''Gjest Baardsen'' is a Norwegian film from 1939 directed by

Tancred Ibsen Tancred Ibsen (11 July 1893 – 4 December 1978) was a Norwegian military officer, aviator, film director and screenwriter. Background Ibsen was the son of Sigurd Ibsen and Bergljot Bjørnson. He was the grandson of both Henrik Ibsen and Nobel la ...

Alfred Maurstad Alfred Jentoft Maurstad (26 July 1896 – 5 September 1967) was a Norwegian actor, movie director and theatre manager. Biography Alfred Jentoft Maurstad was born at Bryggja in Davik (now Vågsøy) in Sogn og Fjordane, Norway. He was the son of ...

played the title role. The film is based on the life of the outlaw

Gjest Baardsen Gjest Baardsen (1791 – 13 May 1849) was a Norwegian outlaw, jail-breaker, non-fiction writer, songwriter and memoirist. He was among the most notorious criminals in Norway in the 19th century. Personal life Baardsen was born in Sogndalsfjør ...

, but it is a blend of fact and fiction. The plot is taken from a

chapbook A chapbook is a small publication of up to about 40 pages, sometimes bound with a saddle stitch. In early modern Europe a chapbook was a type of printed street literature. Produced cheaply, chapbooks were commonly small, paper-covered bookle ...

published by Holger Sinding under the pseudonym Halle Sira. The film was shot at the Fuhr farm in Luster, at

Turtagrø Turtagrø is a hotel in the municipality of Luster in Vestland county, Norway, near Hurrungane in Jotunheimen. The hotel has been a central meeting place for mountaineers from the late 1800s. Location Turtagrø is located near the old mountain r ...

in the Sogn Mountains, and at Videseter in the Stryn Mountains. The film was screened in the United States with English subtitles in the 1940s.

Plot

The film is set in a time of famine. Norway has been at war with England and Sweden, and times are difficult. Gjest Baardsen has gotten into trouble with the law, apparently due to a trifle. But Gjest breaks free, and instead it is the sheriff that is handcuffed while Gjest escapes.

Reviews

Newspapers have written the following about the film: "Meet the master thief and the folk hero Gjest Baardsen, who steals from the rich and gives to the poor. He tricks the constable and bailiff into a fight, and no prisons or chains can hold him." "Maurstad plays the folk hero with an obsessive freshness, with daring moves and a

Hardanger fiddle A Hardanger fiddle ( no, hardingfele) is a traditional stringed instrument considered to be the national instrument of Norway. In modern designs, this type of fiddle is very similar to the violin, though with eight or nine strings (rather than fo ...

, and escapes over fjords and mountains."

Cast

as Gjest Baardsen *

Vibeke Falk Vibeke Falk (née Mowinckel; 27 September 1918 – 9 October 2011) was a Norwegian actress. Biography She was a daughter of wholesaler Thorolf Beyer Mowinckel and Jenny Modesta Fasmer, From 1937 to 1950, she was married to actor Lauritz Falk ...

as Anna Reinche *

Joachim Holst-Jensen Joachim Holst-Jensen (16 June 1880 – 7 March 1963) was a Norwegian stage and film actor. He appeared in more than 40 films between 1927 and 1960. Partial filmography * '' Den glade enke i Trangvik'' (1927) - Berg, telegrafist * '' Madame ...

as Mons Peder Michelsen, the jailer *

Lauritz Falk Lauritz Falk (15 November 1909 – 1 February 1990) was a Swedish-Norwegian actor, film director, singer and painter. He appeared in about 60 roles in films and TV between 1923 and 1989. He is the cousin of the Swedish artist Bertram Schmiterl ...

as an officer *

Jens Holstad Jens Holstad (January 30, 1889 – October 6, 1961) was a Norwegian actor. Holstad was born in Kristiania (now Oslo), and he made his stage debut in 1906 at the Fahlstrøm Theater. He made his film debut in 1912 in Adam Eriksen's film '' Anny ...

as an officer * Karl Bergmann as Reincke, the customs officer *

Sophus Dahl Oliver Sofus Pettersen Dahl (December 20, 1877 – November 30, 1952) was a Norwegian theater and film actor. Dahl was born in Horg, Norway, the son of Peder Dahl and Johanna Iversdatter Elgaaen. He was the half-brother of the novelist and playw ...

as a constable *

Lars Tvinde Lars Tvinde (11 September 1886 – 25 June 1973) was a Norwegian stage and film actor. Biography Tvinde was born at Voss in Hordaland, Norway. He was the son of Knut Haldorsen (1843–1927) and Eli Jørgensdotter Leidal (1842–1927). He attend ...

as a constable *

Sigurd Magnussøn Sigurd Konrad Magnussøn (December 14, 1889 – November 12, 1961) was a Norwegian theater director and actor. On August 14, 1912 he married the actress Abigael Heber. Magnussøn was a student at the Fahlstrøm Theater from 1906 to 1907. From ...

as a constable *

Henny Skjønberg Henny Kristin Skjønberg (6 August 1886 – 5 January 1973) was a Norwegian actress and stage director. Biography Hennika Bucher Eide was born in Stavanger, Norway. She was the daughter of Henrik Eide (1831–1907) and Ingeborg Sofie Bucher (1 ...

as Karen * Henrik Børseth as a farmer *

Edvard Drabløs Edvard Drabløs (1 April 1883 – 29 April 1976) was a Norwegian actor and theatre director. Biography Drabløs was born at Sykkylven in Møre og Romsdal, Norway. He was the son of Jens Helgesen Drabløs (1856–1925) and Olave Velle (1852–191 ...

as a fisherman *

Martin Linge Martin Jensen Linge, (11 December 1894 – 27 December 1941) was a Norwegian actor who, in World War II, became the commander of the Norwegian Independent Company 1 (NOR.I.C.1) (pronounced as ''Norisen'' by the Norwegians), formed in March 194 ...

as a fisherman *

Einar Tveito Einar Tveito (April 14, 1890 – January 19, 1958) was a Norwegian actor. Tveito was born in Lårdal, Norway. He debuted as an actor in 1920 in '' Fante-Anne'', and he appeared in 13 films until 1944. Filmography Actor * 1920: '' Fante-Anne ...

as Mathias Strandvik * Ole Leikvang as a farmer * Johannes Jensen as Johannes, the constable's officer * Victor Ivarson as the inspector *

Johan Hauge Johan * Johan (given name) * ''Johan'' (film), a 1921 Swedish film directed by Mauritz Stiller * Johan (band), a Dutch pop-group ** ''Johan'' (album), a 1996 album by the group * Johan Peninsula, Ellesmere Island, Nunavut, Canada * Jo-Han, a manu ...

as the judge *

Hans Bille Hans may refer to: __NOTOC__ People * Hans (name), a masculine given name * Hans Raj Hans, Indian singer and politician ** Navraj Hans, Indian singer, actor, entrepreneur, cricket player and performer, son of Hans Raj Hans ** Yuvraj Hans, Punjabi a ...

as the chief of police * Thorleif Mikkelsen as a policeman

Songs

*" Fjellsangen" (lyrics by Holger Sinding, melody by Adolf Kristoffer Nielsen), sung by

*"Svarterabben" (lyrics and melody by Alfred Maurstad), sung by Alfred Maurstad Alfred Maustad and an orchestra directed by Adolf Kristoffer Nielsen also recorded these two songs in Oslo on February 20, 1940. They were released on the Telefunken 78 rpm record T-8261, and the first song also on the Sonora 78 rpm record 3748.

References

External links

*{{IMDb title, 0031373
''Gjest Baardsen''
at the

National Library of Norway The National Library of Norway ( no, Nasjonalbiblioteket) was established in 1989. Its principal task is "to preserve the past for the future". The library is located both in Oslo and in Mo i Rana. The building in Oslo was restored and reopened i ...

1939 drama films Norwegian black-and-white films Norwegian romantic drama films 1930s crime comedy films Films directed by Tancred Ibsen 1930s Norwegian-language films Films set in Norway Films set in the 19th century