Mieczysław Biełous

(Born 1906, died 2000 in Los Angeles) It was even difficult in the case of this still photographer to establish his first name. The closing credits in his films always just featured him under the title "film stills - M. Biełous". Only by finding his archival copyright agreements were we able to uncover his first name. And then more information came from the testimonies of people who worked with him.

Biełous came from the Kresy borderlands, from Brest on the Bug River. It is not known what he did during the war or how he became interested in photography. Shortly after the war, he became an employee of the "Włóczka" [Yarn] company on Narutowicza Street in Łódź, which also produced film prints. Soon after, he also began to work in the laboratory of the Łódź Feature Film Studio. He probably took film stills when the chief still photographer of the Studio, Wojciech Urbanowicz, was busy. Camera operator Wiesław Zdort remembers that Biełous often took still photos for two films at the same time, going directly from one part of the studio to another.

At the beginning of 1956, Biełous became a full-time still photographer in the Puppet Film Studio in Tuszyn (later the SE-MA-FOR Studio), which was separate from the Feature Film Studio in Łódź.  Cinematographer Jerzy Kotowski, with whom he often collaborated, persuaded him to move to the Puppet Film Studio. In the Studio, he worked as a still photographer with such DoPs as Leszek Nartowski and Eugeniusz Ignaciuk and such directors as Zenon Wasilewski, Halina and Włodzimierz Haupe, Teresa Badzian, Edward Sturlis, Lidia Hornicka and Lucjan Dembiński. Among local filmmakers he quickly gained the nickname "Misha". "Misha was very professional at his job, he was very well-liked by all and he was very amiable, cheery and responsible" – recalls Teresa Puchowska-Sturlis.

In 1962, Biełous emigrated to the United States and settled in Los Angeles. "It was a very difficult decision for him" - adds Puchowska-Sturlis. "To the end of his life, he longed for Poland and his profession".

Piotr Śmiałowski

Filmography of Biełous as stillphotographer:

1951 – „Gromada” (with Mieczysław Jahoda)

1953 – „Celuloza”

1954 – „Pod gwiazdą frygijską”

1954 – „Kariera”

Filmography of Biełous as stillphotographer in SE-MA-FOR Studio:

1956 – „Nowy domek”

1956 – „Katarynka”

1956 – „Czarodziejskie dary”

1956 – „Dwie Dorotki”

1956 – „Przygody rycerza Szaławiły”

1957 – „Kotek Napłotek”

1957 – „Ostrożność”

1957 – „Przygoda Sindbada Żeglarza”

1957 – „Rodowy klejnot”

1957 – „Tadek Niejadek”

1957 – „Tajemnicze sygnały”

1957 – „Wycieczka”

1958 – „Czekając na króla”

1958 – „Damon”

1958 – „Dwa Michały”

1958 – „Pan Korek”

1958 – „Szewczyk Dratewka”

1958 – „Wesołe miasteczko”

1958 – „Wystawa abstrakcjonistów”

1959 – „Ballada o burmistrzance”

1959 – „Baśń o korsarzu Palemonie”

1959 – „Bellerofon”

1959 – „Ondraszek”

1959 – „Mysie figle”

1959 – „Pięć minut dla zdrowia”

1959 – „Pyza”

1959 – „Tabu”

1959 – „Wędrówki Pana Księżyca”

1959 – „Uwaga diabeł!”

1960 – „Była sobie świnka mała”

1960 – „Były dwa pieski”

1960 – „Kaktus”

1960 – „Karaluszysko”

1960 – „Lajkonik”

1960 – „Nie drażnić lwa”

1960 – „Pan Soczewka w puszczy”

1960 – „Pozytywka”

1960 – „Upiór w pałacu”

1961 – „Ala ma kota”

1961 – „Czarny król”

1961 – „Dwie lampy”

1961 – „Leśna przygoda”

1961 – „Manguar”

1961 – „Muzyczka”

1961 – „O Janku, co psom szył buty”

1961 – „Olimpiada”

1961 – „Orfeusz i Eurydyka”

1961 – „Poranek Gapiszona”

1961 – „Przygody budzika”

1961 – „Wojtuś i Bacuś”

1961 – „Zbrodnia na ulicy Kota Brzuchomówcy”

1961 – „Złodzieje”

1962 – „Miś Uszatek”

Gallery

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  Biełous's signature on the back of one of the stills. The SFL abbreviation stands for Studio Filmów Lalkowych [Puppet Film Studio]
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  Biełous's signature with his home address on the back of one of the stills.
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  Biełous's original stamp on the back of a film still