More Than Life at Stake

More Than Life at Stake Stawka wieksza niz zycie Country Poland Language Polish Channel Telewizja Polska (TVP) Creator "Syrena" Genre War / Espionage Broadcast 1966 - 1968 No. of Seasons 1 No. of Episodes 18 Main Cast Character Actor Capt. Hans Kloss Stanislaw Mikulski Sturmbanführer Hermann Brunner Emil Karewicz Grzegorz Bronislaw Pawlik Sturmführer Hans Stadtke Mieczyslaw Stoor Sturmbannführer Johann Dehne August Kowalczyk Inga Barbara Brylska

More Than Life at Stake (Polish: Stawka wieksza niz zycie) is a Polish produced war espionage television series directed by Janusz Morgenstern, which ran from 1967 - 1968. It tells the story of the Polish intelligence officer Stanislav Kolicki alias Julek (Stanislaw Mikulski), who is sent to Nazi Germany as a secret agent codenamed "J-23" to impersonate captured Abwehr officer Hans Kloss. His main enemy is SS-obersturmführer Hermann Brunner (Emil Karewicz). He often allies (or is opposed by) beautiful women in each episode, including famous Polish actresses (Janina Boronska, Iga Cembrzynska, Barbara Soltysik, Joanna Jedryka, Lidia Korsakówna, Beata Tyszkiewicz, Anna Seniuk, Aleksandra Zawieruszanka, and Barbara Brylska). The show was very popular in its initial run throughout Eastern Europe and has since become a cult classic TV series in Poland and the former USSR.

Pistols

Luger P 08

The Luger P 08 is used by numerous German officers.

Luger P 08 - 9x19mm

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Capt. Hans Kloss/Stanislav Kolicki (Stanislaw Mikulski) holds a Luger P08.

SS-scharführer Glaubel (Mieczyslaw Waskowski) aims at Kloss and Basie (Wanda Koczeska).

Cpt. Willy Ruppert (Ignacy Gogolewski) draws his pistol on Anna (Ewa Wisniewska).

Chief Board Gebhardt (Henryk Bak) fires on Capt. Kloss in the park.

SS-sturmbahnnuhrer Knoch (Andrzej Krasicki) fires a pistol out a window.

Anne-Marie Elken (Barbara Horawianka) boards a Kübelwagen with pistol in hand.

Wehrnitz (Janusz Zakrzenski) executes a witness with a shot to the back of their head.

SS-sturmbanführer Brunner (Emil Karewicz) has Hans Kloss in the sights of his pistol.

Walther P38

The Walther P38 is used by German officers, and some resistance members.

Walther P38 - 9x19mm

SS-sturmbanführer Hermann Brunner (Emil Karewicz) uses a Walther P38 as his service sidearm.

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SS-sturmführer Hans Stadtke (Mieczyslaw Stoor) in a shootout with the defenders of the secret radio.

Director Löbler (Tadeusz Bartosik) tries to shoot Kloss on the roof of Hotel Excelsior.

General Wierlinger (Seweryn Butrym) has a P38 shoved in his face by an SS officer.

Capt. Kloss (Stanislaw Mikulski) holds a gun to the head of Lt. Stolp (Wojciech Duriasz) (right).

Resistance fighter Romek (Jerzy Trela) is shot by SS-strurmführer Stedtke (Mieczyslaw Stoor).

Jeanne Mole (Lidia Korsakówna) shoots the traitor in the ranks of the resistance fighters.

SS-sturmbahnführer Dehne (August Kowalczyk) has a gun under his pillow ready.

Wilhelm Schenk (Zygmunt Zintel) prepares to shoot the "traitor" Col. Ring (Jerzy Radwan) (right).

Walther PP

The Walther PP is also seen with German officers.

Walther PP - .32 ACP

Rigoletto (Leon Niemczyk) carries a Walther PP in a breast pocket.

Mjr. Hanna Bosel (Wieslawa Mazurkiewicz) checks her gun, which she carries in her purse.

SS-scharführer Glaubel (Mieczyslaw Waskowski) (right) checks Kazik's documents with a Walther PP in his hand.

Walther PPK

The Walther PPK is seen in some episodes

Walther PPK - .380 ACP

Gestapo Agent "Wolf" (Boguslaw Sochnacki) fires on the resistance fighters.

Greta Raschke (Lucyna Suchecka) injures Kloss with a pistol shot.

MAPF Unique mod 10

The MAPF Unique mod 10 is carried by some characters.

Lepco Fire-Arms Unique Model 10 - .25 ACP

Edyta (Aleksandra Zawieruszanka) aims alternately on Brunner and Hans Kloss.

Benita von Henning (Iga Cembrzynska) aims her pocket pistol at Kloss.

Detail shows that it is a MAPF Unique mod 10, and specifically appears to be a Lepco Fire-Arms branded model.

Anne-Marie Elken (Barbara Horawianka) holds a pocket pistol on Kloss.

Inga (Barbara Brylska) disarms Anne-Marie and hands the gun to Capt. Kloss.

Tokarev TT-33

A Tokarev TT-33 is used by a partisan.

Tokarev TT-33 - 7.62x25mm Tokarev

The resistance radio operator (Janusz Bukowski) holds his Tokarev TT-33.

Submachine Guns

MP 40

The MP 40 is frequently seen used by German forces and resistance fighters.

MP 40 - 9x19mm

An SS troopers returns fire at resistance fighters with his MP 40.

An SS soldier (Jerzy Janeczek) is shot by Hans Kloss.

The radio operator Irena (Janina Boronska) mows down SS troops with a submachine gun.

Resistance fighter Jacek (Andrzej May) fires a submachine gun out the window.

Chief of Maquis "Hugon" (Andrzej Polkowski) uses a looted German submachine gun.

Otto Fahrenwirst (Saturnin Zórawski) and Ohlers (Zygmunt Kestowicz) with an MP 40.

PPSh-41

The PPSh-41 is briefly seen in a few episodes.

Soviet PPSh-41 - 7.62x25mm Tokarev

Hans Kloss is arrested by Polish soldiers (Eugeniusz Korczarowski and Michal Szewczyk), who both carry a PPSh-41.

A German officer views a captured Soviet submachine gun.

PPS-43

Tomala (Janusz Paluszkiewicz) is seen with a PPS-43.

PPS-43 - 7.62x25mm Tokarev

Tomala (Janusz Paluszkiewicz) (left) disguised as a German soldier with a PPS-43 submachine gun.

Sten Mk II

A resistance fighter uses a Sten Mk II

Sten Mk II - 9x19mm

A resistance fighter (Aleksander Sewruk) fires a Sten Mk II.

M1921 Thompson

The M1921 Thompson is used by British and American troops.

Colt M1921AC Thompson with 20-round magazine - .45 ACP

An English soldier holds a M1921 Thompson in hands.

A Black American soldier is armed with a M1921 Thompson.

Rifles

Karabiner 98k

The Karabiner 98k is carried by German forces.

Karabiner 98k - 7.92x57mm Mauser

An SS trooper with a Karabiner 98k in action.

A German soldier patrolling with a rifle on his back.

Mosin Nagant M38 Carbine

The Mosin Nagant M38 Carbine is carried by Polish soldiers and resistance fighters.

Soviet Mosin Nagant M38 Carbine - 7.62x54mmR

A Polish partisan fired from the forest at Germans with a Mosin Nagant M38 Carbine.

A Polish soldier on the street carries a carbine in his hand.

Lee-Enfield No. 4 Mk I

The Lee-Enfield No. 4 Mk I is carried by British Army soldiers.

Lee-Enfield No. 4 Mk. I - .303 British

A British soldier (left) with a Lee-Enfield No.4 Mk 1*.

AK-47

Anachronistic AK-47s are seen several times in the hands of Polish soldiers and paratroopers, possibly standing in for the Sturmgewehr 44.

AK-47, Type III - 7.62x39mm

A Polish paratrooper fires an AK-47.

Shotguns

Over/Under Shotgun

An Over/Under Shotgun is used by German officers during a hog hunt.

Otto Seelig O/U - 12 gauge

German officers with a O/U sporting shotgun during a hunt.

Machine Guns

MG 34

The MG 34 is used by the SS.

MG 34 - 7.92x57mm Mauser

An SS patrol with an MG 34 mounted on a motorcycle sidecar.

MG 42

The MG 42 is used by German soldiers and partisans.

MG 42 - 7.92x57mm Mauser

Partisans attack a German military convoy with machine gun fire.

German soldiers defend a bridge with their MG 42 machine gun.

Maxim M1910/30

A Maxim M1910/30 is seen transported by Polish soldiers.

Russian Maxim 1910/30, post 1941 manufacture with top hatch on cooling jacket allowing it to be filled more quickly or with snow - 7.62x54mmR

Polish soldiers carrying a Maxim M1910/30 on boats across a river.

Grenades

Model 24 Stielhandgranate

The Model 24 Stielhandgranate is used by the SS and partisans.

Model 24 Stielhandgranate

Resistance fighter Jacek (Andrzej May) prepares a Model 24 Stielhandgranate.

An SS trooper throws a hand grenades at the Polish radio operators.

Hans Kloss with hand grenades in his belt.

F-1 Hand Grenade

The F-1 hand grenade is used by the resistance.

F-1 high-explosive fragmentation hand grenade

Sergeant (Janusz Bukowski) has an F-1 hand grenade always within reach.

Others

Panzerfaust

Panzerfausts are seen carried by members of the Hitlerjugend (Hitler Youth).

Panzerfaust - 44mm with 149mm warhead

Members of the HJ with Model 24 Stielhandgranates and Panzerfausts.

T-34 tanks

Authentic Soviet T-34-85 tanks are seen several times.

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Tiger I (Mock-up)

The Tiger I tanks are actually converted T-34 tanks.