The Man Who Quit Smoking
Encyclopedia
The Man Who Quit Smoking (original Swedish
title: Mannen som slutade röka) is a 1972 Swedish
film
comedy
directed by Tage Danielsson
, starring Gösta Ekman
, Grynet Molvig
, Carl-Gustaf Lindstedt
and Gunn Wållgren
, a.o. The film is known as "a Hasseåtage
-film" and is a great cult classic in Sweden.
. When his father dies Dante inherits 17 million kr
on one special condition: He must give up smoking in 14 days and then stay smoke-free for an entire year. If he fails, his uncle inherits the 17 million instead. Dante has a living hell while trying to quit, and hires a private detective
agency called Little Secret Service
who he gives free hands to stop him from smoking, While his uncle, who has taken up smoking himself, also does everything he can to make Dante smoke again.
Divine Comedy
. The main character is named Dante and his loved one is called Beatrice, just as in Dante's Inferno
.
Swedish language
Swedish is a North Germanic language, spoken by approximately 10 million people, predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along its coast and on the Åland islands. It is largely mutually intelligible with Norwegian and Danish...
title: Mannen som slutade röka) is a 1972 Swedish
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....
film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
comedy
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
directed by Tage Danielsson
Tage Danielsson
Tage Danielsson was a Swedish author, actor, poet and film director. He was born in Linköping and died in Stockholm...
, starring Gösta Ekman
Gösta Ekman
Hans Gösta Gustaf Ekman is a Swedish actor.-Biography:One of Sweden's most appreciated, respected and popular actors; Gösta Ekman started his career in theatre but has also appeared in several Swedish films, including the Jönssonligan series...
, Grynet Molvig
Grynet Molvig
Ann-Kristin "Grynet" Molvig is a Norwegian actress and singer. She made her name as a singer in the 1960, with acts such as Kjell Karlsen and Willy Andresen. Later she also started performing in Sweden, often together with Povel Ramel. At the same time she also acted in movies, both in Norway and...
, Carl-Gustaf Lindstedt
Carl-Gustaf Lindstedt
Carl-Gustaf Lindstedt was a Swedish actor. He grew up in Kungsholmen in Stockholm, where there now is a street named after him....
and Gunn Wållgren
Gunn Wållgren
Gunn Wållgren, born Gunnel Margaret Haraldsdotter Wållgren , was a Swedish actress.Considered one of Sweden's finest and also to date most appreciated actresses, Wållgren was famous for her fragile and sensual way of acting, her warm and rich inner soulfulness, and her never failing ability of...
, a.o. The film is known as "a Hasseåtage
Hasseåtage
Hasseåtage is the commonly used name for the popular Swedish comedy-duo featuring Hans "Hasse" Alfredson and Tage Danielsson. The term was created by the Swedish press in the 1960s, and was never used by the duo themselves...
-film" and is a great cult classic in Sweden.
Plot
The Plot focuses on Dante Alighieri, a young man who loves smokingSmoking
Smoking is a practice in which a substance, most commonly tobacco or cannabis, is burned and the smoke is tasted or inhaled. This is primarily practised as a route of administration for recreational drug use, as combustion releases the active substances in drugs such as nicotine and makes them...
. When his father dies Dante inherits 17 million kr
Swedish krona
The krona has been the currency of Sweden since 1873. Both the ISO code "SEK" and currency sign "kr" are in common use; the former precedes or follows the value, the latter usually follows it, but especially in the past, it sometimes preceded the value...
on one special condition: He must give up smoking in 14 days and then stay smoke-free for an entire year. If he fails, his uncle inherits the 17 million instead. Dante has a living hell while trying to quit, and hires a private detective
Private investigator
A private investigator , private detective or inquiry agent, is a person who can be hired by individuals or groups to undertake investigatory law services. Private detectives/investigators often work for attorneys in civil cases. Many work for insurance companies to investigate suspicious claims...
agency called Little Secret Service
Secret service
A secret service describes a government agency, or the activities of a government agency, concerned with the gathering of intelligence data. The tasks and powers of a secret service can vary greatly from one country to another. For instance, a country may establish a secret service which has some...
who he gives free hands to stop him from smoking, While his uncle, who has taken up smoking himself, also does everything he can to make Dante smoke again.
Cast
- Gösta EkmanGösta EkmanHans Gösta Gustaf Ekman is a Swedish actor.-Biography:One of Sweden's most appreciated, respected and popular actors; Gösta Ekman started his career in theatre but has also appeared in several Swedish films, including the Jönssonligan series...
as Dante Alighieri - Grynet MolvigGrynet MolvigAnn-Kristin "Grynet" Molvig is a Norwegian actress and singer. She made her name as a singer in the 1960, with acts such as Kjell Karlsen and Willy Andresen. Later she also started performing in Sweden, often together with Povel Ramel. At the same time she also acted in movies, both in Norway and...
as Beatrice Morris - Toivo PawloToivo PawloToivo Pawlo was a Swedish film actor. He appeared in 50 films between 1943 and 1978.-Selected filmography:* Rabies * The Magician * Made in Sweden...
as Hugo Alighieri - Holger LöwenadlerHolger LöwenadlerHolger Löwenadler was a Swedish film actor. He starred in Ingmar Bergman's 1947 film A Ship to India. He appeared in the 1951 film Divorced, which was written by Bergman...
as Knut-Birger - Gunn WållgrenGunn WållgrenGunn Wållgren, born Gunnel Margaret Haraldsdotter Wållgren , was a Swedish actress.Considered one of Sweden's finest and also to date most appreciated actresses, Wållgren was famous for her fragile and sensual way of acting, her warm and rich inner soulfulness, and her never failing ability of...
as Aunt Gunhild - Olle HildingOlle HildingOlle Hilding was a Swedish stage and film actor. He won the Eugene O'Neill Award in 1973.-Reference:...
as Sjöström - Carl-Gustaf LindstedtCarl-Gustaf LindstedtCarl-Gustaf Lindstedt was a Swedish actor. He grew up in Kungsholmen in Stockholm, where there now is a street named after him....
as Detective - Pierre Lindstedt as Detective
- Marianne Stjernqvist as Mrs. Jonsson-Varin
- Jan-Olof StrandbergJan-Olof StrandbergJan-Olof Strandberg is a Swedish stage and film actor. He has appeared in 45 films since 1947. On stage one of his most famous parts is as Vladimir in Samuel Becketts Waiting For Godot, at Sweden's Royal Dramatic Theatre .He appeared in Erland Josephsons play Blomsterplockarna at...
as Doctor - Raymond BussièresRaymond BussièresRaymond Bussières was a French film actor. He appeared in over 160 films between 1933 and 1982.He was born in Ivry-la-Bataille, France and died in Paris, France.-Selected filmography:* The Two Orphans...
as The french detective - Meta Velander as Lady
- Stig Torstensson as Tramp
- Ulf von Zweigbergk as Waiter
- Margaretha KrookMargaretha KrookMargaretha Krook was a Swedish stage and film actress. She won the Eugene O'Neill Award in 1974. In 1976, she won the Guldbagge Award for Best Actress for the film Release the Prisoners to Spring.-Selected Filmography:...
as Prostitute - Jytte AbildstrømJytte AbildstrømJytte Abildstrøm is a Danish film actress. She has appeared in 40 films since 1956.She was born in Copenhagen, Denmark. She is the mother of Peter Mygind.-Filmography:* Der var engang en dreng * Freak Show 2003...
as Lady - Stig Ossian Ericson as Hypnotist doctor
- Manne Grünberger as Major
- Putte KockPutte KockRudolf "Putte" Kock was a Swedish football, ice hockey and bridge player who won a bronze medal in the 1924 Summer Olympics as a football player, being voted the World's best left winger after the tournament...
as TV commentator
Production
Tage Danielsson originally came up with the idea for this movie when he himself decided to quit smoking. If he made a movie about the subject he thought it would be to embarrassing if he ever started again. Another inspiration was Dante Alighieri'sDante Alighieri
Durante degli Alighieri, mononymously referred to as Dante , was an Italian poet, prose writer, literary theorist, moral philosopher, and political thinker. He is best known for the monumental epic poem La commedia, later named La divina commedia ...
Divine Comedy
The Divine Comedy
The Divine Comedy is an epic poem written by Dante Alighieri between 1308 and his death in 1321. It is widely considered the preeminent work of Italian literature, and is seen as one of the greatest works of world literature...
. The main character is named Dante and his loved one is called Beatrice, just as in Dante's Inferno
Inferno (Dante)
Inferno is the first part of Dante Alighieri's 14th-century epic poem Divine Comedy. It is followed by Purgatorio and Paradiso. It is an allegory telling of the journey of Dante through what is largely the medieval concept of Hell, guided by the Roman poet Virgil. In the poem, Hell is depicted as...
.