Gösta Cederlund
Encyclopedia
Gösta Cederlund, Gustaf Edvard Cederlund, (6 March 1888 – 4 December 1980) was a Swedish
actor and film director
.
Cederlund was one of Sweden's most popular and appreciated male character actors in Swedish films in the 1930s-50s, appreciated for his naturalness as an actor and comedy play. With his 130-plus film roles in his life he's also still the record holder of most roles for a single male actor on film in Sweden.
, the son of painter and carpenter E.H. Cederlund and Ida Matilda Ullman, Gösta Cederlund made his professional stage debut in 1907 at Svenska teatern
(Swedish Theatre
; Sweden's national stage in Stockholm between 1875–1925). The following years he was part of the origibal ensemble at Strindberg
's legendary theatre Intima teatern
, where he performed in a number of the original stagings of Strindberg's plays (in smaller parts). Eventually as a young actor he turned to the silent screen in Sweden where he early on got to play small parts of arrogant farm workers and fighting school boys in some pioneer Swedish silent films; first appearing on screen in Tösen från Stormyrtorpet
in 1917. Later on film during the talkies era, in 1930s-50s, he got to show his strength as a character actor in notable supporting parts when he got to play the good middle aged and middle class men; often portraying middle-aged newspaper editors or doctor
s in Swedish films. But there are exceptions: his icy performance as the cynical banker in director Hasse Ekman's masterpiece Flicka och hyacinter (Girl with Hyacinths)
1950 and his tormented old actor in Nattens ljus (Light in the Night) (1957).
), navy captain Göran Bergsten in comedy Blåjackor (Sailors, 1945), his doctor Hellsten in Hasse Ekman
's drama Var sin väg (Each to His Own Way, 1948), Margaretha's daddy in Sickan Carlsson
comedy Skolka skolan (1949), his tight lord with the monocle in early Swedish musical comedy Greven från gränden, starring Nils Poppe
(1949), and, naturally, his tossy but heart-warm school teacher "Pippi" in Torment (1944), directed by Alf Sjöberg; internationally known as Ingmar Bergman
's film script debut. The film's key-scene in the map-room where his teacher confronts the school's great antagonist Caligula - the sadistic teacher in Latin - about his teaching methods is one of strongest and most nerving scenes of the film (and considered one of the best classic scenes all-time in Sweden).
for television in 1955 he gave a particularly strong and touching portrayal of Polonius; Ophelia's father, a performance that earned much critical acclaim.
(Swedish Film Industry) the year 1943 where he among other films directed the very controversial Kungsgatan (1943), based on a book by the Swedish working-class writer Ivar Lo-Johansson
, a film dealing with the subject of prostitution
and, with it, the sexually transmitted diseases in the cities. It was upon its release followed by a vivid national debate and was also banned from many cinemas (today, film-historically in Sweden, it's considered as one of the most important and bravest Swedish films made in the 1940s). Cederlund was also successfully Managing Director of several theatre's during his life including the Swedish Theatre in Helsinki
, Finland, 1923–25, Lorensbergsteatern (the Lorensberg Theatre) in Gotheburg 1926 and the Helsingborg City Theatre
1926-30 (on this post a predecessor to Ingmar Bergman who later came to lead the theatre in the 1940s).
The last years of his life he worked at the new established modern Stockholm City Theatre
(Stockholms stadsteater), appearing in key roles in several challenging stage plays throughout the late 1960s and in the 1970s, by the new dramatic writers of these decades, in plays by a.o. Bertolt Brecht
and Samuel Beckett
. He made his last film role as the old caretaker in film Monismanien 1995 (1975), at age 87. He died in 1980.
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
actor and film director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
.
Cederlund was one of Sweden's most popular and appreciated male character actors in Swedish films in the 1930s-50s, appreciated for his naturalness as an actor and comedy play. With his 130-plus film roles in his life he's also still the record holder of most roles for a single male actor on film in Sweden.
Biography
Born in StockholmStockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
, the son of painter and carpenter E.H. Cederlund and Ida Matilda Ullman, Gösta Cederlund made his professional stage debut in 1907 at Svenska teatern
Swedish Theatre (Stockholm)
The Swedish Theatre in Stockholm was, at the beginning of the 20th century, Sweden's largest dramatic theatre. During its years in use, from 1875 to 1925, it was often considered as Sweden's foremost national theatre...
(Swedish Theatre
Swedish Theatre (Stockholm)
The Swedish Theatre in Stockholm was, at the beginning of the 20th century, Sweden's largest dramatic theatre. During its years in use, from 1875 to 1925, it was often considered as Sweden's foremost national theatre...
; Sweden's national stage in Stockholm between 1875–1925). The following years he was part of the origibal ensemble at Strindberg
August Strindberg
Johan August Strindberg was a Swedish playwright, novelist, poet, essayist and painter. A prolific writer who often drew directly on his personal experience, Strindberg's career spanned four decades, during which time he wrote over 60 plays and more than 30 works of fiction, autobiography,...
's legendary theatre Intima teatern
Strindbergs Intima Teater
Strindbergs Intima Teater or Intima teatern, is a theatre stage in Stockholm, Sweden. It was founded and managed by the famous Swedish playwright August Strindberg between the years 1907-1910...
, where he performed in a number of the original stagings of Strindberg's plays (in smaller parts). Eventually as a young actor he turned to the silent screen in Sweden where he early on got to play small parts of arrogant farm workers and fighting school boys in some pioneer Swedish silent films; first appearing on screen in Tösen från Stormyrtorpet
The Lass from the Stormy Croft
The Lass from the Stormy Croft is a 1917 Swedish drama film directed by Victor Sjöström, based on a 1913 novel by Selma Lagerlöf. It was the first in a series of successful Lagerlöf adaptions by Sjöström, made possible by a deal between Lagerlöf and A-B Svenska Biografteatern to adapt at least...
in 1917. Later on film during the talkies era, in 1930s-50s, he got to show his strength as a character actor in notable supporting parts when he got to play the good middle aged and middle class men; often portraying middle-aged newspaper editors or doctor
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
s in Swedish films. But there are exceptions: his icy performance as the cynical banker in director Hasse Ekman's masterpiece Flicka och hyacinter (Girl with Hyacinths)
Girl with Hyacinths
Girl with Hyacinths is a 1950 Swedish drama film written and directed by Hasse Ekman, starring Eva Henning, Ulf Palme, Anders Ek and Birgit Tengroth. It follows a man who investigates the mysterious life of his neighbour who has committed suicide.-Plot:...
1950 and his tormented old actor in Nattens ljus (Light in the Night) (1957).
1940s
Among his most appreciated film roles we find his Professor Hagstam in films Vi två (1939) and Vi tre (1940), the stern Detective Inspector Lilja in the crime drama Ett brott (A Crime, 1940), Markel in drama Doktor Glas (1942) (based on the success novel of Hjalmar SöderbergHjalmar Söderberg
Hjalmar Emil Fredrik Söderberg was a Swedish novelist, playwright, poet and journalist. His works often deal with melancholy and lovelorn characters, and offer a rich portrayal of contemporary Stockholm through the eyes of the flaneur...
), navy captain Göran Bergsten in comedy Blåjackor (Sailors, 1945), his doctor Hellsten in Hasse Ekman
Hasse Ekman
Hasse Ekman was a Swedish director, actor, writer and producer for film, stage and television.Hasse Ekman is probably Sweden's most successful and critically acclaimed film director pre Ingmar Bergman and post Sjöström and Stiller, with his peak in mid-1940s to the year 1950...
's drama Var sin väg (Each to His Own Way, 1948), Margaretha's daddy in Sickan Carlsson
Sickan Carlsson
Sickan Anna-Greta Carlsson was a Swedish film actress and singer.-Biography:From the 1930s–1950s, Carlsson was Sweden's most popular film actress and its highest paid, topping the salary of even the most popular male performer...
comedy Skolka skolan (1949), his tight lord with the monocle in early Swedish musical comedy Greven från gränden, starring Nils Poppe
Nils Poppe
Nils Poppe was a Swedish actor, director and screenwriter. He is internationally most famous for his part in Ingmar Bergman's The Seventh Seal, but in Sweden he was much loved and participated in over 50 films on cinema and TV.He started as a serious stage actor in 1930, but quickly realised that...
(1949), and, naturally, his tossy but heart-warm school teacher "Pippi" in Torment (1944), directed by Alf Sjöberg; internationally known as Ingmar Bergman
Ingmar Bergman
Ernst Ingmar Bergman was a Swedish director, writer and producer for film, stage and television. Described by Woody Allen as "probably the greatest film artist, all things considered, since the invention of the motion picture camera", he is recognized as one of the most accomplished and...
's film script debut. The film's key-scene in the map-room where his teacher confronts the school's great antagonist Caligula - the sadistic teacher in Latin - about his teaching methods is one of strongest and most nerving scenes of the film (and considered one of the best classic scenes all-time in Sweden).
1950s
In the 1950s and 60s Gösta Cederlund was notably part of the Swedish Television's Theatre ensemble (TV-teatern) where he acted in several classic plays. When Alf Sjöberg staged Shakespeare's HamletHamlet
The Tragical History of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, or more simply Hamlet, is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1599 and 1601...
for television in 1955 he gave a particularly strong and touching portrayal of Polonius; Ophelia's father, a performance that earned much critical acclaim.
Film director work
Besides acting, Gösta Cederlund was also employed as film director for SFSF
SF may refer to:* San Francisco, California, United States* Science fiction-Sports:* Small forward, a position in basketball* Stade Français, a French rugby union team based in Paris* Superleague Formula, a motorsport racing series...
(Swedish Film Industry) the year 1943 where he among other films directed the very controversial Kungsgatan (1943), based on a book by the Swedish working-class writer Ivar Lo-Johansson
Ivar Lo-Johansson
Ivar Lo-Johansson was a Swedish writer of the proletarian school.He described the situation of the Swedish land-workers, statare, in his novels, short stories and journalism, which encouraged the adoption of certain land reforms in Sweden...
, a film dealing with the subject of prostitution
Prostitution
Prostitution is the act or practice of providing sexual services to another person in return for payment. The person who receives payment for sexual services is called a prostitute and the person who receives such services is known by a multitude of terms, including a "john". Prostitution is one of...
and, with it, the sexually transmitted diseases in the cities. It was upon its release followed by a vivid national debate and was also banned from many cinemas (today, film-historically in Sweden, it's considered as one of the most important and bravest Swedish films made in the 1940s). Cederlund was also successfully Managing Director of several theatre's during his life including the Swedish Theatre in Helsinki
Swedish Theatre
The Swedish Theatre is a Swedish-speaking theatre in Helsinki, Finland and is located at the Erottaja square, at the end of Esplanadi . It was the first national stage of Finland.- History :...
, Finland, 1923–25, Lorensbergsteatern (the Lorensberg Theatre) in Gotheburg 1926 and the Helsingborg City Theatre
Helsingborg City Theatre
Helsingborg City Theatre is the city theatre of Helsingborg in south of Sweden. It's one of the most well-known city theatres in Sweden....
1926-30 (on this post a predecessor to Ingmar Bergman who later came to lead the theatre in the 1940s).
The last years of his life he worked at the new established modern Stockholm City Theatre
Stockholm City Theatre
Stockholm City Theatre is Sweden's most popular theatre stage. It was created in 1956 but the first performance was delayed until 1960. It had not yet been decided at that point where in the city the theatre would lie so the Folkets hus building at Norra Bantorget, with a temporary stage, became...
(Stockholms stadsteater), appearing in key roles in several challenging stage plays throughout the late 1960s and in the 1970s, by the new dramatic writers of these decades, in plays by a.o. Bertolt Brecht
Bertolt Brecht
Bertolt Brecht was a German poet, playwright, and theatre director.An influential theatre practitioner of the 20th century, Brecht made equally significant contributions to dramaturgy and theatrical production, the latter particularly through the seismic impact of the tours undertaken by the...
and Samuel Beckett
Samuel Beckett
Samuel Barclay Beckett was an Irish avant-garde novelist, playwright, theatre director, and poet. He wrote both in English and French. His work offers a bleak, tragicomic outlook on human nature, often coupled with black comedy and gallows humour.Beckett is widely regarded as among the most...
. He made his last film role as the old caretaker in film Monismanien 1995 (1975), at age 87. He died in 1980.