Year of Cinema People: Discover Pola Negri at Helena Grossówna’s House
From her debut and European success to becoming a Hollywood star, the life and career of legendary actress Pola Negri will be the subject of a public lecture in Toruń.
The lecture on the first European star to conquer Hollywood is organized by the Kujawsko-Pomorskie Heritage Centre in Toruń. The event will take place on 31 July (Friday) at 5:00 p.m. at Helena Grossówna’s House in Wola Zamkowa. It will be presented by Dorota Łańcucka of the Pola Negri Cultural Society of Lipno, which has spent many years promoting the legacy of the actress, who was born in the town. Admission is free.
“We invite you to discover the remarkable journey of a Polish artist who rose to the very top of world cinema,” the organizers say. “The lecture will trace Pola Negri’s life – from her early career and European successes to her status as a Hollywood icon. It will explore her distinctive acting style and the influence she had on the portrayal of women in silent cinema. Archival materials, photographs and film excerpts will illustrate her extraordinary artistry and charisma. Holding the event at Helena Grossówna’s House will symbolically bring together two of the greatest stars of pre-war Polish cinema once again.”
Born Barbara Apolonia Chałupiec in Lipno on 3 January 1897, Pola Negri made her screen debut in 1914 in The Slave of Passion. Three years later she moved to Berlin, where she came under the mentorship of the renowned German director Ernst Lubitsch. Her performance in Madame DuBarry (1919) attracted the attention of executives at Paramount Pictures. In 1922, she became the first European actress to sign a contract with the American studio and soon established herself as one of the world’s biggest silent-film stars.
Known as the “Polish Queen of Hollywood,” Negri appeared in around 70 films produced in Poland, Germany, the United States, France, the United Kingdom and Russia. She became famous not only for her screen roles but also for her flamboyant lifestyle. She was known for wearing nail polish, high-heeled ankle boots and striking gowns, and counted Charlie Chaplin, Rudolph Valentino and Margaret West among her friends. In 1970 she published her autobiography, Memoirs of a Star. She died in San Antonio on 1 August 1987 at the age of 90.
Her hometown of Lipno hosts the annual “Pola and Others” Film Review, organized by the Pola Negri Cultural Society of Lipno. In 2021, the Lipno Town Council posthumously awarded her the title of Honorary Citizen.
Pola Negri also lends her name to the Marshal of the Kujawsko-Pomorskie Region Film Award, established in 2022. The award honours actors and filmmakers – from emerging talents to acclaimed artists – whose work has made an outstanding contribution to Polish cinema. Winners receive a statuette in the form of a stylized strip of film featuring the likeness of the world cinema icon.
The Marshal’s Office has also published a comic book telling the story of the “Polish Queen of Hollywood.”
The Kujawsko-Pomorskie Regional Parliament has designated 2026 as the Year of Kujawsko-Pomorskie People of Cinema.
Dariusz Czołgowski
Department of Promotion
20 July 2026