''Jeppe på bjerget'' (English: ''Jeppe on the Hill'' or ''Jeppe of the Hill'') is a

Norwegian Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to: *Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe *Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway *Demographics of Norway *The Norwegian language, including the ...

film from 1933 based on

Ludvig Holberg Ludvig Holberg, Baron of Holberg (3 December 1684 – 28 January 1754) was a writer, essayist, philosopher, historian and playwright born in Bergen, Norway, during the time of the Dano-Norwegian dual monarchy. He was influenced by Humanism, ...

's play ''

Jeppe på bjerget ''Jeppe on the Hill; Or, The Transformed Peasant'' ( da, Jeppe på bjerget) is a Danish comedy by the Norwegian playwright Ludvig Holberg, written during the time of the Dano-Norwegian dual monarchy. The play premiered at the Lille Grønnegade T ...

.'' The film was directed by

Per Aabel Per Pavels Aabel (25 April 1902 – 22 December 1999) was a Norway, Norwegian actor, artist, dancer, choreographer and instructor.

and

Harry Ivarson Harry Ivarson (September 7, 1892 – 1967) was a Norwegian film director and screenwriter. Ivarson was born in Chicago, the son of the actor William Ivarson and actress Anna Ivarson. In addition to Harry, the couple had a son Wictor (born in 189 ...

. Per's father

Hauk Aabel Hauk Erlendssøn Aabel (21 April 1869 – 12 December 1961) was a popular Norwegian comedian and actor in Norwegian and Swedish silent film. Career Aabel made his début on stage on 11 October 1897 at the Christiania Theatre in Oslo, and was ...

played the starring role as Jeppe; it has been extremely unusual in Norwegian cinema for a son to direct a film with his father in a leading role. The film was produced by

Leif Sinding Leif Sinding (19 November 1895 – 13 May 1985) was a Norwegian film director and journalist. He worked for the newspapers ''Verdens Gang'', ''Aftenposten'', and ''Morgenbladet''. Among his silent films are ''Himmeluret'' from 1925, based on G ...

, the sets were designed by

Egil Sætren Egil Sætren (May 11, 1894 – June 18, 1964) was a Norwegian film set designer and actor. He debuted as an actor and set designer in the 1921 film '' Jomfru Trofast''. Filmography As set designer *1921: '' Jomfru Trofast'' *1921: '' Felix'' ...

, and Fritz Gebhardt was responsible for the sound recording.

Plot

Jeppe is a poor farmer who drinks too much. His wife, Nille, is strict and often beats him with a stick called "Master Erik." One day it is market day, and Nille tells Jeppe that he must buy two pounds of green soap. On the way, Jeppe visits the cobbler Jacob, hoping he will give him a

shilling The shilling is a historical coin, and the name of a unit of modern currencies formerly used in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, other British Commonwealth countries and Ireland, where they were generally equivalent to 12 pence o ...

of liquor on credit. But Jacob the cobbler will not give Jeppe credit, and instead, Jeppe spends some of the money intended for the soap. On the way from the cobbler, he thinks he would like to have another shilling's worth of liquor and he goes back. There he drinks away several shillings and gets drunk. When he is taken out of Jacob's house, his legs are unable to hold him anymore. He falls over and remains lying there. Baron Nilius and his entourage are out walking and discover Jeppe lying on the ground. The lackey Erik recognizes him and suggests that they play a joke on Jeppe. He suggests that they remove his clothes and place him in the baron's best bed and in the morning, when he wakes up, they will pretend he is the baron. Then, when he believes he is the baron, they will get him drunk again, dress him in his old clothes, and put him back where they found him. Then he will imagine that he had been in Paradise. The baron and the others think the idea is good one, and so they carry it out. Jeppe wakes up in the baron's fine bed. He is confused and does not know who he is. Could it be a dream? Can he be in Paradise? Is he an emperor? Eventually, he tells the chamberlain that he is not the baron, but Jeppe Nielsen. Then the chamberlain sends for two doctors. The two doctors manage to convince Jeppe that he is the baron and that the rest is only his imagination. Jeppe sits down to eat. He blows his nose with his fingers and eats with his hands, and he consumes large amounts of food. He mistreats the baron's servants. Jeppe demands that they return the rings the baron has given them. He says that they should have no salary and that the bailiff should be hanged. He also summons the bailiff's wife and wants to eat with her. Jeppe becomes increasingly drunk, and finally, he falls down in a drunken stupor. Then the baron, who has played a servant, and his helpers put Jeppe on a dung heap wearing his old clothes. Jeppe wakes up on the dung heap. Disappointed, he determined that he is once again the old Jeppe. Nille is looking for Jeppe and finds him sleeping. She beats him with Master Erik and demands to know why he did not buy the soap. He says he was busy in Paradise, but of course she does not believe him. Three armed men take Jeppe to the court, where he is accused of sneaking into the baron's house, wearing his clothes, and tyrannizing his servants. Jeppe is sentenced to die by poisoning and then a gallows is set up. Before he dies, Jeppe asks for some liquor. The judge pours the poison—which is really just a tranquilizer—into the liquor. While Jeppe is hanging on the gallows, Nille cries and says she regrets that she was so hard on him. Jeppe wakes up from his sleep and starts talking to her. Both believe he is a ghost until the judge says he is really alive. Jeppe is happy, and the judge gives him four rigsdaler to enjoy. At the same time, he says he should let him know if his wife beats him. Jeppe then travels to Jacob the cobbler's house, where he drinks twelve shillings' worth of liquor.

Cast

as Jeppe *

Lydia Opøien Lydia Marie Opøien (November 4, 1894 – November 24, 1961) was a Norwegian actress. Among other venues, Opøien was engaged with the Oslo New Theater, the Norwegian Theater in Oslo, and the Trøndelag Theater. She also worked with the NRK Ra ...

as Nille *

Thomas Thomassen Thomas Thomassen (19 November 1878 – 7 January 1962) was a Norwegian actor, director and theater manager. Biography Thomassen was born in Tønsberg, Norway. He was the son of Thomas Marthinius Thomassen (1845–1925) and Laura Christine Tho ...

as Jacob the cobbler *

Erling Drangsholt Erling Drangsholt (October 29, 1885 – November 20, 1950) was a Norwegian actor. Filmography * 1927: '' Den glade enke i Trangvik'', as engineer Vang * 1927: ''Madame besøker Oslo'', as Helge Wagelsten * 1933: '' Jeppe på bjerget'', as the ...

as the baron *

Ellen Sinding Ellen Sinding (born ''Ellen Buttedahl''; April 17, 1899 – April 18, 1980) was a Norwegian actress and dancer. Sinding was born in Haugesund, the daughter of the actor and sculptor Sæbjørn Buttedahl and the actress Clare Petrea Margrethe Ben ...

as the baron's girlfriend *

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 Jesper the bailiff *

Elsa Sandø Elsa may refer to: ELSA (acronym) *ELSA Technology, a manufacturer of computer hardware *English Language Skills Assessment *English Longitudinal Study of Ageing *Ethical, Legal and Social Aspects research *European Law Students' Association * Eur ...

as the bailiff's wife * Toralf Sandø as Per Degn *

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 a friend of the baron *

Andreas Aabel Andreas Aabel (February 21, 1911 – December 29, 1948) was a Norwegian actor and translator. Family Andreas Aabel was the son of the actor Hauk Aabel and the actress Svanhild Johannessen, and the brother of the actor Per Aabel. He was the gran ...

as the cobbler's apprentice * Carl Hagerup Aspevold as a lackey * Ragna Bulie as a friend of the baron *

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 farmer *

Leif Enger Leif Enger is an American author who wrote the novel '' Peace Like a River''. Early life Enger was born in 1961 and was raised in Osakis, Minnesota. His parents were teachers. He attended Minnesota State University Moorhead, majoring in Engli ...

as Musicus * Arne Kleve as a farmer * Birger Lødner as a lackey * Rudolf Mjølstad as a farmer *

Thorleif Reiss Thorleif Dymling Reiss (May 22, 1898 – April 14, 1988) was a Norwegian actor. Career Reiss made his debut at the National Theater in Oslo in 1918. From 1931 to 1939, he was employed at the Carl Johan Theater, where he also served as co-dire ...

as Victor *

Nanna Stenersen Inga Kristine "Nanna" Stenersen (January 26, 1914 – June 22, 1977) was a Norwegian actress. Stenersen was born in Oslo, the daughter of the artillery captain Fredrik Christian Krohg Stenersen (1877–1965) and Regine née Johansen (1878–?). ...

as a friend of the baron *

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 ...

as an actor (not credited)

References

External links

*
''Jeppe på bjerget''
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 ...

{{Leif Sinding, state=collapsed 1933 films Norwegian black-and-white films Films directed by Harry Ivarson Norwegian drama films 1930s Norwegian-language films 1933 drama films