Sir Arne's Treasure
Encyclopedia
Sir Arne's Treasure is a 1919 Swedish crime-drama film directed by Mauritz Stiller
, starring Richard Lund
, Hjalmar Selander
, Concordia Selander
and Mary Johnson. It is based on the novel Herr Arne's Hoard by Selma Lagerlöf
, originally published in 1903. The story takes place on the Swedish west coast during the 16th century, and revolves around a Scottish mercenary who murders a wealthy family for treasure, only to unwittingly begin a relationship with the surviving daughter of the family.
, then under Danish rule, in hope of being able to return to Scotland.
Sir Arne of Solberga is introduced as a wealthy man who is said to be under a curse. His treasure is said to have been looted from the monasteries during the Protestant reform, and according to premonitions it will one day be his doom. While dining, Arne's wife has a premonition where three rogues are sharpening very long knives nearby, but is not taken seriously. At night however, the three Scots enter the family's mansion, murders the family, steal Sir Arne's treasure chest and burn down the building. The only survivor is the daughter Elsalill.
Elsalill is taken care of by a fisherman who lets her live with him in Marstrand, where also the Scottish officers have arrived and are waiting for the ice to break so they can sail away. Eslalill encounters Sir Archie, and they both fall in love without recognising each other. Eventually however, Elsalill happens to overhear a conversation between the Scots, and understands who they are. She reports the criminals, but they are backed up by other former mercenaries who also are waiting for the first ship to leave, and the situation becomes violent. Among the fighting, the emotionally shaken Elsalill seeks up Sir Archie who deeply regrets his crime, but in the ongoing turmoil, Elsalill is fatally wounded as guards try to arrest Sir Archie.
Sir Archie escapes to the frozen-in ship with Elsalill's dead body. The ice still won't break however, and according to sailor's lore it is because there are evildoers on board. The three officers are soon identified and thrown off the ship. A long procession march over the ice to fetch Elsalill's body and bring it back to land.
's Herr Arne's Hoard at Svenska Biografteatern, the dominating production company in Sweden during the silent era, was in 1915, but fell through. In 1917 a stage adaptation of the story premiered at Deutsches Theater
in Berlin, and an offer was received from a German film company which wanted to adapt it. After the play was staged in Gothenburg
the following year, Svenska Biografteatern decided to go ahead and produce the film themselves. The screenplay by Mauritz Stiller
and Gustaf Molander
differs from the novel in that it tells the story in a more strictly chronological order, and incorporates some details which were introduced in the German play. Stiller also chose to tone down the story's supernatural elements.
Filming took place from 12 February to 10 May 1919, in the studio area of Svenska Filmbiografen, later AB Svensk Filmindustri
, on Lidingö
, Stockholm, where the alleys of Marstrand
had been reconstructed. Other exterior scenes were shot in the nearby area on Lidingö and Lilla Värtan
, as well as around Furusund in the Stockholm archipelago
, where the ship had been left over the winter and frozen in. Some filming took place further north in Skutskär
, and around Sollefteå
in Ångermanland
.
directed another Swedish version. A Czechoslovak animated short film was made by Václav Bedrich in 1968.
Mauritz Stiller
Mauritz Stiller was a Finnish-Swedish actor, screenwriter and silent film director, who was mostly active in Sweden.-Life:...
, starring Richard Lund
Richard Lund
Richard Lund was a Swedish film and theatre actor. He made his stage debut at Stora Teatern in Gothenburg in 1904 and later appeared in 73 films between 1912 and 1952, making his most important roles during the silent film era. Among his best known roles is that of Sir Archie in Mauritz Stiller's...
, Hjalmar Selander
Hjalmar Selander
Hjalmar Selander was a Swedish actor, stage director and theatre manager.Selander was active in Gothenburg 1877-79, in various travelling theatre companies 1879-1888 and the Swedish Theatre in 1888-89....
, Concordia Selander
Concordia Selander
Concordia Cornelia Johanna Selander, née Hård , was a Swedish actress and theatre manager.She first trained at the school of the Royal Swedish Ballet and later at the Royal Theatre's acting school Dramatens elevskola...
and Mary Johnson. It is based on the novel Herr Arne's Hoard by Selma Lagerlöf
Selma Lagerlöf
Selma Ottilia Lovisa Lagerlöf was a Swedish author. She was the first female writer to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, and most widely known for her children's book Nils Holgerssons underbara resa genom Sverige ....
, originally published in 1903. The story takes place on the Swedish west coast during the 16th century, and revolves around a Scottish mercenary who murders a wealthy family for treasure, only to unwittingly begin a relationship with the surviving daughter of the family.
Plot
After discovering a conspiracy among his Scottish mercenaries, king Johan III orders them to leave the country and puts their commanders in jail. Sir Archie, Sir Filip and Sir Donald, three of the imprisoned commanders, succeed to escape and flee to MarstrandMarstrand
Marstrand is a seaside locality situated in Kungälv Municipality, Västra Götaland County, Sweden. It had 1,432 inhabitants in 2005. It has held city privileges since 1200. The most striking feature about Marstrand is the 17th century fortress Carlsten, named after King Carl X Gustav of Sweden. The...
, then under Danish rule, in hope of being able to return to Scotland.
Sir Arne of Solberga is introduced as a wealthy man who is said to be under a curse. His treasure is said to have been looted from the monasteries during the Protestant reform, and according to premonitions it will one day be his doom. While dining, Arne's wife has a premonition where three rogues are sharpening very long knives nearby, but is not taken seriously. At night however, the three Scots enter the family's mansion, murders the family, steal Sir Arne's treasure chest and burn down the building. The only survivor is the daughter Elsalill.
Elsalill is taken care of by a fisherman who lets her live with him in Marstrand, where also the Scottish officers have arrived and are waiting for the ice to break so they can sail away. Eslalill encounters Sir Archie, and they both fall in love without recognising each other. Eventually however, Elsalill happens to overhear a conversation between the Scots, and understands who they are. She reports the criminals, but they are backed up by other former mercenaries who also are waiting for the first ship to leave, and the situation becomes violent. Among the fighting, the emotionally shaken Elsalill seeks up Sir Archie who deeply regrets his crime, but in the ongoing turmoil, Elsalill is fatally wounded as guards try to arrest Sir Archie.
Sir Archie escapes to the frozen-in ship with Elsalill's dead body. The ice still won't break however, and according to sailor's lore it is because there are evildoers on board. The three officers are soon identified and thrown off the ship. A long procession march over the ice to fetch Elsalill's body and bring it back to land.
Cast
- Richard LundRichard LundRichard Lund was a Swedish film and theatre actor. He made his stage debut at Stora Teatern in Gothenburg in 1904 and later appeared in 73 films between 1912 and 1952, making his most important roles during the silent film era. Among his best known roles is that of Sir Archie in Mauritz Stiller's...
as Sir Archie - Mary Johnson as Elsalill
- Hjalmar SelanderHjalmar SelanderHjalmar Selander was a Swedish actor, stage director and theatre manager.Selander was active in Gothenburg 1877-79, in various travelling theatre companies 1879-1888 and the Swedish Theatre in 1888-89....
as Sir Arne - Concordia SelanderConcordia SelanderConcordia Cornelia Johanna Selander, née Hård , was a Swedish actress and theatre manager.She first trained at the school of the Royal Swedish Ballet and later at the Royal Theatre's acting school Dramatens elevskola...
as Sir Arne's wife - Wanda Rothgardt as Berghild
- Axel Nilsson as Torarin
- Erik Stocklassa as Sir Filip
- Bror Berger as Sir Donald
Production
The first plan for a film adaption of Selma LagerlöfSelma Lagerlöf
Selma Ottilia Lovisa Lagerlöf was a Swedish author. She was the first female writer to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, and most widely known for her children's book Nils Holgerssons underbara resa genom Sverige ....
's Herr Arne's Hoard at Svenska Biografteatern, the dominating production company in Sweden during the silent era, was in 1915, but fell through. In 1917 a stage adaptation of the story premiered at Deutsches Theater
Deutsches Theater
The Deutsches Theater in Berlin is a well-known German theatre. It was built in 1850 as Friedrich-Wilhelm-Städtisches Theater, after Frederick William IV of Prussia. Located on Schumann Street , the Deutsches Theater consists of two adjoining stages that share a common, classical facade...
in Berlin, and an offer was received from a German film company which wanted to adapt it. After the play was staged in Gothenburg
Gothenburg
Gothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 519,399, with 549,839 in the urban area and total of 937,015 inhabitants in the metropolitan area...
the following year, Svenska Biografteatern decided to go ahead and produce the film themselves. The screenplay by Mauritz Stiller
Mauritz Stiller
Mauritz Stiller was a Finnish-Swedish actor, screenwriter and silent film director, who was mostly active in Sweden.-Life:...
and Gustaf Molander
Gustaf Molander
Gustaf Harald August Molander was a Swedish actor and film director. His parents were the director Harald Molander, Sr. and the singer and actress Lydia Molander, née Wessler, and his brother was the director Olof Molander...
differs from the novel in that it tells the story in a more strictly chronological order, and incorporates some details which were introduced in the German play. Stiller also chose to tone down the story's supernatural elements.
Filming took place from 12 February to 10 May 1919, in the studio area of Svenska Filmbiografen, later AB Svensk Filmindustri
AB Svensk Filmindustri
AB Svensk Filmindustri or Svensk Filmindustri is a Swedish film production company, distributor and movie theatre chain, currently owned by the Bonnier Group. It was established on December 27, 1919....
, on Lidingö
Lidingö
Lidingö is an island in the inner Stockholm archipelago, located north east of central Stockholm, the capital of Sweden. It is also the seat of Lidingö Municipality, Stockholm County, Sweden with 44,000 inhabitants in 2011....
, Stockholm, where the alleys of Marstrand
Marstrand
Marstrand is a seaside locality situated in Kungälv Municipality, Västra Götaland County, Sweden. It had 1,432 inhabitants in 2005. It has held city privileges since 1200. The most striking feature about Marstrand is the 17th century fortress Carlsten, named after King Carl X Gustav of Sweden. The...
had been reconstructed. Other exterior scenes were shot in the nearby area on Lidingö and Lilla Värtan
Lilla Värtan
Lilla Värtan or simply Värtan is a strait in Stockholm, Sweden. Separating mainland Stockholm from the island and municipality Lidingö, it stretches from Blockhusudden in the south to Stora Värtan in the north...
, as well as around Furusund in the Stockholm archipelago
Stockholm archipelago
The Stockholm archipelago is the largest archipelago of Sweden, and one of the largest archipelagos of the Baltic Sea.-Geography:The archipelago extends from Stockholm roughly 60 kilometers to the east...
, where the ship had been left over the winter and frozen in. Some filming took place further north in Skutskär
Skutskär
Skutskär is a bimunicipal locality and the seat of Älvkarleby Municipality in Uppsala County, Sweden with 6,136 inhabitants in 2005. According to the census of 2000 6,003 people lived in Skutskär, most of them in Älvkarleby Municipality, but a minor part in Gävle Municipality in Gävleborg...
, and around Sollefteå
Sollefteå
Sollefteå is a locality and the seat of Sollefteå Municipality in Västernorrland County, Sweden with 8,530 inhabitants in 2005.The earliest written account on Sollefteå is found in a script dating back to 1270. During this time the name of the village was given as De Solatum - a name that can be...
in Ångermanland
Ångermanland
' is a historical province or landskap in the north of Sweden. It borders to Medelpad, Jämtland, Lapland, Västerbotten and the Gulf of Bothnia. The name "Ångermanland" comes from the Old Norse "anger", which means "deep fjord" and refers to the deep mouth of the river Ångermanälven...
.
Other adaptations
Two other film adaptations of the story exist. In 1954 Gustaf MolanderGustaf Molander
Gustaf Harald August Molander was a Swedish actor and film director. His parents were the director Harald Molander, Sr. and the singer and actress Lydia Molander, née Wessler, and his brother was the director Olof Molander...
directed another Swedish version. A Czechoslovak animated short film was made by Václav Bedrich in 1968.