The Blizzard (1923 film)
Encyclopedia
The Blizzard is a Swedish
silent
drama film
directed by Mauritz Stiller
and starring Einar Hanson
, Mary Johnson, Pauline Brunius and Hugo Björne
. The film's original Swedish title is Gunnar Hedes saga (The Story of Gunnar Hede). The film is based on the Selma Lagerlöf
novel En herrgårdssägen, and involves a student, Gunnar Hede, who tries to prevent his family from losing their mansion.
(SF) had initially tried to make a film adaptation of Selma Lagerlöf
's En herrgårdssägen in 1915, and Gustaf Molander
had developed a screenplay. However, the film was cancelled.
In the early 1920s the plans were revived and the project was given to Mauritz Stiller
, who is credited as writer together with the Finnish-Swedish author Alma Söderhjelm
. The screenplay differs from the original story in several regards, and the opening titles call it a "free adaptation" of the novel. Just like Stiller had done when he made his previous Lagerlöf adaptation, Sir Arne's Treasure
, and Victor Sjöström
had done with his, Stiller travelled to Lagerlöf and presented the screenplay to have it approved.
Lagerlöf was however deeply dissatisfied with the liberties Stiller had taken, and the production company had to convince her to not denounce the film publicly. The film was produced through AB Svensk Filminspelning, a subsidiary of SF which only existed from 1922 to 1923.
Lars Hanson
was originally cast in the role of Gunnar Hede, but was replaced by Einar Hanson soon before production started. This was was Einar Hanson's first leading role in a film. Principal photography took place between February and June 1922 in the Filmstaden
studios, with exteriors in the surrounding area, Nacka
and Kallsjön in Jämtland
.
in San Francisco, the San Francisco Silent Film Festival
presented a print of the film which had restored as much as possible of the original version.
Cinema of Sweden
Swedish cinema is known as producing many critically acclaimed movies, and during the 20th century was the most prominent of Scandinavia. This is largely due to the popularity and prominence of the directors Ingmar Bergman, Victor Sjöström, and more recently Lasse Hallström and Lukas...
silent
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...
drama film
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
directed 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 starring Einar Hanson
Einar Hanson
Einar Hanson , also known as Einar Hansen, was a Swedish silent film motion-picture actor.-Career:...
, Mary Johnson, Pauline Brunius and Hugo Björne
Hugo Björne
Hugo Björne was a Swedish film and theater actor.-Life and career:Björne was born in Varberg on the Swedish west coast. He made his stage debut in 1907 and his film acting debut in 1913, starring in silent movies. Later, Björne would be better known as a supporting actor...
. The film's original Swedish title is Gunnar Hedes saga (The Story of Gunnar Hede). The film is based on the 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 ....
novel En herrgårdssägen, and involves a student, Gunnar Hede, who tries to prevent his family from losing their mansion.
Cast
- Einar HansonEinar HansonEinar Hanson , also known as Einar Hansen, was a Swedish silent film motion-picture actor.-Career:...
as Gunnar Hede - Pauline Brunius as Mrs. Hede, Gunnar's mother
- Hugo BjörneHugo BjörneHugo Björne was a Swedish film and theater actor.-Life and career:Björne was born in Varberg on the Swedish west coast. He made his stage debut in 1907 and his film acting debut in 1913, starring in silent movies. Later, Björne would be better known as a supporting actor...
as Mr. Hede, Gunnar's father - Mary Johnson as Ingrid
- Adolf Olschansky as Mr. Blomgren
- Stina BergStina BergStina Berg was a Swedish silent film actress. She appeared in 48 films between 1912 and 1931.-Selected filmography:* Laughter and Tears directed by Victor Seastrom* Children of the Streets...
as Mrs. Blomgren - Thecla Åhlander as Stava
Production
AB Svensk FilmindustriAB 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....
(SF) had initially tried to make a film adaptation of 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 ....
's En herrgårdssägen in 1915, 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...
had developed a screenplay. However, the film was cancelled.
In the early 1920s the plans were revived and the project was given to Mauritz Stiller
Mauritz Stiller
Mauritz Stiller was a Finnish-Swedish actor, screenwriter and silent film director, who was mostly active in Sweden.-Life:...
, who is credited as writer together with the Finnish-Swedish author Alma Söderhjelm
Alma Söderhjelm
Alma Söderhjelm was a Swedish-speaking Finnish historian and the first female professor in Finland.She had a docentship from 1906 to 1926...
. The screenplay differs from the original story in several regards, and the opening titles call it a "free adaptation" of the novel. Just like Stiller had done when he made his previous Lagerlöf adaptation, Sir Arne's Treasure
Sir Arne's Treasure
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...
, and Victor Sjöström
Victor Sjöström
Victor Sjöström was a Swedish actor, screenwriter, and film director.- Biography:Born in Silbodal, in the Värmland region of Sweden, he was only a year old when his father, Olof Adolf Sjöström, moved the family to Brooklyn, New York. His mother died when he was seven years old in 1886...
had done with his, Stiller travelled to Lagerlöf and presented the screenplay to have it approved.
Lagerlöf was however deeply dissatisfied with the liberties Stiller had taken, and the production company had to convince her to not denounce the film publicly. The film was produced through AB Svensk Filminspelning, a subsidiary of SF which only existed from 1922 to 1923.
Lars Hanson
Lars Hanson
Lars Hanson was a Swedish film and stage actor, internationally mostly remembered for his motion picture roles during the silent film era.-Biography:...
was originally cast in the role of Gunnar Hede, but was replaced by Einar Hanson soon before production started. This was was Einar Hanson's first leading role in a film. Principal photography took place between February and June 1922 in the Filmstaden
Filmstaden
Filmstaden was a film studio situated in Råsunda, north of Solna, Sweden. Built by the main Swedish film producer at the time, Svensk Filmindustri, in 1919–1920, Filmstaden was one of the most modern film studios in Europe. Some 400 movies have been created at Filmstaden. The first movie to be...
studios, with exteriors in the surrounding area, Nacka
Nacka
Nacka is the municipal seat of Nacka Municipality and part of Stockholm urban area in Sweden. The municipality's name harks back to an 16th century industrial operation established by the Crown at Nacka farmstead where conditions for water mills are good...
and Kallsjön in Jämtland
Jämtland
Jämtland or Jamtland is a historical province or landskap in the center of Sweden in northern Europe. It borders to Härjedalen and Medelpad in the south, Ångermanland in the east, Lapland in the north and Trøndelag and Norway in the west...
.
Release
The film premiered on 1 January 1923. The film was sold to 17 markets abroad, which was significantly fewer than Stiller's five previous films.Preservation status
The Blizzard is partially lost, with only about two thirds of the original film still existing. On July 16, 2011 at the Castro TheatreCastro Theatre
The Castro Theatre is a popular San Francisco movie palace which became San Francisco Historic Landmark #100 in September 1976. Located at 429 Castro Street, in the Castro district, it was built in 1922 with a Spanish Colonial Baroque façade that pays homage—in its great arched central window...
in San Francisco, the San Francisco Silent Film Festival
San Francisco Silent Film Festival
The San Francisco Silent Film Festival is a film festival first held in 1996 and presented annually every July at the Castro Theatre in San Francisco, California, USA...
presented a print of the film which had restored as much as possible of the original version.