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Gösta Ekman, Sr. is a Actor, Director and Scriptwriter Suédois born on 27 december 1890 at Stockholm (Suede)

Gösta Ekman, Sr.

Gösta Ekman, Sr.
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Birth name Frans Gösta Viktor Ekman
Nationality Suede
Birth 27 december 1890 at Stockholm (Suede)
Death 12 january 1938 (at 47 years) at Stockholm (Suede)
Awards Litteris et Artibus

Gösta Ekman, Sr. (December 28, 1890 – January 12, 1938), born Frans Gösta Viktor Ekman, was a Swedish actor. Generally spoken of as Swedish theatre's most legendary stage actor, Gösta Ekman enjoyed a prolific stage career during his short life, becoming the first real star of Swedish theatre.

His boyish good looks attracted both sexes, helping to create a massive cult following and elevating him to the status of a living legend. Combined with a beautiful voice and a powerful stage presence, Ekman was able to captivate his audiences.

Biography

Career
Known as a self-taught master of disguise with theatre make-up and costumes, Gösta Ekman was equally convincing as a farmer's son, an 18th-century middle-aged aristocrat, or an 80-year-old lunatic. Furthermore, he played in comedies, tragedies, dramas, and operettas. As a result, it was believed that he was capable of being convincing in all genres and as all types of characters. At different times, he also ran and supervised several private theatres in Stockholm, including the Oscarsteatern, the Vasateatern, and the Konserthusteatern. He was also head of the Gothenburg City Theatre in the 1930s. At the Vasateatern, which he ran from 1931 to 1935, he both directed and played the lead in several plays, while also producing a large number of productions. As a result, his time at the Vasateatern is considered to be the peak of his stage career. He first entered the stage as an extra in an operetta in 1907, but made his professional stage debut in the renowned Selander Company in 1911. The ghost of Gösta Ekman is still said to haunt his former dressing room at the theatre.

Ekman started in films at the dawn of the Swedish film industry and played an important role in its development. One of his first film roles was in Victor Sjöström's experimental film Trädgårdsmästaren (1912). Later, he played the lead in the first Swedish talkie, För hennes skull (1930). Ekman also acted in two films that would gain international recognition: F. W. Murnau's silent film classic Faust, where he played the title character, and in the original 1936 version of Intermezzo, where he played a world famous violinist opposite Ingrid Bergman in her breakout role. But they had in fact already acted opposite each other in the Swedish 1935 movie Swedenhielms Family where they share a couple of wonderful scenes alone together as their characters have a heart-to-heart conversation on life and love; among the most memorable moments in the film.

His best on-screen credit is often said to be his King Charles XV/Leonard Pettersson in film comedy Kungen kommer (1936), where Ekman masterfully plays a double-role in the film; first the king and then also the king's lookalike; an actor who is hired by members of the Royal Court to impersonate His Majesty at a private party. Naturally the real king later arrives at the party causing a number of confusions and comic mix-ups.

Ekman also made a number of successful song recordings from his revue numbers, including songs "En herre i frack" (1935) - perhaps his most popular recording - and "Kvinnor och champagne" (Women and Champagne) in 1929.


Personal life

Early on, Gösta Ekman was labeled as a workaholic, sacrificing himself for his art and for his love of the theatre. Later, as his fame increased, his workload also increased. During the day, he would rehearse and direct plays. In the evening, he played leading roles in stage plays. Later at night, he would film. This busy schedule left him with relatively little free time. Furthermore, the free time he did have was spent carrying out his duties as the administrative director of the theatres he ran.

In 1926, while filming Faust in Berlin, he was introduced to cocaine by two Scandinavians, who told him that cocaine would help him cope with his work schedule better. Sadly, this began a long-term drug addiction for the actor that slowly deteriorated his health and eventually caused his death 12 years later at the age of 47.

In 1914, Gösta Ekman married Greta Sundström. Later, Greta gave birth to Hasse Ekman, who came to be one of Sweden's most successful film directors in the 1940s and 1950s. Gösta Ekman's grandson, Gösta Ekman, Jr., has also become well-known through his career as an actor and is considered to be one of Sweden's very finest actors. One of Hasse Ekman's movies, The Royal Rabble from 1945 about a famous acting family, was partly based on his own upbringing in an acting family.

Usually with

Source : Wikidata

Filmography of Gösta Ekman, Sr. (15 films)

Display filmography as list

Actor

The Adventures of Picasso, 1h49
Directed by Tage Danielsson
Genres Comedy
Themes Peinture
Actors Gösta Ekman Jr., Hans Alfredson, Gösta Ekman, Sr., Lena Olin, Margaretha Krook, Bernard Cribbins
Rating73% 3.695973.695973.695973.695973.69597
The film is (very) loosely based on Pablo Picasso's life and death, narrated by Toivo Pawlo, who introduces himself as Elsa Beskow. It opens with a quote by Picasso himself: "Art is a lie that leads us closer to the truth."
Face to Face, 1h54
Directed by Ingmar Bergman
Origin Suede
Genres Drama, Fantasy, Horror
Themes Films about magic and magicians
Actors Liv Ullmann, Erland Josephson, Gunnar Björnstrand, Aino Taube, Gösta Ekman, Sr., Kristina Adolphson
Rating74% 3.7462053.7462053.7462053.7462053.746205
Dr. Jenny Isaksson (Liv Ullmann) is a psychiatrist married to another psychiatrist; both are successful in their jobs but slowly, agonizingly, Jenny succumbs to a breakdown. She is haunted by images and emotions from her past and eventually cannot function as a wife, doctor, or individual.
Kungen kommer, 1h21
Genres Drama, Comedy
Actors Gösta Ekman, Sr., Birgit Tengroth, Nils Wahlbom, Gull Natorp, Åke Ohberg, Thor Modéen
Roles Leonard Pettersson
Rating47% 2.3669652.3669652.3669652.3669652.366965
It is the year of 1865 and the Löwencreutz family are expecting a very prominent visitor, King Charles XV is coming to stay. However Carl Henrik von Grimm reads a telegram stating that the King is in fact cancelling his visit.
Swedenhielms, 1h28
Directed by Gustaf Molander
Origin Suede
Genres Drama, Comedy
Themes Théâtre, Films based on plays
Actors Gösta Ekman, Sr., Tutta Rolf, Ingrid Bergman, Karin Swanström, Sigurd Wallén, Mona Geijer-Falkner
Roles Rolf Swedenhielm
Rating57% 2.85572.85572.85572.85572.8557
Le film est le récit de la vie d'une famille de l'aristocratie suédoise sur le déclin, les Swendenhielms. Aveuglés par les anciens privilèges dont a pu bénéficier leur famille, les enfants et le père vivent bien au dessus de leurs moyens et s'en remettent à la fois à leur bonne de maison, Boman, et à une éventuelle récompense du prix Nobel pour le père, scientifique renommé, afin d'éviter la faillite.
Dear Relatives, 1h34
Directed by Gustaf Molander
Origin Suede
Genres Comedy
Themes Théâtre, Films based on plays
Actors Gösta Ekman, Sr., Tutta Rolf, Carl Barcklind, Thor Modéen, Edvin Adolphson, Dora Söderberg
Roles Claes af Leijonstam
Rating56% 2.8024352.8024352.8024352.8024352.802435
La relation entre un riche grossiste et ses trois filles est mise à l'épreuve alors qu'ils jonglent avec les affaires et les difficultés financières.
A Perfect Gentleman, 1h57
Directed by Gösta Ekman, Sr., Vilhelm Bryde
Genres Drama
Actors La Jana, Gösta Ekman, Sr., Karin Swanström, Hans Albers, Gull Natorp
Roles Marquis Robert de Luny & Jean Coubert
Rating55% 2.7671852.7671852.7671852.7671852.767185
Faust
Faust (1926)
, 1h40
Directed by Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau
Genres Drama, Science fiction, Fantasy, Horror
Themes Poésie, Films about religion, Demons in film, Adaptation d'un poème, Films based on plays
Actors Gösta Ekman, Sr., Emil Jannings, Camilla Horn, William Dieterle, Frida Richard, Yvette Guilbert
Roles Faust
Rating80% 4.046984.046984.046984.046984.04698
The demon Mephisto has a bet with an Archangel that he can corrupt a righteous man's soul and destroy in him what is divine. If he succeeds, the Devil will win dominion over earth.
Puss in Boots
Directed by John W. Brunius
Origin Suede
Genres Comedy
Actors John W. Brunius, Gösta Ekman, Sr., Mary Johnson, Carl Schenstrøm
Roles Karl Konstantin Kattrup, "Mästerkatten"
Rating50% 2.5269952.5269952.5269952.5269952.526995
The Gardener, 34minutes
Directed by Victor Sjöström
Genres Drama
Actors Victor Sjöström, Gösta Ekman, Sr., Lili Bech, John Ekman, Mauritz Stiller
Roles The Gardener's son
Rating58% 2.911942.911942.911942.911942.91194
Le fils d'un riche horticulteur se fiance avec la fille d'un vieil employé de son père. L'horticulteur ne voit pas d'un bon œil cette relation et trouve le moyen d'éloigner brutalement son fils ; mais un soir le père moleste la jeune fille et tente de l'agresser sexuellement. Ensuite à la suite d'un différend, l'horticulteur renvoie le père de la jeune fille. Le père et la fille trouvent refuge auprès d'un vieil officier très âgé. Le père meurt bientôt et le vieux militaire prend la jeune fille à son service, la traitant finalement comme sa fille. Quand le vieil homme vient à mourir à son tour, ses héritiers chassent la jeune fille de la maison et celle-ci tombe dans une vie dissolue. Un jour, dans un accès de désespoir, elle s'introduit dans la serre de l'horticulteur et détruit toutes ses fleurs. Elle est retrouvée morte au petit matin.