''If I Could Marry the Minister'' (Swedish: ''Tänk, om jag gifter mig med prästen'') is a 1941 Swedish romantic

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super-g ...

directed by Ivar Johansson and starring

Viveca Lindfors Elsa Viveca Torstensdotter Lindfors (December 29, 1920 – October 25, 1995) was a Swedish stage, film, and television actress. She won an Emmy Award and a Silver Bear for Best Actress. Biography Lindfors was born in Uppsala, Sweden, the da ...

Georg Rydeberg Olof Georg Rydeberg (21 July 1907 – 22 February 1983) was a Swedish film actor. He appeared in more than 70 films between 1932 and 1981. He was married to the Finnish actress Birgit Sergelius. Partial filmography * ''International Match ...

Arnold Sjöstrand Arnold Sjöstrand (30 June 1903 – 1 February 1955) was a Swedish actor and film director. He appeared in more than 30 films between 1931 and 1952. Selected filmography * ''The Girl from Värmland'' (1931) * '' It Pays to Advertise'' (193 ...

. with screenplay by Ester Lindin and Ivar Johansson. The film's sets were designed by the

art director Art director is the title for a variety of similar job functions in theater, advertising, marketing, publishing, fashion, film industry, film and television, the Internet, and video games. It is the charge of a sole art director to supervise and ...

Bertil Duroj Bertil Duroj (1893–1967) was a Swedish art director. Active in the Swedish film industry he designed the sets for more than a hundred productions during his career. These included ''The Yellow Clinic'' (1942).Laura p.96 Selected filmography * ...

Plot

Eva Örn, a young teacher, moves to rural Vikarlunda, where her good looks and strong opinions estrange her from the locals. She begins a clandestine affair with the priest, Ingvar Hagson.

Cast

as Eva Örn *

as Ingvar Hagson *

as Knut Knutsson of Sjövalla *

Nils Lundell Nils Lundell (23 December 1889 – 11 July 1943) was a Swedish actor. He appeared in more than 50 films between 1917 and 1943. Selected filmography * ''Karin Daughter of Ingmar'' (1920) * '' The Mill'' (1921) * ''A Wild Bird'' (1921) * ''A ...

as Albert Sundström *

Anna Lindahl Anna Lindahl (24 March 1904 – 17 February 1952) was a Swedish film actress. She appeared in 19 films between 1925 and 1949. Selected filmography * ''Ingmar's Inheritance'' (1925) * ''The Triumph of the Heart'' (1929) * ''The Love Express ...

as Greta Knutsson *

Gudrun Brost Gudrun Lisa Johanna Brost (6 April 1910 – 28 June 1993) was a Swedish actress. She appeared in more than 40 films between 1936 and 1986. Partial filmography * ''Conscientious Objector Adolf'' (1936) - Woman at party (uncredited) * ''Jans ...

as Helga Persson of Mon *

Sven Bergvall Sven Bergvall (25 May 1881 – 2 November 1960) was a Sweden, Swedish actor. Biography Bergvall made his stage debut in 1901 and was since 1917 at the Royal Dramatic Theatre, Dramaten. He acted in Swedish films from 1914 to 1954. He fought en ...

as Persson of Mon *

Linnéa Hillberg Linnéa Paulina Hillberg, ''née'' Nilsson (26 October 1892 – 3 July 1977) was a Sweden, Swedish actress. Biography Born in Uddevalla on the Swedish west coast, Linnéa Hillberg made her stage debut in 1913. Early on she acted (1914-18) with ...

as Sophie Ekeberger *

Viran Rydkvist Anna Elvira Oscaria Rydkvist (1 December 1879 – 10 July 1942) was a Swedish actress and theatre director. Born and brought up in Stockholm, she made her acting debut in 1897 at the Arena theatre. During her career, she appeared in numerous st ...

as Ester Örn *

Arthur Natorp Arthur is a common male given name of Brythonic origin. Its popularity derives from it being the name of the legendary hero King Arthur. The etymology is disputed. It may derive from the Celtic ''Artos'' meaning “Bear”. Another theory, more ...

as Pettersson, Organist *

Axel Högel Axel Högel (1884–1970) was a Swedish stage and film actor. Kwiatkowski p.73 He was a prolific character actor in the theatre and in Swedish cinema. Selected filmography * '' Johan Ulfstjerna'' (1923) * ''Ingmar's Inheritance'' (1925) * '' Kan ...

as Mr. Örn *

Ruth Stevens Ruth Stevens (born Ruth Astrid Frideborg Nilsson; 21 March 1903 – 27 March 1989) was a Swedish stage and film actress. She was generally cast playing degenerate young woman. Nordic National Cinemas p.168 She was married to the film director Gös ...

as Doris Örn *

Torsten Bergström Torsten Lars Herman Jamte Bergström (10 December 1896 – 26 May 1948) was a Swedish film director and theater and film actor. Bergström was born in Ås, Krokom, Jämtland County and attended the Royal Dramatic Theatre School from 1917 to 19 ...

as Brother Johannes *

Gabriel Alw Gabriel Alw (25 December 1889 – 9 November 1946) was a Swedish film actor. He appeared in more than 30 films between 1915 and 1946. Selected filmography * ''The Price of Betrayal'' (1915) * ''Ingmar's Inheritance'' (1925) * ''To the Orien ...

as Sjövalla's Helping Hand

Controversy and reception

The novel by Ester Lindin which forms the basis of the film was already very controversial, and when it was announced that it would be adapted for the screen, a delegation of priests petitioned the film company Luxfilm and demanded that filming be stopped. The chief executive officer issued an unofficial warning. Despite this, the film was made and became one of the greatest successes of the 1940s. One reviewer at the time wrote: "Since her novel was released ster Lindinhas had the questionable pleasure of getting pilloried in cheap cabarets and causeries as the amorality priestess number one. The film gives all these moral busybodies an answer that should sting – never before has moral hypocrisy and the false idyll of the philistine been exposed to such a mighty attack."

References

Bibliography

* Nelmes, Jill & Selbo, Jule. ''Women Screenwriters: An International Guide''. Palgrave Macmillan, 2015. * Qvist, Per Olov & von Bagh, Peter. ''Guide to the Cinema of Sweden and Finland''. Greenwood Publishing Group, 2000.

External links

* * http://www.svenskfilmdatabas.se/sv/item/?type=film&itemid=3965 * https://www.filminstitutet.se/sv/fa-kunskap-om-film/ta-del-av-filmsamlingarna/filmer/tank-om-jag-gifter-mig-med-prasten/ * https://www.nt.se/kultur-noje/med-och-om-ester-lindin-om4360046.aspx 1941 films Swedish drama films 1941 drama films 1940s Swedish-language films Films directed by Ivar Johansson Swedish black-and-white films 1940s Swedish films {{1940s-Sweden-film-stub