''The Hard Game'' (Swedish: ''Den hårda leken'') is a 1956 Swedish

sports Sport pertains to any form of competitive physical activity or game that aims to use, maintain, or improve physical ability and skills while providing enjoyment to participants and, in some cases, entertainment to spectators. Sports can, th ...

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

Lars-Eric Kjellgren Lars-Eric Kjellgren (1918–2003) was a Swedish screenwriter and film director.Larsson & Marklund p.157 Selected filmography * ''Night in Port'' (1943) * '' Don't Give Up'' (1947) * ''Private Bom'' (1948) * '' Father Bom'' (1949) * ''While the ...

and starring

Sven-Eric Gamble Sven-Eric Gamble (10 August 1924 – 10 May 1976) was a Swedish film actor. Selected filmography References External links * * 1924 births 1976 deaths Male actors from Stockholm 20th-century Swedish male actors {{Sweden-acto ...

Ann-Marie Gyllenspetz Ann-Marie Gyllenspetz (7 November 1932 – 10 February 1999) was a Swedish actress. She appeared in more than 30 films and television shows between 1953 and 1988. She starred in the 1968 film '' Who Saw Him Die?'', which won the Golden Bear ...

and

Åke Grönberg Karl Åke Edvard Grönberg (26 March 1914 – 15 September 1969) was a Swedish film actor who appeared in nearly 100 films. Grönberg was a versatile stage personality of his day, performing as a singer, variety artist, actor, in musical show ...

. It was shot at the

Råsunda Studios Filmstaden was a film studio situated in Råsunda, Solna Municipality in Stockholm, Sweden. History Filmstaden was once one of the most modern film studios in Europe. It was built in 1919–1920 on the basis of designs by Swedish architec ...

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 ...

and on location in

Gothenburg Gothenburg (; abbreviated Gbg; sv, Göteborg ) is the second-largest city in Sweden, fifth-largest in the Nordic countries, and capital of the Västra Götaland County. It is situated by the Kattegat, on the west coast of Sweden, and has ...

. 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 ...

P.A. Lundgren Per Axel Lundgren, credited as P.A. Lundgren, (1911–2002) was a Swedish art director active in Swedish cinema from the 1940s to 1980s. He is known in particular for his collaborations with the film director Ingmar Bergman.Orr p.23 Selected film ...

Synopsis

A promising young

working-class The working class (or labouring class) comprises those engaged in manual-labour occupations or industrial work, who are remunerated via waged or salaried contracts. Working-class occupations (see also " Designation of workers by collar colou ...

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 ...

Conny Persson is pushed hard by his unscrupulous manager Andy Ekström. When Conny meets and falls in love with Margit Söderberg, she tries to persuade him to quit the cynical boxing profession and concentrate on running a

flower shop Floristry is the production, commerce, and trade in flowers. It encompasses flower care and handling, floral design and arrangement, merchandising, production, display and flower delivery. Wholesale florists sell bulk flowers and related sup ...

with her

Cast

as Conny Persson *

as Margit Söderberg *

as Andy Ekström *

John Elfström Per Johan "John" Hilding Elfström (20 April 1902 – 27 March 1981) was a Swedish film actor who appeared in more than 120 films. He was born in Ovansjö, Sweden and died in Täby, Sweden. He starred in the Åsa-Nisse series of films. Sel ...

as William Persson *

Märta Dorff Märta Dorff (1909–1990) was a Swedish film actress.Soila p.263 Selected filmography * ''Adventure'' (1936) - Karl Henriks sekreterare (uncredited) * '' Witches' Night'' (1937) - Student (uncredited) * '' For Better, for Worse'' (1938) - Nurse ...

as Ester, Conny's mother *

Lissi Alandh Lissi Alandh (1930–2008) was a Swedish film, stage and television actress.Steene p.260 Selected filmography * '' Loffe the Tramp'' (1948) * ''The Street'' (1949) * '' Big Lasse of Delsbo'' (1949) * '' The Realm of the Rye'' (1950) * ''Miss Ju ...

as Sally, waitress * Sten Gester as Viking Svensson *

Sissi Kaiser Sissi or Sisi may refer to: People * Empress Elisabeth of Austria, known as "Sisi" or "Sissi"; spouse of Franz Joseph I of Austria :Works about Sissi :* ''The King Steps Out'' (1936), light comedy directed by Josef von Sternberg :* Sissi trilogy (f ...

as Karin * Arne Källerud as Pram *

Erik Strandmark Erik Alfred Strandmark (14 September 1919 – 5 January 1963) was a Swedish film actor. He was born in Torsåker, Sweden and died in a plane crash in Trinidad and Tobago in 1963. Partial filmography * ''Live Dangerously'' (1944) - Corpora ...

as Wille Thoren *

Britta Brunius Britta Brunius (4 May 1912 – 31 August 2000) was a Swedish film actress. She appeared in more than 30 films between 1935 and 1969. She was married to the actor Ragnar Falck. Selected filmography * ''The Boys of Number Fifty Seven'' (1935) ...

as Margit's mother *

Olav Riégo Olav Riégo (21 April 1891 – 25 December 1956) was a Swedish film actor. He appeared in more than 90 films between 1923 and 1956. He starred in the film '' Leva på 'Hoppet, which won the Silver Bear (Comedies) award at the 1st Berlin I ...

as Margit's father *

Henrik Schildt Henrik Schildt (10 July 1914 – 15 March 2001) was a Finnish-born Swedish film actor.Goble p.150 He is the father of Johan Schildt, Peter Schildt and Veronica Schildt Bendjelloul. Selected filmography * '' Johan Ulfstjerna'' (1936) * ''Circus ...

as Redman * Stig Johanson as Brollan * Erik Molin as Bigge Ek * Bengt Ahlin as Boxer *

Sten Ardenstam The STEN (or Sten gun) is a family of British submachine guns chambered in 9×19mm which were used extensively by British and Commonwealth forces throughout World War II and the Korean War. They had a simple design and very low production cos ...

as Guest at café * Horace Brandt as Boxing referee * Jens Brandt as Boxer * Gösta Brodén as Photographer * Eskil Engstrand as Boxer * Jerry Eriksson as Boxer * Elisabet Falk as Britta Lindström * Gustaf Gustafson as Florist * Jan Henrikson as Boxer * Willy Karlsson as Florist *

Gunnar 'Knas' Lindkvist Gunnar is a male first name of Nordic origin (''Gunnarr'' in Old Norse). The name Gunnar means fighter, soldier, and attacker, but mostly is referred to by the Viking saying which means Brave and Bold warrior (''gunnr'' "war" and ''arr'' "warrior ...

as Man at fairground * Charlie Löfman as Nisse Sandberg * Gösta Malmborg as Man with gong * Charles Moore as Black boxer * Gunnar Nielsen as Kalle Johansson * John Nilsson as Jonne Ring *

Nils Olsson Nils Olsson (March 10, 1891 – September 21, 1951) was a Swedish architect. Biography Nils Olsson was born at Halmstad in Halland, Sweden. He studied at the Technical Elementary School in Malmö and then at Technical University of Muni ...

as Boxer *

Tord Peterson Tord Peterson (21 April 1926 – 11 January 2021) was a Swedish actor. From 1953 onwards, he appeared in more than 80 films and television shows. Peterson died in January 2021, at the age of 94. Selected filmography * ''The Hard Game'' (1956) ...

as Fimpen *

Hanny Schedin Hanny may refer to: First name: * Hanny Kellner (1892-?), Austrian diver who competed in the 1912 Olympics * Hanny Michaelis (1922–2007), Dutch poet * Hanny Mohammed, a member of the Australian power metal band Black Majesty * Hanny Nahmias (born ...

as Margit's friend *

Olle Seijbold Olov (or Olof) is a Swedish form of Olav/Olaf (disambiguation), Olaf, meaning "ancestor's descendant". A common short form of the name is ''Olle''. The name may refer to: *Per-Olov Ahrén (1926–2004), Swedish clergyman, bishop of Lund from 198 ...

as Photographer * Gunnar Thim as Sotarn *

Ivar Wahlgren Ivar (Old Norse ''Ívarr'') is a Scandinavian masculine given name. Another variant of the name is Iver, which is more common in Norway. The Old Norse name has several possible etymologies. In North Germanic phonology, several of the elements c ...

as Backman * Boris Wiklund as Boxer

References

Bibliography

* Crosson, Seán (ed.).''Sport, Film and National Culture''. Routledge, 2020. * Qvist, Per Olov & von Bagh, Peter. ''Guide to the Cinema of Sweden and Finland''. Greenwood Publishing Group, 2000.

External links

* 1956 films Swedish drama films 1956 drama films Swedish sports films 1950s sports films 1950s Swedish-language films Films directed by Lars-Eric Kjellgren Swedish black-and-white films Boxing films 1950s Swedish films {{1950s-Sweden-film-stub