She debuted in theatre in 1943. From 1945 to 1965 she was employed in the Warsaw theater
Teatr Syrena. Later she played in
Zakazane piosenki (1946), the first Polish film after
World War II. In the 1940s she acted in movies, such as
Treasure (dir. by
Leonard Buczkowski). Her most important role from this period was the Yugoslav Dessa in
The Last Stage (1947) directed by
Wanda Jakubowska. The film was nominated for the Grand International Award at the
Venice Film Festival in 1948, and for a
BAFTA Award for Best Film from any Source in 1950. In the early 1950s she disappeared from the screens and stages to take care of her family. She only dubbed in a few Polish-language version Soviet films. After eleven years, she returned to the cinema. She played the main character Lucyna in
Samson (1961) directed by
Andrzej Wajda. The film was nominated for a
Golden Lion in 1961 at the Venice Film Festival. In the same year she dubbed Drizella in a Polish-language version of
Cinderella. In the years 1965-1966 she appeared in the popular TV series
Wojna domowa. From 1966 to 1981 she was employed in the Polish
Teatr Komedia w Warszawie. From 1997 to 2010 she played in soap opera
Złotopolscy as Eleonora Gabriel. From 2010 to 2011 she played in
Plebania. Alina Janowska died on 13 November 2017, aged 94, from
Alzheimer's disease. ==Filmography==