"To convince the prison warden against releasing him, a middle-aged Polish man recounts his life, one he considers to have been characterized by exceptionally bad luck."
Bogumił Kobiela
as Jan Piszczyk
Maria Ciesielska
as Basia
Helena Dąbrowska
as Wychówna
Barbara Lass
as Jola
Krystyna Karkowska
as Wrona-Wronska
Barbara Połomska
as Zosia Jelonka
Irena Stalończyk
as Irena Kropaczyńska
Tadeusz Bartosik
as Wasik
Henryk Bąk
as Director
Mariusz Dmochowski
as UB Officer
Aleksander Dzwonkowski
as Cezary Piszczyk
Edward Dziewoński
as Jelonek
Tadeusz Janczar
as Ens. Sawicki
Stanisław Jaworski
as Watchmaker
Andrzej Krasicki
as Witold Kropaczyński
Wojciech Litynski
as Young Jan Piszczyk
Kazimierz Opaliński
as Prison Warden
Jerzy Pichelski
as Maj. Wrona-Wronski
Adam Pawlikowski
as Ens. Osewski
Wojciech Siemion
as Józef Kacperski
Jan Tadeusz Stanisławski
as Chief Scout
Tadeusz Waczkowski
as Manager Kozienicki
Karolina Borchardt
as Woman (uncredited)
Krystyna Cierniak
as Girl in the University Hall (uncredited)
Zbigniew Cynkutis
as Officer (uncredited)
Jerzy Dobrowolski
as Prison Clerk (uncredited)
Stanisław Dygat
as (uncredited)
Jerzy Felczyński
as Cadet in the Camp (uncredited)
Michał Gazda
Jakub Goldberg
as Jewish Storeowner (uncredited)
Wiesław Gołas
as UB Officer (uncredited)
Zdzisław Halicki
as Team Player (uncredited)
Maria Kaniewska
as Anastazja Makulec (uncredited)
Roman Kłosowski
as Piszczyk's Client (uncredited)
Krzysztof Komeda
as Soldier (uncredited)
January Krawczyk
as Conspirator (uncredited)
Henryk Kucharski
as German Soldier (uncredited)
Zdzisław Leśniak
as Man at a Gate (uncredited)
Zygmunt Listkiewicz
as Sergeant (uncredited)
Jan Potocki
as Mioduszewski (uncredited)
Mirosława Marcheluk
Józef Nowak
as Witold (uncredited)
Leopold Rene Nowak
as Franek the Rickshaw Driver (uncredited)
Ryszard Ostałowski
as Soldier in a Camp (uncredited)
Andrzej Paprotny
as Child Jelonek (uncredited)
Czesław Piaskowski
as Militiaman in Jelonek's Apartment (uncredited)
Leonard Pietraszak
Wojciech Pokora
as Cadet in a Camp (uncredited)
Roman Polanski
as Tutor (uncredited)
Sylwester Przedwojewski
as Police Doctor (uncredited)
Sława Przybylska
as Singer (uncredited)
Ryszard Ronczewski
as Soldier transporting "Secret Weapons" (uncredited)
Andrzej Ropski
as Kropaczyńska's Lover (uncredited)
Jerzy Ruśniaczek
Witold Sadowy
as Soldier imitating Hitler (uncredited)
Witold Skaruch
as Young Piszczyk's Teacher (uncredited)
Wojciech Skibiński
as Cadet Krawczyk (uncredited)
Kazimierz Stankiewicz
as Train Passenger with a Basket (uncredited)
Kazimierz Wilamowski
as General at a Parade (uncredited)
Ewa Wiśniewska
as Student (uncredited)
Danuta Wodyńska
as Julcia (uncredited)
Stanisław Wyszyński
as Camp Prisoner (uncredited)
Barbara Horawianka
as Irena Kropaczyńska (voice) (uncredited)
Andrzej Munk
Director
Jerzy Stefan Stawiński
Screenplay
Lidia Rzeszewska
Costume Design
Halina Paszkowska
Sound
Antoni Gniewkowski
Unit Manager
Wladyslaw Matusiak
Construction Foreman
Wlodzimierz Kaczmarski
Zdzislaw Mrozowicz
Jerzy Laskowski
Maria Burdecka
Script Supervisor
Bolesław Kamykowski
Assistant Production Design
Jan Grandys
Production Design
Wilhelm Hollender
Production Manager
Teresa Tomaszewska
Makeup Artist
Jerzy Lipman
Director of Photography
Assistant Director
Jan Krenz
Original Music Composer
Leonard Mokicz
Set Decoration
Novel
Andrzej Wróbel
Krzysztof Winiewicz
Jadwiga Zajiček
Editor
Irena Kosecka
Tadeusz Jakuczyn
Assistant Camera
Leon Jankowski
Lighting Technician
Ewa Vogtman
Costume Assistant
Andrzej Gronau
Camera Operator
Still Photographer
Hieronim Klimczak
Sound Assistant
Wiesław Ćwikliński