''Bussen'' (The Bus) is a 1961 Norwegian

comedy film A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the ol ...

, directed by

Arne Skouen Arne Skouen (18 October 1913 – 24 May 2003) was a Norwegian journalist, author, film director and film producer. Biography Arne Skouen was born in Kristiania (now Oslo), Norway. His parents were Peder Nikolai Skouen (1883-1978) and Jenny ...

and starring

Leif Juster Leif Juster (born Leif Normann Nilsen) (14 February 1910 – 25 November 1995) was a Norwegian comedian, singer and actor, arguably the most popular of his generation in Norway. Juster started out as a variety show performer, and for a period he ...

, and a strikingly similar 1963 Danish

directed by

Finn Henriksen Finn Henriksen (29 January 1933 – 6 December 2008) was a Danish film director and screenwriter. He directed 17 films and wrote for 19 between 1960 and 1989. He was born in Randers, Denmark and died in Lyngby, Denmark. He is buried at L ...

and starring

Dirch Passer Dirch Hartvig Passer (18 May 1926 – 3 September 1980) was a celebrated Danish actor. He was greatly renowned for his improvisational skills and, with a filmography comprising 90 movies, one of Denmark's most prolific actors. His life is depic ...

(the texts acknowledge this source at the start of the Danish version). The plot and script is essentially the same in both films (and also a couple of names). The Danish version is made suitable for a Danish audience. The music to the Norwegian version was written by

Maj Sønstevold Maj Sønstevold (born ''Lundén''; 9 September 1917 – 14 March 1996) was a Swedish composer who lived and worked in Norway. Biography Maj Sønstevold was born in Sollefteå, Sweden. She studied piano in Stockholm and with Billy Mayerl in London. ...

and Gunnar Sønstevold, with additional songs written by

Alf Prøysen Alf Prøysen () (23 July 1914 – 23 November 1970) was a Norwegian author, poet, playwright, songwriter and musician. Prøysen was one of the most important Norwegian cultural personalities in the second half of the 20th century. He wor ...

. The original main character was written for Leif Juster. At this point in his career, Juster was a popular movie actor. It is possible that Arne Skouen was inspired by a

narrative poem Narrative poetry is a form of poetry that tells a story, often using the voices of both a narrator and characters; the entire story is usually written in metered verse. Narrative poems do not need rhyme. The poems that make up this genre may be s ...

written by the poet

Ingeborg Refling Hagen Ingeborg Refling Hagen (19 December 1895 – 30 October 1989) was a Norwegian author, poet, and artistic director. Her writings and activities in support of the arts made her a significant cultural figure in Norway during much of the 20th century. ...

, about a milkman who is constantly running errands because of his good heart.

Norwegian cast

- Busschauffeur Thorvald *

Lalla Carlsen Lalla Carlsen (née Haralda Petrea Christensen) (17 August 1889 – 23 March 1967) was a Norwegian singer and actress. She is regarded as one of the most legendary female revue artists in Norway. Personal life Lalla Carlsen was born in Svelvik ...

- Klara Tallerud, midwife *

Egil Hjorth-Jenssen Egil Hjorth-Jenssen (18 April 1893 – 8 November 1969) was a Norwegian actor and theatre director, playwright, children's writer and translator. Personal life Hjorth-Jenssen was born in Fredrikshald as a son of editor Gunnar Olaves Jenssen ( ...

- Tallerud, Mayor *

Tore Foss Tore Foss (21 February 1901 – 6 August 1968) was a Norwegian singer, actor and theatre director. He made his stage début at Chat Noir in 1927. He played at Balkongen from 1927 to 1928, and later worked for the National Theatre, Det Nye Teat ...

- Haugen, Beadle *

Lasse Kolstad Lars "Lasse" Kolstad (10 January 1922 – 14 January 2012) was a Norwegian actor and singer. Active from the 1940s, he was known from many stage roles, but primarily as "Tevye" in ''Fiddler on the Roof''. As a secondary school student, Kolstad ...

- Lars *

Synne Skouen Synne Skouen (born 8 August 1950) is a Norwegian music writer and composer. Biography Skouen was born in Oslo. She studied at the Vienna Academy of Music with Alfred Uhl and Erwin Ratz for composition and Dieter Kaufmann and Friedrich Cerha for ...

- Kaja * Frithjof Fearnley - Fjell-Olsen, clerk *

Arve Opsahl Arve Opsahl (14 May 1921 – 29 April 2007) was a Norwegian movie and stage actor, singer and stand-up comedian. Opsahl began his career as a comedian in 1942, and played numerous roles both on stage and in more than forty movies. He was then chos ...

- Måsabjønn (

Moss Mosses are small, non-vascular flowerless plants in the taxonomic division Bryophyta (, ) '' sensu stricto''. Bryophyta (''sensu lato'', Schimp. 1879) may also refer to the parent group bryophytes, which comprise liverworts, mosses, and hor ...

collector) *

Ulf Wengård Ulf Wengård (Januar 15, 1927 – July 7, 2003) was a Norwegian actor. He was known for his comedy roles, and he appeared in many of the '' Olsen Gang'' films. Wengård's father was a cinema engineer in Oppegård. Wengård made his debut at th ...

- Måsabjønn * Olav Bugge - Måsabjønn *

Kari Sundby Kari or KARI may refer to: Places *Kari, Jhunjhunu, a village in Rajasthan, India * , a village in Mouhoun Province, Burkina Faso *Kari, Tikamgarh, a town in Madhya Pradesh, India * Kari, Iran, a village in Bushehr Province, Iran * Kari-ye Bozorg ( ...

- Helga *

Lothar Lindtner Per Lothar Lindtner (July 22, 1917 – April 14, 2005) was a Norwegian actor. Early life Lindtner was born in Bergen and played a large number of roles at the National Theatre in Oslo. He is considered one of the greatest actors Bergen has pro ...

- Man from bus company * Rolf Sand - Socialist * Helga Backe - (as Helga Bakke) *

Randi Brænne Randi Brænne (26 May 1911 – 1 June 2004) was a Norwegian actress. She was born in Kristiania (now Oslo), Norway. She was a daughter of Sigmund Brænne and Bodil Winge and was a sister of actress and writer Berit Brænne (1918–1976). Ran ...

Einar Vaage Einar Vaage (March 1, 1889 – June 11, 1973) was a Norwegian actor. Vaage was active in Oslo from 1921 onward, where he was engaged with the Central Theater (from 1925 to 1931) and the Oslo New Theater. The comedy roles that Vaage played in ...

Harald Aimarsen Harald Aimarsen (June 9, 1881 – January 5, 1966) was a Norwegian actor. Aimarsen was born in Kristiania (now Oslo), Norway. Among other venues, he worked at the Oslo New Theater. He acted in many films from 1919 until his death. Aimarsen died ...

Henrik Anker Steen Henrik is a male given name of Germanic origin, primarily used in Scandinavia, Estonia, Hungary and Slovenia Slovenia ( ; sl, Slovenija ), officially the Republic of Slovenia (Slovene: , abbr.: ''RS''), is a country in Central Europe. It i ...

* Hans Coucheron-Aamot (as H. Coucheron-Aamot) *

Edel Eckblad Edel Eckblad (26 May 1914 – 12 October 1994). Retrieved on 27 March 2009. was a Norwegian actress. She acted out of Studioteatret Studioteatret was a theatre in Norway. It opened in 1945, shortly after the liberation, with Claes Gill as its fi ...

Bonne Gauguin Bonne Gauguin (born Ingeborg Kathrine Winther-Hjelm Jelstrup, November 28, 1910 – July 12, 1989) was a Norwegian actress and dance instructor. Gauguin trained as a dance teacher in Germany. In the 1930s she moved to Trondheim and made her deb ...

Mette Lange-Nielsen Mette Lange-Nielsen (30 April 1929 – 29 May 1981) was a Norwegian actress. Her husband was actor Per Lillo-Stenberg, and her son is musician Lars Lillo-Stenberg. Filmography * 1951: '' Dei svarte hestane'' * 1956: ''Roser til Monica'' * 1956: ...

Egil Lorck Egil or Egill is a masculine given name derived from Old Norse. It may refer to: Characters * Egil (Hymiskvida), farmer in the poem ''Hymiskvida'' * Egil, brother of Volund, hero of Völundarkviða and the Thidreks saga * Egil One-Hand, hero from ...

- Måsabjønn * Tom Remlov

Danish cast

- Buschauffør Martin *

Malene Schwartz Malene Schwartz (born 10 August 1936) is a Danish film actress. She has appeared in more than 60 films and television shows since 1955. In the TV series ''Matador'' she played the role of Maude Varnæs. She was born in Frederiksberg, Denmark. Pa ...

- Else *

Lily Broberg Lily Broberg (19 September 1923 – 30 July 1989) was a Danish stage and film actress. Born in Skjørring, Skanderborg Municipality, Jutland, Denmark, she died in Frederiksberg and was buried at the Frederiksberg Ældre Kirkegård Frede ...

- Emma *

Karl Stegger Karl Stegger (11 January 1913, in Aarhus – 13 April 1980, in Frederiksberg) was a Danish actor, who appeared in 157 films which makes him the second-most used Danish film actor after Ove Sprogøe. He mostly appeared in comedy, but also had s ...

- Sigurd *

Paul Hagen Paul Falck Hagen (19 March 1920 – 19 May 2003) was a Danish film and television actor. He appeared in more than 100 films between 1952 and 1999. He is most known for playing Mr. Clausen in the television series Huset på Christianshavn, whi ...

- Kæmneren *

Ove Sprogøe Ove Wendelboe Sprogøe Petersen (21 December 1919 – 14 September 2004) was a Danish actor. Life Born in Odense, his parents were Arthur and Inger Sprogøe Petersen. He married Eva Rasmussen in 1945, with whom he had three children. O ...

- Vik *

Lone Hertz Lone Hertz (born 23 April 1939) is a Danish film actress. She has appeared in more than 40 films since 1951. Filmography * ' (1996) * ' (1985) * ' (1976) * ''Me, Too, in the Mafia'' (1974) * ''Erasmus Montanus'' (1973) * ''Takt og tone i him ...

- Helga *

Axel Strøbye Axel Strøby Jacobsen (22 February 1928 – 12 July 2005), known as Axel Strøbye was a Danish stage and film actor. He appeared in more than 100 films between 1951 and 2000. He was born in the Copenhagen borough Frederiksberg and died in ...

- Lars *

Gunnar Lemvigh Gunnar Lemvigh (28 March 1909 – 16 November 1979) was a Danish film actor. He appeared in 52 films between 1939 and 1977. Filmography * '' Familien Gyldenkål vinder valget'' (1977) * ''Agent 69 Jensen i Skorpionens tegn'' (1977) * ''Sl ...

- Overbetjent Madsen *

Ole Monty Ole Monty (22 October 1908 – 24 April 1977) was a Danish film actor. He appeared in 65 films between 1937 and 1976. He was born in Copenhagen, Denmark and died in Denmark. Filmography *'' Flådens blå matroser'' - 1937 *'' Under byens ...

- Inspektøren * Grethe Mogensen - Marie *

Arthur Jensen Arthur Robert Jensen (August 24, 1923 – October 22, 2012) was an American psychologist and writer. He was a professor of educational psychology at the University of California, Berkeley. Jensen was known for his work in psychometrics an ...

- Kromand *

Tove Maës Tove Maës (30 April 192131 December 2010) was a Danish actress of stage, television and film best known for her starring roles in the series of "Morten Korch" films, in particular '' The Red Horses''. Maës was a three-time recipient of the Bo ...

- Sofie *

Valsø Holm Valsø Holm (31 December 1906 – 19 December 1987) was a Danish film actor. He appeared in 80 films between 1937 and 1982. He was born in Copenhagen, Denmark and died in Denmark. Filmography *'' En søndag på Amager'' - 1941 *'' To som ...

- Jesper *

Hugo Herrestrup Hugo Herrestrup (29 January 1933 – 22 September 2009) was a Danish film actor. He appeared in 35 films between 1953 and 1996. He was born in Copenhagen, Denmark. Selected filmography * '' Father of Four'' (1953) * '' Sømand i knibe'' (1 ...

- Harry *

Aage Winther-Jørgensen Aage Winther-Jørgensen (16 May 1900 – 10 April 1967) was a Danish actor. Partial filmography *'' The Vicar of Vejlby'' (1931) - Musicerende præst *''Skaf en sensation'' (1934) - Kahn *''The Golden Smile'' (1935) *''Elverhøj'' (1939) - Mo ...

- Smeden *

Gunnar Strømvad Gunnar Strømvad (12 May 1908 – 6 December 1972) was a Danish film actor. He appeared in 34 films between 1940 and 1971. Filmography * '' Den forsvundne fuldmægtig'' (1971) * ''Olsen-banden i Jylland'' (1971) * ''Ballade på Christians ...

- Medlem af sognerådet *

Poul Thomsen Poul Thomsen (15 February 1922 – 16 December 1988) was a Danish film actor. He appeared in 70 films between 1944 and 1985. He was born in Præstø, Denmark and died in Denmark. Selected filmography * '' Otte akkorder'' - 1944 * '' Lejl ...

- Mand der råber efter Lars * Albert Watson * Anne Dencker * Minna Jørgensen * Lone Lindorff

Plot

The protagonist is a jovial bus driver, well beloved by his passengers, essentially the whole community around him. The bus, however, is old, and needs to be replaced. The bus driver himself is also needed as a handyman for all the people around him, assisting with stray cattle, household machines, children's homework, errands of all kinds, and at one occasion, assisting birth. Progress is however leaving him behind, and the local county council plots on a solution, involving a new bus and driver. The community revolts, and the local midwife (married to the mayor) intervenes with all the locals to keep the bus driver, who ends up keeping his job in a new bus.

Differences

There are, however, some notable plot differences, mainly based on the casting of the main character. Leif Juster was older than Dirch Passer, and presents a calmer humour. Juster was turning 51, while Passer was 37 at the time of the respective shootings. Passer's interpretation is more

Slapstick Slapstick is a style of humor involving exaggerated physical activity that exceeds the boundaries of normal physical comedy. Slapstick may involve both intentional violence and violence by mishap, often resulting from inept use of props such a ...

-based, and the Danish film is made in a more

Chaplin Chaplin may refer to: People * Charlie Chaplin (1889–1977), English comedy film actor and director * Chaplin (name), other people named Chaplin Films * '' Unknown Chaplin'' (1983) * ''Chaplin'' (film) (1992) * ''Chaplin'' (2011 film), Ben ...

-like tradition. The kind humanity of the chauffeur is more present in the Norwegian version. As Passer was younger, the element of

romance Romance (from Vulgar Latin , "in the Roman language", i.e., "Latin") may refer to: Common meanings * Romance (love), emotional attraction towards another person and the courtship behaviors undertaken to express the feelings * Romance languages, ...

is more central in the Danish version as well. In both films, the protagonist saves and cares for a small girl (Kaja - played by Synne Skouen, daughter of Arne Skouen in the Norwegian version), whose mother is falling to pieces. In the Danish version, Kaja is cared for by an older sister, who becomes a love interest for the protagonist. In the Norwegian version, the interactment is solely with Kaja, and the mother is passed off as a "lost case". The bus driver is said to have delivered Kaja in the bus, and promises to take care of her as a daughter. "The man being there at birth is the truest father", he says. This plot difference makes the romantic subplot lighter and softer, and the social criticism implied in the Norwegian version is toned down. Lars, the "dumb muscle" set up to be the driver of the new bus, is a regular "mook" in the Norwegian version, constantly getting into fights because of his physical strength, and urged on by his careless girlfriend Helga. The Danish version makes him an amateur

boxer Boxer most commonly refers to: * Boxer (boxing), a competitor in the sport of boxing *Boxer (dog), a breed of dog Boxer or boxers may also refer to: Animal kingdom * Boxer crab * Boxer shrimp, a small group of decapod crustaceans * Boxer snipe ee ...

, working for the local smith. Danish Lars seems to be more happy in his situation than his Norwegian counterpart, who actually contemplates

suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Mental disorders (including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorders, anxiety disorders), physical disorders (such as chronic fatigue syndrome), and s ...

because of his messy situation with Helga and the other youths. Norwegian Helga seems to be regarded as a "get around girl", and is passed off as such by Thorvald (and that is why Lars constantly is getting into fights). Danish Helga seems to be more sincere and proper (while still being a slight fanservice - something which also applies for Kaja`s older sister. Fanservice is not used in the Norwegian version). In the Danish version, Helga and Lars end up engaged, while the Norwegian Helga just breaks out and leaves for town. In Denmark, Helga is the daughter of the local sheriff, while she is working as the sheriff´s clerk in the Norwegian version (or actually addressed as "deputy" by the sheriff). The sheriff`s role is more pointed out in the Norwegian original. Here, he is on Thorvald`s side against the clerk all the way, and while working from inside the law, he also backs the public rebellion against the political leadership. In this way, the sheriff mirrors the historical role of the local lawman as a "man of the people" against the authorities. This trait could not be played out in the same way in Denmark. The philosophical traits of the driver (reading from the

Bible The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts of a ...

and of Greek philosophers), is somewhat extended in Denmark, turning Martin into a self learned scientist with an astounding knowledge, making experiments in

chemistry Chemistry is the science, scientific study of the properties and behavior of matter. It is a natural science that covers the Chemical element, elements that make up matter to the chemical compound, compounds made of atoms, molecules and ions ...

and

physics Physics is the natural science that studies matter, its fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge which r ...

. The staged public rebellion is played out differently in the two versions. While the Norwegian version has a regular rebellion against the municipality council, it is the Danish women who act on their own, using a Lysistrata gambit to get their case through. Only in the "second phase" do the men join the uprising. The party bickering between different political fractions inside the county council is actually exaggerated for comedy in the Danish version. The three

moss Mosses are small, non-vascular flowerless plants in the taxonomic division Bryophyta (, ) '' sensu stricto''. Bryophyta (''sensu lato'', Schimp. 1879) may also refer to the parent group bryophytes, which comprise liverworts, mosses, and hor ...

collectors are not present in the Danish version. The moss collectors, earning their way by selling moss (for isolation, one presumes) and then spending their income on booze, serves as a kind of

greek chorus A Greek chorus, or simply chorus ( grc-gre, χορός, chorós), in the context of ancient Greek tragedy, comedy, satyr plays, and modern works inspired by them, is a homogeneous, non-individualised group of performers, who comment with a collect ...

in the film, and relates the background of Thorvald the driver. When he feels the community does not need him anymore, he yields to their wish and follows them to their "natural habitat" in the most reclusive part of the area. The three collectors talk and act as one, as two of them just repeat the words of the leader.

Language

The Norwegian version leans strongly on Eastern Norwegian dialect, somewhere between the old Oslo dialect and the closely related tongue of

Romerike Romerike is a traditional district located north-east of Oslo, in what is today south-eastern Norway. It consists of the Viken municipalities Lillestrøm, Lørenskog, Nittedal, Rælingen and Aurskog-Høland in the southern end (Nedre Romerike), ...

, which is the location of the film. The only person to speak regular

bokmål Bokmål () (, ; ) is an official written standard for the Norwegian language, alongside Nynorsk. Bokmål is the preferred written standard of Norwegian for 85% to 90% of the population in Norway. Unlike, for instance, the Italian language, there ...

is the antagonist, the county clerk (and some members of the council, equally sceptical until they are set straight). This language trait is lost in the Danish version.

Literary reference in the film

The bus driver is seen in his humble home, reading a passage about the

greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

philosopher A philosopher is a person who practices or investigates philosophy. The term ''philosopher'' comes from the grc, φιλόσοφος, , translit=philosophos, meaning 'lover of wisdom'. The coining of the term has been attributed to the Greek th ...

Diogenes Diogenes ( ; grc, Διογένης, Diogénēs ), also known as Diogenes the Cynic (, ) or Diogenes of Sinope, was a Greek philosopher and one of the founders of Cynicism (philosophy). He was born in Sinope, an Ionian colony on the Black Sea ...

. As he reads, (sitting on a barrel and wearing a towel), he identifies himself with this philosopher, and relates his own version of Diogenes's words in his meeting with

Alexander the Great Alexander III of Macedon ( grc, wikt:Ἀλέξανδρος, Ἀλέξανδρος, Alexandros; 20/21 July 356 BC – 10/11 June 323 BC), commonly known as Alexander the Great, was a king of the Ancient Greece, ancient Greek kingdom of Maced ...

: "Move aside, so that the sun may shine on me". He states that he would like to meet this man. Kaja, the girl Thorvald/Martin cares for, is rehearsing a poem for her homework. In the Norwegian version, this poem is written by

Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson Bjørnstjerne Martinius Bjørnson ( , ; 8 December 1832 – 26 April 1910) was a Norwegian writer who received the 1903 Nobel Prize in Literature "as a tribute to his noble, magnificent and versatile poetry, which has always been distinguished ...

, while her Danish counterpart recites a known Christmas hymn by the Danish national poet

N. F. S. Grundtvig Nikolaj Frederik Severin Grundtvig (; 8 September 1783 – 2 September 1872), most often referred to as N. F. S. Grundtvig, was a Danish pastor, author, poet, philosopher, historian, teacher and politician. He was one of the most influential pe ...

Notes on actors

and

had already a long experience on working together at stage at this point, acting together in the comedic variety shows in Oslo since before

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. While playing completely opposite roles in their respective films,

and

both made a career as the same character some years later, namely Egon Olsen of the

Olsen Gang The ''Olsen Gang'' ( da, Olsen-banden, no, Olsenbanden, german: Die Olsenbande) is a Danish comedy film series created by Danish director Erik Balling and special effects expert Henning Bahs about the eponymous fictional criminal gang. The gang ...

The bus

The bus used in the Norwegian version, driven by Juster, is a 1924 model

Berliet Berliet was a French manufacturer of automobiles, buses, trucks and military vehicles among other vehicles based in Vénissieux, outside of Lyon, France. Founded in 1899, and apart from a five-year period from 1944 to 1949 when it was put into 'ad ...

with Norwegian built coachwork from A/S Skabo on a type CBOE chassis. It was originally used by the company A/S Ekebergbanen, from 1928 as a reserve and it was taken out of traffic in 1931. After being used in the film it was placed in a museum, since 1983 at the Sporveismuseet(Railroad museum) at

Majorstuen Majorstuen is a particularly affluent neighbourhood in the Frogner borough in the inner part of Oslo, Norway. Majorstuen is known for its vibrant downtown and especially its shopping area. The area has several elegant townhouses c. 1880–1890. T ...

Oslo Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of ...

. In 2013 it was made driveable again and exhibited at an arrangement that took place in Oslo June 2013.

References

External links

* Norwegian * Danish {{DEFAULTSORT:Bussen 1961 films 1963 films 1960s Danish-language films 1961 comedy films Films directed by Arne Skouen Films directed by Finn Henriksen Danish comedy films Norwegian comedy films 1963 comedy films