The Warner brothers of Krasnosielc: the Polish roots of a Hollywood studio
Three of the four founders of Warner Bros. were born in Krasnosielc in Mazovia. Media report that they funded their start in cinema by selling their father's watch and pawning a horse.
Author: Editorial teamPublished: 2 min read
Contents
Films such as "Casablanca", "Gone with the Wind" and "Superman" were made under the Warner Bros. banner. Less well known is that the studio's beginnings go back to a village in Mazovia. The Gazeta.pl website revisited the subject on 31 October 2026. Below are the facts confirmed in other Polish media.
A cobbler's family from Krasnosielc
The three brothers who later founded the studio were born in Krasnosielc in Mazovia. They were the sons of a Jewish cobbler, Benjamin Wonsal, and Perła Eichelbaum. According to "Rzeczpospolita", they were born between 1881 and 1887. They were called Hirsz, Aaron (some sources give the name Abraham) and Szmul.
The family emigrated across the ocean. Sources differ on the year of departure: TVN24 gives 1889, while "Rzeczpospolita" gives 1890 and names Canada as the first stop. In America the family adopted the surname Warner. The brothers also changed their first names to Harry, Albert and Sam. The fourth brother, Jack, was born in Canada in 1892.
A watch and a horse
Media describe the start of the film business in similar terms. The brothers are said to have sold their father's watch and pawned a horse, and used the money to buy a projector. According to "Rzeczpospolita", it cost 1,000 dollars and was used to run a travelling cinema. Kasia Kieli, head of Warner Bros. Discovery in Poland and CEO of TVN, said in a TVN24 report that their entire fortune was a watch and a horse.
Over time the brothers moved into film distribution and, from 1910, into production as well. The Warner Bros. studio was operating by 1923. Polskie Radio gives the date as 4 April 1923. Its successes included films featuring the dog Rin Tin Tin and, later, the introduction of sound to cinema.
Remembered in Poland
The Warner brothers have a star on the Walk of Fame on Piotrkowska Street in Łódź. Polish media regularly return to their story, especially on anniversaries of the studio's founding.
What this means for you
There are no direct practical consequences. This is a cultural and historical curiosity, and an example of Polish-Jewish emigration that influenced world cinema.
Sources
This article was prepared automatically by AI from the listed sources and published without prior editorial review. Spotted a mistake? Use the “Report an error in this article” button.
Photos
- Cover: „camera, film, demonstration, projector, film projector”, author: geralt, licence Pixabay Content License; cropped or resized.
- Photo 1: „hollywood sign, los angeles, hollywood, iconic, california”, author: 12019, licence Pixabay Content License; cropped or resized.
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