Swedish Silent Film: Anna Hofmann-Uddgren

Swedish Silent Film pioneer Anna Hofmann-Uddren began filming for Orientaliska Teatern in 1911 with the film "Stockholmsdamemas alskling" starring Carl Barklind, Sigurd Wallen, Erica Tomberg and Anna-Lisa Hellstrom. The film is presumed lost, with no surving existing copies. For a brief period of time, actors Victor Sjostrom and Mauritz Stiller, then new to filmmaking, would be rivalled by film versions of the plays of August Strindberg before their having aquired world renown for establishing the Golden Age of Swedish Silent film with the film "Terje Vigen" (Victor Sjostrom,1916), based on Ibsen's poem.

Not quite apart from the account of the use of the proscenium arch in early cinema in Vardac's Stage to Screen, the films directed by Anna Hofmann-Uddgren in 1911 were tranpositions of "Miss Julie" (Froken Julie) and "The Father", the intimate theater of Swedish playwright August Strindberg. "The Father", starring Karin Alexandersson, Karen Thoren and Rene BJorling featured an admittedly static camera and is an example of filmed theater. And yet cameraman Otto Bjorkman used two exterior shots and cutting that would bring about scene changes during "Miss Julie", a film that had had its premiere at the Orientalisks Teatern, starred Karin Alexandersson and Manda Bjorling. The film is presumed lost, with no surviving copies existing. Both films were later remade by Alf Sjoberg.

Anna Hofmann-Uddgren during 1911 also directed acress Edith Wallen in two films, both filmed by cinematographer Otto Bokman, "Single a Dream" (Blott in Drom) and "Sisters" (Systarna).

Actress Karin Alexandersson during 1914 went to Svenska Bio to make film under the direction of Victor Sjostrom and Mauritz Stiller before returning during the 1940's to appear in more than a dozen films. Director Anna Hofmann-Uddgren in fact appeared in front of the camera as an actress twice during 1921 in the films "De Landsflyktige" (Mauritz Stiller) and "Pilgrimage to Kevlaar" (Ivan Hedqvist).

The Blue Tower in Stockholm, where August Strindberg lived bewteen 1908-1912 and where he wrote the play "The Great Highway" is now part of the Strindberg Museum. Strindberg had gladly acquiesced to have his plays adapted into films, almost congradulating Anna Hofmann-Uddgren's husband, Gustav.

Silent Film

Swedish Silent Film