''The Heavenly Play'' ( sv, Himlaspelet) is a 1942 Swedish

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

Alf Sjöberg Sven Erik Alf Sjöberg (21 June 1903 – 17 April 1980) was a Sweden, Swedish theatre director, theatre and film director. He won the Palme d'Or, Grand Prix du Festival at the Cannes Film Festival twice: in 1946 for ''Torment (1944 film), Torment ...

Plot

The young peasants Mats and Marit are about to marry when a disease breaks out in their village. Marit gets accused of being a witch and sentenced to death. After she has been burnt alive Mats leaves the village and seeks a way to make God sending Marit back from heaven onto earth. He fails and loses his personal integrity. Marlit has to ask God to intervene before the devil can take Mats. God shows mercy by reuniting Mats and Marit in heaven.

Cast

* Rune Lindström as Mats Ersson *

Eivor Landström Harriet Eivor Emilie Landström (22 March 1919 – 4 August 2004) was a Swedish actress. Selected filmography * ''Mother Gets Married'' (1937) * '' Thunder and Lightning'' (1938) * '' Life Begins Today'' (1939) * '' Oh, What a Boy!'' (1939) ...

as Marit Knutsdotter *

Anders Henrikson Anders Henrik Henrikson (13 June 1896 – 17 October 1965) was a Swedish actor and film director. He appeared in more than 50 films between 1913 and 1965. He also directed 30 films between 1933 and 1956. Selected filmography Actor * ''The ...

as Our Lord *

Holger Löwenadler Holger Carl Minton Löwenadler (1 April 1904 – 18 June 1977) was a Swedish film actor. He starred in Ingmar Bergman's ''A Ship to India'' (1947). He appeared in ''Divorced'' (1951), which was written by Bergman. Other appearances include ...

as King Salomo *

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 King Salomo's mistress *

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 ...

as Juvas Anders, painter *

Emil Fjellström Emil Fjellström (24 October 1884 – 14 July 1944) was a Swedish stage and film actor. Early life and stage career Emil Fjellström was born in Näs parish, Östersund Municipality, Jämtland County and grew up in the city of Östersund. A ...

as Gammel-Jerk *

Nils Gustafsson The Lake Bodom murders is one of the most infamous unsolved homicide cases in Finnish criminal history. On 5 June 1960, at Bodom Lake in Espoo, Uusimaa, Maila Björklund and Anja Mäki (both 15) and Seppo Boisman (18) were killed by stabbing a ...

as blind man at the road *

Hugo Björne Hugo Björne (4 February 1886 – 14 February 1966) was a Swedish film and theater actor. Biography Ernst Hugo Alexis Björne was born in Varberg in Halland, Sweden. He made his stage debut in 1907 and belonged to the acting company of Hjalmar ...

as prophet Elias *

Torsten Winge Torsten Winge (10 May 1886 – 6 May 1969) was a Swedish actor. He appeared in more than 50 films between 1917 and 1961. Selected filmography * '' Robinson i skärgården'' (1920) * ''Thomas Graal's Ward'' (1922) * ''Where the Lighthouse F ...

as Jonas *

Erik Hell Erik Hell (11 August 1911 – 11 March 1973) was a Swedish actor. Hell was born in Kalliokoski, Finland, to a Norwegian father and a Finnish mother. He moved to Sweden with his family in 1918 during the Finnish Civil War. He married the actre ...

as Jon Persson *

Åke Claesson Åke Claesson (2 July 1889 – 29 May 1967) was a Swedish film actor. He appeared in more than 60 films between 1925 and 1962. Selected filmography * ''Två konungar'' (1925) - Carl Michael Bellman * '' Ulla, My Ulla'' (1930) - Carl Michae ...

as Profet Jeremiah (as Åke Claeson) *

Björn Berglund Björn Berglund (16 October 1904 – 3 August 1968) was a Swedish stage and film and television actor. Biography Björn Nils Johan Gustaf Berglund was born in Jörn, Västerbotten County. He began his career in cinema in the 1939 Edvin Adolphson- ...

as Josef * Inga-Lilly Forsström as Virgin Mary (as Inga Lilly Forsström) *

Lisskulla Jobs Lisskulla Jobs (born Karin Helfrid Berglund; 25 June 1906 – 15 August 1996) was a Swedish stage and film actress. She appeared in more than 30 films between 1925 and 1990. Selected filmography * ''Ingmar's Inheritance'' (1925) * '' The La ...

as country woman *

Anita Björk Anita Björk (25 April 1923 – 24 October 2012) was a Swedish actress. She was born in Tällberg, Dalarna and attended the Royal Dramatic Training Academy from 1942 to 1945. She was a leading lady of Swedish theatre for many years and wor ...

as Anna Jesper

References

External links

* * 1942 films Swedish drama films 1940s Swedish-language films 1942 drama films Swedish black-and-white films Films directed by Alf Sjöberg 1940s Swedish films {{1940s-Sweden-film-stub