Kai Gullmar (pseudonym for Gurli Maria Bergström), (2 April 1905 in
Sundsvall
Sundsvall () is a city and the seat of Sundsvall Municipality in Västernorrland County, Sweden. It has a population of 58,807 as of 2020; more than 95,000 live in the municipal area. It is Sweden's 21st largest city by population.
History
Th ...
– 25 March 1982 in
Stockholm
Stockholm () is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, largest city of Sweden as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in Scandinavia. Approximately 980,000 people liv ...
), was a Swedish composer, musician, singer and actress. Gullmar wrote music for more than 40 films between 1937 and 1960.
Biography
In 1924–1925, Gullmar studied in
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
. After her return to Sweden, she settled in Stockholm; she made her debut as a performer in a
revue
A revue is a type of multi-act popular theatrical entertainment that combines music, dance, and sketches. The revue has its roots in 19th century popular entertainment and melodrama but grew into a substantial cultural presence of its own duri ...
by
Ernst Rolf
Ernst Ragnar Johansson (20 January 1891– 25 December 1932), professionally known as Ernst Rolf was a Swedish actor, singer and composer and musical revue artist. Ernst Rolf. ''sv.wikipedia.org''. Retrieved: March 10, 2013. Rolf was born in Falun ...
in 1929. However, Gullmar's parents forbade her from performing on stage, and she started working as a recording artist and composer for
HMV
Sunrise Records and Entertainment, trading as HMV (for His Master's Voice), is a British music and entertainment retailer, currently operating exclusively in the United Kingdom.
The first HMV-branded store was opened by the Gramophone Company ...
instead.
Gullmar soon emerged as one of Sweden's leading composers of schlager music, with entertainers such as
Ulla Billquist
Ulla Ebba Ingegerd Billquist, (née Schönström 14 August 1907 – 6 July 1946), was a Swedish female schlager singer. She was mostly successful during the early 1940s.
Personal life
Ulla Billquist married three times; firstly from 1926 to 19 ...
,
Karin Juel,
Harry Brandelius
Harry ''Torbjörn'' Brandelius (14 June 1910 – 5 September 1994) was a Swedish singer of schlager music. He made his debut as a gramophone singer in 1932 with ''Midt i natten'' (''Miss i nassen'') accompanied by Folke Andersson's orchestra (HM ...
and
Karl Gerhard
Karl Emil Georg Gerhard (born Karl Emil Georg Johnson; 14 April 1891 – 22 April 1964) was a Swedish theater director, revue writer and actor. In 1938 he changed his surname to Gerhard and used the pseudonym Karl-Gerhard.
Biography
Karl Emi ...
recording her compositions. During her career, Gullmar wrote music for more than 47 Swedish films. Simultaneously, she continued recording her own music and acting in revues as well as films.
Kai Gullmar was openly
lesbian
A lesbian is a Homosexuality, homosexual woman.Zimmerman, p. 453. The word is also used for women in relation to their sexual identity or sexual behavior, regardless of sexual orientation, or as an adjective to characterize or associate n ...
and became known for her often
androgynous
Androgyny is the possession of both masculine and feminine characteristics. Androgyny may be expressed with regard to biological sex, gender identity, or gender expression.
When ''androgyny'' refers to mixed biological sex characteristics i ...
way of dressing. She is buried at
Norra begravningsplatsen
Norra begravningsplatsen, literally "The Northern Cemetery" in Swedish, is a major cemetery of the Stockholm urban area, located in Solna Municipality. Inaugurated on 9 June 1827, it is the burial site for a number of Swedish notables.
Nota ...
in Stockholm.
Known melodies
''En natt på Ancora bar'' (1933), ''Det borde vara förbjudet med så vackra ögon'' (1937), ''Blonda John'' (1938), ''Solen lyser även på liten stuga'' (1939), ''Ungmön på Käringön'' (1940), ''
Swing it, magistern!'' (1940), ''Med dej i mina armar'' (1940), ''Om du bara ler mot mej nå'n gång'' (1941), ''En vårnatt i Wien'' (1941), ''En liten smula kärlek'' (1941), ''Pythagoras swing'' (1941), ''Swing ändå'' (1941), ''Blå ögon som förgätmigej'' (1942), ''De stora elefanternas dans'' (1942), ''Utan mej'' (1942), ''Som du vill ha mej'' (1943), ''Anna från Dalen gick på Nalen'' (1948), ''Bussvisan'' (1956), ''I Heidelberg'' (1956), ''En viol, monsieur'', ''Jag har en liten melodi'', ''Med käckhet och fräckhet'' and ''Ordning på torpet''.
Selected filmography
* ''
The Andersson Family
''The Andersson Family'' (Swedish: ''Familjen Andersson'') is a 1937 Swedish comedy film directed by Sigurd Wallén and starring Wallén, Elsa Carlsson and Inga-Bodil Vetterlund. Wallengren p.226 It was shot at the Råsunda Studios in Stockholm. T ...
'' (1937)
* ''
Adolf Saves the Day'' (1938)
* ''
Her Melody
''Her Melody'' (Swedish: ''Hennes melodi'') is a 1940 Swedish comedy film directed by Thor L. Brooks and starring Sonja Wigert, Sture Lagerwall and Margit Manstad.Qvist & Von Bagh p.55 It was shot at the Sundbyberg Studios in Stockholm. The f ...
'' (1940)
* ''
Sonja'' (1943)
* ''
A Girl for Me
''A Girl for Me'' (Swedish: ''En flicka för mej'') is a 1943 Swedish comedy film directed by Börje Larsson and starring Sickan Carlsson, Karl-Arne Holmsten and Max Hansen.Qvist & Von Bagh p.58 It was shot at the Sundbyberg Studios in Stockhol ...
'' (1943)
* ''
The Sixth Shot'' (1943)
* ''
Dolly Takes a Chance'' (1944)
* ''
Evening at the Djurgarden
''Evening at the Djurgarden'' (Swedish: ''Djurgårdskvällar'') is a 1946 Swedish comedy film directed by Rolf Husberg and starring Adolf Jahr, Emy Hagman and Nils Ericsson.Krawc p.425 It was shot at the Centrumateljéerna Studios in Stockholm ...
'' (1946)
* ''
Den långa vägen'' (1947)
* ''
Private Bom
''Private Bom'' (Swedish: ''Soldat Bom'') is a 1948 Swedish comedy film directed by Lars-Eric Kjellgren and starring Nils Poppe, Inga Landgré and Gunnar Björnstrand.Qvist & Von Bagh p.55 The film's sets were designed by the art director Nils ...
'' (1948)
* ''
Loffe as a Millionaire
''Loffe as a Millionaire'' (Swedish: ''Loffe som miljonär'') is a 1948 Swedish comedy film directed by Gösta Bernhard and starring Elof Ahrle, Sture Lagerwall and Irene Söderblom.Goble p.842 It was shot at the Imagoateljéerna Studios in the St ...
'' (1948)
* ''
Playing Truant
''Playing Truant'' (Swedish: ''Skolka skolan'') is a 1949 Swedish comedy film directed by Schamyl Bauman and starring Sickan Carlsson, Gunnar Björnstrand and Olof Winnerstrand.Qvist & Von Bagh p.44 It was shot at the Centrumateljéerna Studios i ...
'' (1949)
* ''
Lattjo med Boccaccio'' (1949)
* ''
Andersson's Kalle'' (1950)
* ''
A Ghost on Holiday
''A Ghost on Holiday'' (Swedish: ''Spöke på Semester'') is a 1951 Swedish comedy film directed by Gösta Bernhard and starring Stig Järrel, Ingrid Backlin and Sven Magnusson. It was shot at the Centrumateljéerna Studios in Stockholm. The fil ...
'' (1951)
* ''
91 Karlssons bravader'' (1951)
* ''
Spöke på semester'' (1951)
* ''
Enslingen Johannes'' (1957)
* ''
Ã…sa-Nisse as a Policeman
''Åsa-Nisse as a Policeman'' (Swedish: ''Åsa-Nisse som polis'') is a 1960 Swedish comedy film directed by Ragnar Frisk and starring John Elfström, Artur Rolén and Brita Öberg.Wredlund p.229 It was shot at the Täby Studios in Stockholm. The ...
'' (1960)
* ''
Ã…sa-Nisse bland graver och baroner'' (1961)
References
Further reading
*
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gullmar, Kai
Swedish women composers
1905 births
1982 deaths
Swedish lesbian musicians
Lesbian composers
20th-century women composers
20th-century Swedish women
20th-century Swedish LGBT people
Burials at Norra begravningsplatsen