The film starts with the military mobilisation of the year 1914. Filipek works as an apprenticeship in a winery. Being thrown away by its owner, he joins the newly established legions. While attending a draft board, he meets Jerzy Recki, a student who abandoned his studies in Switzerland to have an opportunity to fight. The two men become inseparable and as such are sent together on the front line. Their officer in charge assigns them on a reconnaissance, where they encounter Russian soldiers, which leads to a firefight. Jerzy is badly wounded. Filipek leads him to a nearby court, but its owner refuses to let them in. His daughter Zosia clandestinely hides Jerzy in her room and lovingly takes care of him. Filipek returns to the troops to bring back help.
In the meantime, the Muscovites turn up in the court and take it up as their headquarters. Luckily, Filip arrives with two soldiers and they manage to move Jerzy out through the window. Kazik has words of farewell with his older sister Zosia, as he joins the legions. From that moment on, the three men serve in the same unit. Zosia receives a letter from Kazik and Jerzy, with the latter calling her his “protective angel”. Meanwhile, the Russian army moves on to offensive. During the fight, the three “madmen” are wounded. They are moved to a lazaret, where Zosia works as a nurse. Jerzy confesses his feelings. The wounded men recover quickly. The legionnaires in the barracks refuse to obey orders nor take an oath of allegiance to the Regency Council. They end up in a prison, from which they are released by Józef Piłsudski on his way back from Magdeburg.
The action of the film moves to the year 1920. The battle against the Bolsheviks for the Eastern borderline has already begun. Kazik is fatally shot while fighting his way through the front line. His friends sing “Sleep in the dark grave, friend and may you dream about thy Poland” at his grave. Kazik is posthumously awarded with Virtuti Militari.
W roku 1928 filmem Szaleńcy (z cyklu: My Pierwsza Brygada) swoją długą karierę rozpoczął ceniony reżyser, Leonard Buczkowski.
Akcja jego debiutu rozgrywa się wokół wydarzeń związanych z wymarszem z Krakowa I Kompanii Kadrowej i utworzeniem Legionów Polskich w roku 1914, a także walk z bolszewikami w roku 1920. Głównymi bohaterami są trzej ochotnicy, młodzi "szaleńcy", dzięki którym poznajemy nie tylko codzienność życia w koszarach, ale także realia walk na pierwszej linii frontu.
Leonard Buczkowski zrealizował Szaleńców w "koprodukcji" dwóch wytwórni filmowych - poznańskiej Diana-Film i warszawskiej Klio-Film (Narodowa Wytwórnia Filmów Historycznych). Liczne sceny batalistyczne nakręcono w Biedrusku pod Poznaniem. Wzięły w nich udział następujące formacje korpusu poznańskiego: 57 i 58 pułk piechoty, 15 pułk Ułanów Wielkopolskich, 14 pułk Artylerii Lekkiej, 7 Dywizjon Artylerii Konnej, 3 pułk lotniczy, 1 pułk czołgów, 7 Dywizjon Samochodowy.
We wrześniu 1928 roku film otrzymał Grand Prix i Złoty Medal na Wystawie w Paryżu.
Kalendarz Wiadomości Filmowych, 1929 r.
Film Szaleńcy zachował się do dnia dzisiejszego.
W roku 1934, w 20-tą rocznicę wymarszu z Krakowa pierwszych oddziałów strzeleckich, niemy film udźwiękowiono muzyką skomponowaną przez Tadeusza Górzyńskiego. Do czasów obecnych ta wersja zachowała się jedynie w niewielkim fragmencie.
Daredevils. We have finally learned to look through the camera lenses at our countryside and Polish wars. A polish soldier, especially the first one, as the first one always bears primacy, is close to our hearts, and, regardless of the fact that too many battle scenes are now being shot with our films making use of the cheapness of armed acting, it touches us deeply. All the more so in Daredevils, where the war depiction, being naïve at its core, despite portraying terror, death and blood, is discreet and artistically detailed. War is indeed an element profoundly primitive that denudes man of culture, it takes a whole bunch of motives surrounding ideals and sentiments to transform war into something beautiful. Daredevils is a rare example of directorial craft. Especially the beginning complies with the American standards. Although it is not the first time we see “layering” images, a synthetic view of a particular occurrence, one has to admit that the director portrayed it in a highly artistic and logical way. The war itself deserves cuts, as its depiction is doubled in almost identical takes, but we have to appreciate the wonderful particularisation when it comes to the representation of military equipment, for instance tanks and machine guns. It is a pity that by that repetitiveness, the whole artistic merit of the film is blurred. The talented Jerzy Kobusz has been greatly spotted and brought to the forefront. He is the first Polish born actor who came out to be destined for the screen and absolutely unexcelled by his fellow artists, like for instance Irena Gawęcka with a face as pretty as frowned but uglified and forced to play sentimental roles while she was fitted for dramatic and gloomy parts. The same applies to Marian Czauski, who was exposed to the camera lenses regarding exclusively his good look and without taking into consideration particular situations or acting per se. The countryside in Daredevils is like in no other Polish film: locations in Biedrusk next to Poznań reminds of the most subtle copperplate engraving, lighting is masterfully crafted, even the lipstick, so rare in Poland, is used with a European manner. Daredevils is a great step forward for the Polish cinema. [GR]
Kino-Teatr 1928 no 1
“Daredevils” (screened in the Capitol and Pan cinemas).
From the round of Polish films announced for this season – “Daredevils”, in accordance with its name, stands in the line of fire. The film is good, it is even unexpectedly good, and as such establishes an auspicious start of the season in Polish cinema. The young director Leonard Buczkowski decided to shoot a Polish version of “The Big Parade”. The idea is on point: each nation should have its “Big Parade”. Despite the fact that the Polish version does not equal the American one in terms of the magnitude, nor the production quality, it surely goes right into the hearts of the Polish viewers. While we were left ravished by King Vidor’s masterpiece, Buczkowski’s film touched us deeply. A unique part of the Polish soul is to be found in the film, which, being set on a high and noble tone, abounds in a broad and youthful humour represented mostly by Jerzy Kobusz who reflects “Big Parade’s” Slim (Karol Dane). Marian Czauski is convincing as a lover, while the young Aleksander Starża moved the audience deeply. Directing and cinematography is entirely correct. I have to admit having doubts and going to the premiere with certain preconceptions. We have so many times seen political advertisement in films. Luckily, my concerns turned out to be false. Obviously, it would have been better if “The Big Parade” overwhelmed all the “daredevils” who bring their lives into sacrifice, not only on the First Cadre Company’s path, but also in the battles of Arras and Reims (in France), Kaniów, Krechowce, Murmańsk, as well as the Greater Poland Uprising and in all the three Silesian Uprisings – in a word – everywhere where the blood was shed for Poland. Since we are not mature enough for such a conception, let us greet “Daredevils” with an entirely deserved applause. [GR]
(B.), Przed Ekranem, Kurjer Warszawski, 1928, no 239 evening edition, p. 6.
Despite one of the actors’ burns, a new battle film is being shot day and night at all hours. The unfortunate accident happened in Biedrusk during filming. As we all know, the new battle film produced by the Warsaw-based “Klio Film” company is shot near Poznań. Yesterday, a special type of shooting took place on the manoeuvres fields in Biedrusk. While filming one of the most spectacular scenes in the film, which shows an attack of the Polish troops on the Russian army’s trenches, two artists playing the main protagonists: Marjan Czawski [!] and Aleksander Starża, got involved so much in the action and acting that regardless of the warnings yelled out by the director, they stepped on a fake mine in the time of its explosion. The consequences of this artistic fervour were fatal. One of the artists, namely Mr. Czawski [!], ended up with severe burns on his face and hands. Luckily, a doctor was present on the set and helped the artist immediately. Unmindful of the injuries, Czawski [!] rejected to suspend filming, eager to come back on the set to continue the exhausting battle scenes’ shooting which had been filmed for the past few days at all hours. Judging from the already achieved effects, the battle scenes, as well as the whole film, will end up being impressive. A large number of artists, extras, horses, rolling wagons and various military technical formations and accessories (cannons, tanks, planes) take part in the action that constitutes the background of a wonderful film.
That example shows us that the Polish cinema and its artists spare no effort nor energy to push the young Polish film school triumphantly on a path of advancement and let it compete with foreign film productions.
Bohaterowie rodzimej sztuki filmowej (The Heroes of Our Film Art), Nowy Kurjer, 1928, no 114
Marjan Czauski, a protagonist of „Daredevils”, who has ceaselessly triumphed for the past month on two big screens in Warsaw, had me over in his secluded workshop. The room was full of imageries of actors and actresses hanged with a chaotic manner. A few great examples of Caucasian and Old Polish weaponry mark the combative character of my protagonist, while a ball together with boxing gloves and three tennis racquets precise the exact nature of his belligerence. – I can see that you don’t neglect the guidance of Hollywood stars and follow their example in sparing some time for sport? – Oh yes, I believe that film actors should devote at least a quarter of the day to work on brawn. Any minute now should come my trainer and, if you want to, you can stay and see some first class boxing punches and Jujutsu grips that I’ve been studying for the past few days. Maybe you want to have a try? – No, thank you. I collected my new glasses yesterday – but coming back to the topic, what are your plans for the future? – Uh, my plans are big but who knows if they will come true… I guess you understand that it does not depend on me. – What are you working on right now? – Most of all, I’m making “good impression” – responded the actor humoristically – as I can tell by the Daredevils’ reviews published in various magazines in Warsaw – he added, and apart from that – I’m preparing for the next film, directed by the nicest director of all – Mr. Leonard Buczkowski. – So there are film plans on the horizon? – Yes indeed, Mr. Buczkowski is currently working on the script while being on holidays in Zakopane. – Is that going to be something from the “1 Brigade” cycle? – No! But despite my willingness to share it with you, I can’t give any detailed information because of its confidentiality.
All that is left for me is to guarantee that the audience in Warsaw will greet actor’s new performance with pleasure. I had words of farewell with the amiable actor who will undoubtedly take a place among Polish film lovers, and was all the more in a hurry to leave his apartment as the actor marched into the room with boxing gloves on.
W gościnie u bohatera „Szaleńców" (Being Hosted by Daredevils’ Protagonist) , Rzeczpospolita, 1928, no 267, p. 15.
(…) A much better effect was brought by a partnership between “Diana-Film” and the Warsaw based National Historical Film Corporation “Klio” (Narodowa Wytwórnia Filmów Historycznych “Klio”). The united Diana-Klio-Film corporation produced one of the best films of 1928 – the twelve-act “Daredevils” (screened also under the “We Are the First Brigade” title) directed by Leonard Buczkowski, based on Kazimierz A. Czyżowski’s script and filmed by Albert Wywerka. The action of “Daredevils” is focused on the soldiers from a Polish Legions brigade with theatrical actors from Lviv and Poznań (incl. Aleksander Starża, Jerzy Kobusz, Irena Gawęcka and Bolesław Szczurkiewiez) playing nearly all roles, while a few army units from Poznań regiments helping to shot military scenes. It was, next to The Spring to Come (Przedwiośnie), one of the most curiously awaited premieres of 1928 – a film that in the same year received a Grand Prix at the World Fair and six years later was provided with a soundtrack composed by Tadeusz Górzyński. Soon after the premiere, the reviewers wrote: “Daredevils is the first film shot entirely in Poznań, starting with the crew and the army and ending on the financial support, handed by the local gentry (the film was largely financed by the gentry from Wielkopolska (Greater Poland) – Małgorzata Hendrykowska’s note)”. “Daredevils […] is the first Polish film, that honours our cinema and can go without corrections to the foreign markets. After films like ‘A Mystery of a Tram Stop’ (Tajemnica przystanku tramwajowego), ‘The Leper’ (Trędowata) and other unsuccessful experiments, in which cheap melodramatic effects transferred directly from the theatrical patterns constituted the dominant impression, the long awaited film based on cinematic merits with a fabulous mise-en-scène, appeared, suggesting that a film sense exists in Polish film studios”. To film’s grandness testifies the fact that it was rereleased in sound version in 1934 on the 20th anniversary of the First Cadre’s departure from Kraków.
Małgorzata Hendrykowska, Kronika Miasta Poznania: kwartalnik poświęcony problematyce współczesnego Poznania (Poznań’s Chronicle: Quarterly Journal Devoted to Contemporary Poznań) 1981.10/12 R.49 no 4
