The Tales of Ensign Stål
About The Tales of Ensign Stål
John W. Brunius's two-part film stages Johan Ludvig Runeberg's Fänrik Ståls sägner, verse tales of the Finnish War of 1808–09, when Sweden lost Finland to Russia. John Ericsson plays Ensign Stål, and Carl Michael Runeberg appears as the poet. The episodes take in Colonel von Döbeln, Sven Dufva, and Lotta Svärd. In the second part Karin leaves Sweden dressed as a soldier, finds the fifteen-year-old Wilhelm von Schwerin at the front, serves with Lotta Svärd, and holds him when he falls at Oravais.
Cast & crew
More about The Tales of Ensign Stål
John W. Brunius directed and Herman Rasch produced. Ivar Johansson wrote the screenplay from both parts of Runeberg's poem. Hugo Edlund photographed it at Råsunda. Vilhelm Bryde designed the sets. English Wikipedia dates the release 1 November 1926. The Swedish Film Database opens part II on 8 November 1926, at 74 minutes, passed for all audiences.
Themes
Background
The Finnish War of 1808–09 moved Finland from Sweden to Russia. Runeberg's Fänrik Ståls sägner, published in two books in 1848 and 1860, was already the patriotic verse schoolchildren learned.
Making
The picture was planned as two features, not one continuous battle film. Part II picks up the von Schwerin love story begun in part I and ends it at Oravais.
Look
Hugo Edlund shot the two parts at Råsunda Studios, on sets by Vilhelm Bryde.
Music
Silent, with Swedish intertitles.
Preservation
Wikimedia Commons holds a file of part 1. The Swedish Film Database catalogs both parts.
Notes
- Part II played on 8 November 1926 at the Palladium in Gothenburg and Malmö, the Metropol and Olympia in Gävle, the Odéon in Helsingborg, and Röda Kvarn in Norrköping and Sundsvall.
- Edvin Adolphson plays Colonel Georg Karl von Döbeln. Axel Slangus is Sven Dufva. Ida Gawell-Blumenthal is Lotta Svärd.
- Nils Ohlin plays Wilhelm von Schwerin. Olga Andersson is Lady von Schwerin and Hugo Björne is von Schwerin.
- Adolf Niska plays the Russian general Kulnev. Oscar Textorius is von Buxhövden. Nils Wahlbom is Adlercreutz.
- The Finnish distribution title for the second part is Vänrikki Stoolin tarinat.
- Carl Michael Runeberg, billed as C. M. Runeberg, plays the poet Johan Ludvig Runeberg.
Scenes
- Karin reaches the army dressed as a soldier and stays on as help to Lotta Svärd so she can be near von Schwerin.
- At Oravais the fifteen-year-old von Schwerin dies in Karin's arms.
Influenced by
- Johan Ludvig Runeberg, Fänrik Ståls sägner (1848 and 1860)
Also available
- Wikimedia Commons (Fänrik Ståls sägner (1926) Part 1.webm)
