Ebba Thomsen
Encyclopedia
Ebba Thomsen was a Danish
actress during the golden era
of silent film
s in Denmark. Thomsen was best known for her roles as the elegant leading lady opposite the Danish matinee idol Valdemar Psilander
.
, Denmark
on 3 May 1887, the daughter of Ove Thomsen, one the leading Danish fashion designers. Thomsen debuted on stage at Det Ny Teater in 1910 and began to perform in cinema in 1912 at Nordisk Film
. From then until the early 1920s, Thomsen appeared in about 75 films—mostly as the lead actress—and achieved star status in Denmark. Her most notables roles were in films in which she worked with Nordisk Film's biggest male star, Valdemar Psilander
.
In a newspaper interview for her 50th birthday, Thomsen said that her "unique success depended on two things: First, that Psilander and I suited one another. I was actually a little too tall for him, yet our types suited each other, our movements, our acting. In short, we were a born 'film-couple'." Thomsen then credited her father with giving her "an absolute sense of style. I knew precisely how every fabric should look on me, whether it was a princess' gown or a washerwoman's rags." Thomsen was usually cast in roles as princesses, countesses, or artists.
In 1915, Thomsen married the Norwegian
actor Thorleif Lund
. She left Nordisk Film in 1917 to open a touring company in Norway with her husband. The company failed and Thomsen quickly returned to filmmaking. In the 1920s she appeared in a series of films for the Danish Astra Film Company under the direction of Fritz Magnussen
. She returned to Nordisk for two final films and then retired from film in 1925. She performed on stage for the final time at the Dagmar Theater in 1930.
Thomsen returned to give one performance in a sound film when she appeared in the 1952 Alice O'Fredericks
film Husmandstøsen at the age of 65. She died 18 December 1973, aged 86.
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
actress during the golden era
Cinema of Denmark
Denmark has been producing films since 1897 and since the 1980s has maintained a steady stream of product due largely to funding by the state-supported Danish Film Institute. Historically, Danish films have been noted for their realism, religious and moral themes, sexual frankness and technical...
of silent film
Silent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted through muted gestures, pantomime and title cards...
s in Denmark. Thomsen was best known for her roles as the elegant leading lady opposite the Danish matinee idol Valdemar Psilander
Valdemar Psilander
Valdemar Psilander was a Danish silent film actor, who was the highest paid performer of his period and received critical acclaim as the greatest male lead during the golden era of Danish cinema.-Early life:...
.
Life and career
Ebba Thomsen was born in CopenhagenCopenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
on 3 May 1887, the daughter of Ove Thomsen, one the leading Danish fashion designers. Thomsen debuted on stage at Det Ny Teater in 1910 and began to perform in cinema in 1912 at Nordisk Film
Nordisk Film
Nordisk Film , established in Denmark in 1906 by Danish filmmaker Ole Olsen, is the oldest continuously operating film studio in the world. Olsen started his company in the Copenhagen suburb of Valby under the name "Ole Olsen's Film Factory" but soon changed it to the Nordisk Film Kompagni...
. From then until the early 1920s, Thomsen appeared in about 75 films—mostly as the lead actress—and achieved star status in Denmark. Her most notables roles were in films in which she worked with Nordisk Film's biggest male star, Valdemar Psilander
Valdemar Psilander
Valdemar Psilander was a Danish silent film actor, who was the highest paid performer of his period and received critical acclaim as the greatest male lead during the golden era of Danish cinema.-Early life:...
.
In a newspaper interview for her 50th birthday, Thomsen said that her "unique success depended on two things: First, that Psilander and I suited one another. I was actually a little too tall for him, yet our types suited each other, our movements, our acting. In short, we were a born 'film-couple'." Thomsen then credited her father with giving her "an absolute sense of style. I knew precisely how every fabric should look on me, whether it was a princess' gown or a washerwoman's rags." Thomsen was usually cast in roles as princesses, countesses, or artists.
In 1915, Thomsen married the Norwegian
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
actor Thorleif Lund
Thorleif Lund
Thorleif Brinck Lund was a Norwegian stage and film actor of the silent film era.Thorleif Lund was born in Stavanger, Norway to parents Hans Geelmuyden Lund and Bertella Karen Lauritza Bertelsen in 1880....
. She left Nordisk Film in 1917 to open a touring company in Norway with her husband. The company failed and Thomsen quickly returned to filmmaking. In the 1920s she appeared in a series of films for the Danish Astra Film Company under the direction of Fritz Magnussen
Fritz Magnussen
Fritz Magnussen was a Danish film director and screenwriter of the silent era. He directed 16 films between 1915 and 1919.-Selected filmography:* In the Hour of Trial...
. She returned to Nordisk for two final films and then retired from film in 1925. She performed on stage for the final time at the Dagmar Theater in 1930.
Thomsen returned to give one performance in a sound film when she appeared in the 1952 Alice O'Fredericks
Alice O'Fredericks
Alice O'Fredericks was a Danish actress, screen writer, and film director. She is best known for directing the series of Far til Fire comedies and the series of family dramas based on Morten Korch novels. Having written 38 produced screenplays and directed 72 feature films, O'Fredericks was one...
film Husmandstøsen at the age of 65. She died 18 December 1973, aged 86.
Filmography
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Verdens Undergang The End of the World is a 1916 Danish science fiction drama film directed by August Blom and written by Otto Rung, starring Olaf Fønss and Ebba Thomsen. The film depicts a worldwide catastrophe when an errant comet passes by Earth and causes natural disasters and social unrest... (August Blom, DK, 1916) |
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