Gene Gutowski facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gene Gutowski
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| Born |
Witold Bardach
July 26, 1925 Lwów, Poland
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| Died | May 10, 2016 (aged 90) Warsaw, Poland
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| Occupation | Film producer |
| Years active | 1955-2007 |
| Spouse(s) |
Zillah Rhoades
(m. 1947–1955)x
(m. 1960)Judy Wilson
(m. 1963–1973)Corinna Liddell
(m. 1976–1983)Dorota Puzio
(m. 1990–1995)Asia Smaga
(m. 2000–2016) |
Witold Bardach (born July 26, 1925 – died May 10, 2016) was a Polish-American film producer. He was better known as Gene Gutowski. He helped make many movies with famous director Roman Polanski. Some of these films include Repulsion (1965), Cul-de-Sac (1966), The Fearless Vampire Killers (1967), and The Pianist (2002).
Contents
Gene Gutowski's Life Story
His Early Years
Gene Gutowski was born Witold Bardach in 1925 in Lwów. At that time, Lwów was part of Poland. His father, Juliusz Bardach, was a lawyer. His mother, Anna Bardach, was a talented concert pianist.
From 1933 to 1939, his family lived in Rawa Ruska. Then they moved back to Lwów. While under Soviet control, Witold began studying to be a sculptor.
In 1941, German forces took over Lwów. A year later, his whole family was killed. They had lived in the area for many generations.
Escaping and Surviving
Witold escaped to Warsaw. He first worked for a photographer. Later, he worked at a factory near Okecie Airport. He secretly removed radio parts for the Polish underground army.
To avoid being caught by the Gestapo, he changed his name. At 18, he became "Eugene Gutowski." He then moved to Riga, Latvia. There, he led a construction company.
Near the end of World War II in 1944, he moved to Germany. In May 1945, he joined the Counterintelligence Corps (United States Army). He worked as a special agent until 1947.
In March 1947, he married Zillah Rhoades. She worked for the U.S. State Department. They moved to New York City. They had two sons: Andrew, born in 1951, and Alexander, born in 1952. Alexander later had a child named Jordan.
His Film Career
After working as a fashion illustrator, Gene Gutowski joined the film world. He started as a production manager for a TV series called I Spy in the mid-1950s.
In 1960, he moved to London. There, he produced Station Six Sahara, released in 1962. In 1963, he began working with Roman Polanski. They became a very successful team.
Together, they made Repulsion (1965), Cul-de-sac (1966), and The Fearless Vampire Killers (1967). Polanski then moved to Hollywood in 1967.
In 1970, Gutowski wrote and produced The Adventures of Gerard. He also produced A Day at the Beach (1970) and Romance of a Horsethief (1971).
Gene Gutowski and Roman Polanski remained close friends. They worked together again on The Pianist (2002). This movie won many awards, including Oscars.
Gutowski also produced several stage plays. These include Passion Flower Hotel (1965) and Death and the Maiden (1992). His last play was Doubt: A Parable in 2007.
In 2004, he published his autobiography in Polish. It was called Od Holocaustu do Hollywood. An English version, With Balls and Chutzpah: A Story of Survival, came out in 2011. In 2014, his son, Adam Bardach, made a documentary about him. It was called "Dancing Before the Enemy."
Movies and Plays
- Station Six-Sahara (1962) Executive Producer
- Repulsion (1965) Producer
- Cul-de-sac (1966) Producer
- The Fearless Vampire Killers (1967) Producer
- The Adventures of Gerard (1970) Writer/Producer
- A Day at the Beach (1970) Producer
- Romance of a Horsethief (1971) Producer
- The Pianist (2002) Co-Producer
- Doubt: A Parable (2007 stage play) Producer
