Altid ballade (1955)

Early Danish kitchen sink drama by Academy Award winner Gabriel Axel with an entertaining mix of working class daily life, children rivalry, crime and romance.

Director:

Gabriel Axel

Writers:

Otto Carlmar (screenplay), Leck Fischer

Stars:

Sigrid Horne-Rasmussen, Carl Heger, Frode Arne Pedersen

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Sigrid Horne-Rasmussen	...	Helga Nielsen
Carl Heger	...	Otto Nielsen
Frode Arne Pedersen	...	Erik Nielsen
Annie Birgit Garde	...	Maja Nielsen
Tove Baltzersen	...	Vera Nielsen
Niels Jeppe Overgaard	...	Leif Nielsen
Ulf Bo Klahn	...	Ras Nielsen
Asbjørn Andersen	...	Hr. Carlsen
Inge-Lise Grue	...	Fru Carlsen
Michael Bartroff	...	Olaf Clausen
Kai Holm	...	Viceværten
Gerda Elisabeth Borchgrevink	...	Asta (as Elisabeth Borchgrevink)
Karen Lykkehus	...	Fru Rasmussen
Jørn Jeppesen	...	Kriminalbetjent Møldrup
Valsø Holm	...	Issælger

Storyline

Factory worker Otto Nielsen and his wife Helga live in a 2-room apartment in a sad Copenhagen suburbs district, where the S-trains still bumble by, but of course, such things can be used to. They have five children and it is often difficult to meet daily expenses. Nielsen has bought a building site outside the city, it is his dream to once again be able to exchange the narrow apartment with his own house.

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Plot Keywords:

children | remake | based on novel | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Did You Know?

Trivia

Feature film debut from academy award winning director Gabriel Axel.

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Connections

Edited into Eventyret om dansk film 12: Vejen til publikum - 1953-1956 (1996)

User Reviews

A powerful mother figure

Sigrid Horne Rasmussen had a tragic role in 'Billet Mrk.' but fought on despite setbacks, and in this film she is also a fighter. This time she is the mother of five and she works with determination to keep her kids out of trouble in the harsh concrete jungle. Showing working class conditions was not common in films during the fifties, but here you had a family of seven cramped together in a small apartment with the S-train rumbling by outside the windows. There is warmth, depth and strength in the solid Helga keeping the family together. You come to think of the mother figure Jane Darwell in 'The Grapes of Wrath', who also try to keep things from falling apart. Back then you had less daycare so it was up to the family itself to steer clear of criminal activities lurking in the very neighborhood. Made from a story by socially responsible Leck Fischer this film by Gabriel Axel is still one of his best achievements.

Details

Country:

Denmark

Language:

Danish

Release Date:

31 October 1955 (Denmark)

Also Known As:

Ciagle rozróba

Company Credits

Production Co:

Nordisk Film

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1