Swedish postcard by Ed. Nordisk Konst, Stockholm, no. 876/3. Photo: Svenska Biografteatern AB. Victor Sjöström in Thomas Graals bästa film/Thomas Graal's Best Film (Mauritz Stiller, 1917), scripted by Gustav Molander. The story deals with a screenwriter (Victor Sjöström) who falls in love with his secretary Bessie (Karin Molander) and imagines himself rescuing her from poverty. Reality is quite different as Bessie is a modern woman. The film also mocks the bored aristocracy involved in the modernity of filmmaking. Caption: The author Thomas Graal at sea.
Swedish postcard by Förlag Nordisk Konst, Stockholm, no. 961. Photo: Svenska Biografteatern. Victor Sjöström and Karin Molander in the Swedish silent comedy Thomas Graals bästa barn/Thomas Graal's First Child (Mauritz Stiller, 1918), again scripted by Gustav Molander. In this sequel to Thomas Graals bästa film (1917), comedic situations follow Thomas and Bessie - beginning with the preparations of the wedding ceremony, to the daily married life. Molander wrote several screenplays for Victor Sjöström and Mauritz Stiller and was helped by the latter to get employment as a director for Svensk Filmindustri, where he worked from 1923 to 1956.
Swedish postcard by Förlag Nordisk Konst, Stockholm, no. 1195. Photo: Ferd. Flodin, Stockholm. Swedish actress Karin Molander (1889–1978) was a star of the silent Scandinavian cinema. From 1910-1918, she was married to Gustaf Molander and they had a son, director and producer Harald Molander. In the films of Mauritz Stiller, sometimes written by Gustaf, Karin became a symbol of the modern, young and emancipated women of the 1910s.
Swedish postcard by Ljunggrens Konstförlag, Stockholm, no. 413. Photo: Hard, Stockholm. Einar Hanson was the star of Gustaf Molander's fourth film as a director, the comedy Mälarpirater/Pirates of Lake Mälaren (Gustaf Molander, 1923) about three boys who steal a sailboat and sail away for a summer adventure on Lake Mälaren.
Swedish postcard by Axel Eliassons Konstförlag, Stockholm, no. 320. Photo: Hofatelier Jaeger, 1922. Tora Teje (1893-1970) was a Swedish actress who starred in the Swedish silent cinema of Mauritz Stiller and Victor Sjöström in the early 1920s. She also appeared in Gustaf Molander's fifth film, 33.333/33,333 (1924) about a shoemaker who wins the lottery but loses his ticket.
French postcard by Cinémagazine Edition, Paris, no. 426. The Danish double-act Fy og Bi (Fyrtårnet og Bivognen a.k.a. Pat & Patachon) was the most famous comedy couple of the European silent cinema. Long Carl Schenstrom and short Harald Madsen became very popular in the 1920s with their slapstick films. Gustaf Molander directed their Swedisch comedy Polis Paulus' påskasmäll/Constable Paulus' Easter Bomb (1925). It was Molander's sixth film as a director.
Danish postcard by Alex. Vincent's Kunstforlag, Copenhagen, no. 99. Mona Mårtenson in Ingmarsarvet/Ingmar's Inheritance (Gustav Molander, 1925), after Selma Lagerlöf's book 'Jerusalem'. Ingmarsarvet is the story of a group of farmers who choose to leave their homes and follow the preacher Helgum (Conrad Veidt) to the Holy Land. A few years earlier, Victor Sjöström had adapted Lagerlöf's novel into the films Ingmarssönerna/Sons of Ingmar (1919), depicting chapters one and two from the novel and Karin Ingmarsdotter/Karin, Daughter of Ingmar (1920), depicting chapters three and four from the novel. The critical reception of the film was, however, unenthusiastic, and Sjöström decided to not direct any more parts. Gustaf Molander finished the suite in 1926 with a fourth film.
Danish postcard by Helsingin, Helsingfors, no. 451. Photo: Mona Mårtenson and Harald Schwenzen in Till österland/To the Orient (Gustav Molander, 1926). This was the last part in the 'Jerusalem' adaptations, directed as well as co-written by Gustaf Molander and starring Lars Hanson, Jenny Hasselqvist and Mona Mårtenson. The film was shot at the Råsunda Studios in Stockholm and on location in Jaffa and Jerusalem in Mandatory Palestine.
Austrian postcard by Iris Verlag, no. 5229. Photo: Manassé, Wien. Austrian actor Fred Louis Lerch (1902-1985) was a handsome star of the European silent cinema. He appeared opposite Mona Mårtenson in Gustaf Molander's Förseglade läppar/Sealed Lips (1927), based on a story by Guy de Maupassant. The drama was shot at the Råsunda Studios in Stockholm and on location at Lake Como and Feltre in Italy. Lerch also starred in Molander's next film Parisiskor/Women of Paris (Gustaf Molander, 1928) with Margit Manstad and Ruth Weyher. This was a coproduction with Ufa.
Swedish postcard by Förlag Nordisk Konst, Stockholm, no. 1192. Photo: Ferd. Flodin, Stockholm. Lars Hanson was the star of Synd/Sin (Gustaf Molander, 1928) based on a play by August Strindberg. Hanson played a married writer whose luck turns when he gets a play produced at Théâtre de Paris. He meets the femme fatale (Gina Manès) who should play the lead in his play. Passion and conflict occur. Synd/Sin was a co-production between Germany, Sweden and the United Kingdom.
German postcard by Ross Verlag, Berlin, no. 8050/1, 1933-1934. Photo: Svensk Filmindustri(e). Gösta Ekman in Kära släkten/Dear Relatives (Gustaf Molander, 1933). During the sound era, Molander's films became very distinguished and recognisable. He often made sophisticated comedies in an upper-class environment with a touch of money and aristocracy, like Kära släkten/Dear Relatives. Molander also co-wrote the screenplay with Gösta Stevens. The film was a hit at the box office.
Dutch postcard by Takken / 't Sticht, Utrecht, no. 662. Photo: Svensk Filmindustri. Ingrid Bergman in Swedenhielms (Gustaf Molander, 1935). Gösta Ekman played the head of the Swedenhielm family, an old proud nobility family on the verge of bankruptcy. Ingrid Bergman played a supporting part in this film. In 1934, Bergman was offered a studio contract and placed under Gustaf Molander. In the following years, he made her a star.
West German postcard by Schneider-Junior, Neunkirchen/Saar, no. 60. Photo: Constantin-Film. Ingrid Bergman and Leslie Howard in Intermezzo (Gregory Ratoff, 1939). in 1936, Ingrid Bergman appeared in Intermezzo (Gustaf Molander, 1936), her first lead performance, where she was reunited with Gösta Ekman. This was a pivotal film for the young actress and allowed her to demonstrate her talent. Director Molander later said: "I created Intermezzo for her, but I was not responsible for its success. Ingrid herself made it successful." This film led to Bergman gaining her contract with David O. Selznick and acting in a 1939 American remake opposite Leslie Howard.
German collectors card in the 'Filmgrössen aus aller Welt" series II. Ulla Jacobsson in Herr Arnes penningar/Sir Arne's Treasure (Gustaf Molander, 1954). Molander based the film on Selma Lagerlöf's novel 'The Treasure' which had previously been filmed in 1919 by Mauritz Stiller. Molander had been the co-scriptwriter then.
East-German postcard by VEB Progress Filmvertrieb, Berlin, no. 2.337, 1965. Anita Björk in Sången om den eldröda blomman/Song of the Scarlet Flower (Gustaf Molander, 1956)The film is one of several film adaptations of the 1905 novel 'The Song of the Blood-Red Flower' by Finnish author Johannes Linnankoski.
East-German postcard by VEB Progress Filmverlag, Berlin, no. 2.338, 1965. Photo: Ulla Jacobsson and Jarl Kulle in Sången om den eldröda blomman/Song of the Scarlet Flower (Gustaf Molander, 1956). It was one of Molander's last films. He was more or less forced to leave the production company Svensk Filmindustri (SF), whom he had been faithful to during his career when they wanted to get rid of everything old and tried. He continued to work for radio and television. In the 1960s he directed several stage productions at Vasateatern in Stockholm and for Riksteatern.
Sources: Mattias Thuresson (IMDb), Wikipedia (Swedish and English) and IMDb.
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