Roman by Polanski (autobiography), Morrow (New York City), 1984
(With Esther Williams) Depoimento, Museu da Imagem e do Som do Riode Janeiro (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), 1991
(With others) Angelin Preljocaj, A. Colin (Paris), 1992
Guest editor of French edition, Vogue, 1976.

Further Reference

ADAPTATIONS

The screenplay The Fearless Vampire Killers was adapted for the stage by Michael Crawford and produced on Broadway as Vampires, 2002.

OTHER SOURCES

Books

Bisplinghoff, Gretchen, and Virginia Wexman, Roman Polanski, G. K.Hall, 1979
Butler, Ivan, The Cinema of Roman Polanski, A. S. Barnes (New YorkCity), 1970
International Dictionary of Films and Filmmakers, Volume 2: Directors, St. James Press, 1996
Kiernan, Thomas, The Roman Polanski Story, Delilah (New York City), 1980
Leaming, Barbara, Polanski: A Biography, Simon & Schuster (NewYork City), 1981
Polanski, Roman, Roman by Polanski, Morrow (New York City), 1984
Wexman, Virginia, Roman Polanski, Twayne, 1985

Periodicals

American Film, April, 1991, pp. 38-39, 46-47
Entertainment Weekly, March 27, 1998, p. 45
Los Angeles Magazine, January, 1995, p. 90
New York Times, May 25, 2002, pp. B7, B12
People Weekly, December 15, 1997, p. 155
Time, October 13, 1997, p. 103

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