Stig Olin Movies

A young boy wandering with a band of gypsies is endangered when a royal proclamation grants people permission to shoot gypsies on sight. Benny Haag plays Inge and his twin brother Arild, the latter who fights with his father against the "undesirables." The father sends mercenaries to wipe out the gypsies, unaware his own son is among those slated to be executed when captured. The gypsies are portrayed as the heroes, while the blonde Swedes are clearly the enemy. Although this story takes place in the 16th century, parallels between the story and the intolerance of Swedes to foreign workers in the 1980s is evident. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide

Poking fun all the way at the critical housing shortage in Sweden, this standard comedy looks at the romance of Inga, a young jazz singer (Alice Babs) and Svante, an artist who restores paintings (Sven Lindberg). The two cannot marry because they cannot find an apartment to live in. After Inga goes on a summer tour with a band, Svante gets a job restoring paintings in an old castle. The pretty Baroness Sophie (Yvonne Lombard) finds the young restorer highly attractive, and she certainly has more than enough house for both of them. Will marriage be determined by the availability of a domicile? ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

The Swedish The True and the False was produced by actress Signe Hasso, who also stars in the film, which was lensed in two different languages to broaden its appeal. On the eve of her wedding a young bride-to-be (Hasso) decides to do a little light reading. Her first selection is Balzac's La Grande Breteche, a story of infidelity and revenge in which the girl imagines herself and her fiancé (William Langford) in the leading roles. She then looks over DeMaupassant's The Old Maid, imagining herself as the tragic heroine and her future husband as the soldier who loves her. As she puts down her books, the girl sees her marital future in a whole new light. Signe Hasso does just fine in her multiple roles; less successful are the other cast members, who seem to have been hired for their physical suitability rather than their thespic talents. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this melancholy romance, a not-so-young ballerina recalls an earlier, tragic love affair. The heroine, Marie (Maj-Britt Nilsson), spends a summer with her possessive Uncle Erland (Georg Funkquist), who lives with his cancerous wife on an island near Stockholm. While staying with her uncle, who may have intimidated her into a sexual relationship, Marie befriends an innocent youth, Henrik (Birger Malmsten), with whom she soon falls in love. As the glorious summer comes to an end and autumn approaches, harkening Marie's return to the mainland and her dancing career, the lovers express their love to each other. But a fatal swimming mishap brings an end to the affair. Marie continues with her life, but she fails to come to terms with the tragic past. Later, Marie receives the diary that she kept during that memorable summer. She thereupon returns to the island, where she again meets her ghoulish Uncle Erland. Repulsed by his cynicism, Marie determines to recover her joy of living. She returns to Stockholm and shares the diary with her lover, a smarmy journalist (Alf Kjellin). In the concluding scene, she expresses her regained exuberance while dancing. A pivotal film in Ingmar Bergman's oeuvre, Sommarlek marked his maturation as a master filmmaker capable of evocative imagery and poignant expression. Of particular note are the unsettling scenes between Marie and her ominous uncle, framed and lit to emphasize the disturbing nature of their relationship. Maj-Britt Nilsson's performance as Marie is also remarkable, enhanced by Bergman's increasing mastery of the close-up. The splendid achievement of Sommarlek signalled a long succession of masterworks that ensued until Bergman's withdrawal from filmmaking in the 1980s. ~ Les Stone, All Movie Guide

Pride, ambition and creative temperament take their toll on a marriage in this drama written and directed by Ingmar Bergman. Stig Eriksson (Stig Olin) is a violinist who, after being hired to perform with an orchestra led by demanding conductor Sonderby (Victor Sjostrom), meets another new members of the ensemble, fellow violinist Marta Olsson (Mai-Britt Nilsson). Stig is attracted to Marta, and she has similar feelings for him, though she needs to be assured his interest is not merely sexual before she invites him to move in with him. Stig believes he has the talent to become an orchestral soloist, while Marta plays for the love of music and has no illusions about her potential for stardom. After they marry and Marta gives birth to twins, Stig persuades Sonderby to give him the demanding assignment of lead soloist for a concert featuring Mendelssohn's String Concerto; Stig's performance is all but disastrous, and as his hopes are shattered he questions his talent and his potential, despite Marta and Sonderby's reassurances about his gifts as an ensemble musician. In time, Stig's disappointment and the responsibilities of parenthood lead him into an affair with Nelly (Margit Carlquist), the libertine wife of fellow musician Mikael (John Ekman). Till Gladje (aka To Joy) features a classical score dominated by the works of Beethoven, with Mozart and Smetana also included; Bergman's passion for classical music would also figure into his later films Autumn Sonata and his adaptation of Mozart's opera The Magic Flute. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Swedish director Hasse Ekman might have seen the multistoried Hollywood film Tales from Manhattan before embarking on his own Flickan Fran Tredje Raden. In Manhattan, the prop common to all of the stories was a dress suit. In Flickan, a valuable ring passes from one owner to the next. The title character, played by Eve Henning, is a woman of reduced circumstances who sells the ring to pay for food, thereby setting the first episode (and all subsequent episodes) in motion. Director Ekman also wrote the screenplay and cast himself in an important role. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this early feature from Swedish auteur Ingmar Bergman, Gosta (Bengt Eklund) is a sailor with the merchant marine who has decided to take some time off from sailing after eight years at sea. Working the docks until he can find a better job, one Saturday night Gosta visits a dance hall and meets Berit (Nine-Christine Jonsson), a beautiful but troubled young woman. Berit has a history as a juvenile delinquent and has served time in a home for girls, where she met her close friend Gertrud (Mimi Nelson). Berit soon becomes infatuated with Gosta, and his strong, well-grounded nature seems to be the stabilizing influence she needs. However, in time Gosta learns about Berit's checkered past and meets her mother (Berta Hall), who makes no secret of her contempt for her daughter. Gosta begins having second thoughts about his relationship with Berit after she unwittingly involves him in the death of Gertrud, who succumbs after receiving an illegal abortion. Hamnstad (aka Port of Call and Harbor City) marks the first time Bergman worked with cinematographer Gunnar Fischer, who would photograph many of his most memorable films of the 1950's. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

In a rare fit of "spare no expense", the Swedish comedy Jens Mansson I Amerika was largely filmed on location in the Good Old USA. Scandinavian comedy favorite Edvard Persson plays the title character, an impoverished Swedish farmer who inherits a spread in Upstate New York. Upon his arrival in America, Jens Mansson learns that he must ascertain the existence of a heretofore unknown brother before he can claim his inheritance. His American odyssey takes our wide eyed hero from California, to Texas, to Chicago, to Niagara Falls, with emphasis on such fascinating esoterica as neon signs, superhighways and drive-in restaurants. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Arne Mattson's Rotagg was released variously in English-speaking countries as Failure, Incorrigible and Bad Eggs. All of these opprobriums refer to the wastrelly protagonist played by Stig Olin. Expelled from college, Olin shows no remorse, causing even more disgrace and heartache for his wealthy, long-suffering family. He tops his misdeeds by attempting to rape a beautiful young lady. The film argues that Olin might have been redeemable had he not been the child of divorced parents. American prints of Rotagg were considerably toned down and chopped up by the censors. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide