Jazzgossen (1958)

User Rating:

6.4/10   

Director:

Hasse Ekman

Writers:

Hasse Ekman (writer)
Gösta Stevens (writer)

Release Date:

6 October 1958 (Sweden)

Genre:

Drama | Musical

Tagline:

Oförglömlig svensk storfilm i färg!

Plot:

The rich young man Teddy Anker invests his money in the theater in the beginning of the 1920s. Whatever he does becomes a success...

Plot Keywords:

Night Club | WWII | Sausage | Stockholm Sweden

Cast

Maj-Britt Nilsson	...	Karin Ingel-Anker
Hasse Ekman	...	Teddy Anker
Elof Ahrle	...	Mille Bergström
Bengt Ekerot	...	Erik Jonsson
Georg Funkquist	...	Allan Örtengren
Per Lindquist	...	Lars-Erik
Meg Westergren	...	Madeleine
Torsten Lilliecrona	...	Guest at Teddy's party
Curt Masreliez	...	Hubbe
Einar Fagstad	...	Himself
Wiktor Andersson	...	Stage Guard
Ingvar Kjellson	...	Guest at Teddy's party
Hans Strååt	...	The Director of 'Kameliadamen'
Ragnar Klange	...	Visitor at auction
Rune Halvarsson	...	Beredskapsman

Also Known As:

Jazz Boy (USA) (literal English title)

Runtime:

104 min

Country:

Sweden

Language:

Swedish

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Sweden:Btl

Filming Locations:

Stockholm, Stockholms län, Sweden

Company:

Svensk Filmindustri (SF)

Trivia:

Gunnar Björnstrand's role as Adolf Hitler was cut during the final edit.

Movie Connections:

References En natt på Smygeholm (1933)

Soundtrack:

Din vår är min vår

Stockholm In The Rain

This is a fascinating big budget song and dance drama made in Sweden in 1958 almost as if to prove that The Swedish Film Industry could produce a stylish MGM sized musical. Filmed in truly gorgeous Eastman color and with lavish ambition they certainly succeeded. Set in the period 1922-1946 JAZZGOSSEN means Jazz Boy or Mr Jazz... in a nightclub setting/Florenz Zeigfeld sense. Clearly influenced by the iconic 1950s Technicolor MGM biographies like LOVE ME OR LEAVE ME and DEEP IN MY HEART and even Columbia's THE JOLSON STORY this beautiful and entertaining drama is made to aspire to the international level of those Hollywood musicals. The scenes from the 1920s nightclub and lavish apartment moments clearly mirror SINGIN IN THE RAIN. The opening image for the title credits are lifted straight from THE TENDER TRAP. Directed by Lasse Ekmann whose career spanned several decades in popular romantic music and dance films, JAZZGOSSEN is a real lost treasure... a genuine find of the highest interest and I urge the Swedish Film Institute to restore and reissue the film for international film festivals on 35mm and follow that with a pristine DVD for everyone to appreciate. I saw JAZZGOSSEN recently on a rare Swedish TV appearance. This 50s period in Swedish Cinema is really remarkable. As an experiment in seeing if they could make a Hollywood level musical JAZZGOSSEN got it right. Next in 1958 they made their 'Hitchcock' thriller also in Eastman color and cinema-scope MANNEQUIN IN RED (a murder mystery set in the haute couture world of Swedish women's fashion....wow!) which was the forerunner to Mario Bava's 1960 horror film BLOOD AND BLACK LACE. What a set of movie titles! Anyway, snazzy JASSGOSSEN is singing out to be loved all over again and I for one champion any attempt to see it before an appreciative audience. The only things anyone could nit-pick in a mostly splendid film is a wish for a couple more big dance numbers .....and an odd moment late in the film with a singing Nazi......! which almost sees it inadvertently in 'Springtime For Hitler' territory. But the GUYS AND DOLLS style showgirl pussycat dance number early in the film is enough to carry you to the very end.