''The Magnificent Lie'' (Swedish: ''Den underbara lögnen'') is a 1955 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

Mike Road Mike Road (born Milton Brustin;The Boston Advertiser, June 29, 1958 March 18, 1918 – April 14, 2013) was an American voice actor and Warner Bros. television series contract player whose television career dates back to the 1950s and in fi ...

and starring

Signe Hasso Signe Eleonora Cecilia Hasso (''née'' Larsson; 15 August 1915 – 7 June 2002) was a Swedish actress, writer, and composer. Biography Hasso was born in the Kungsholmen parish of Stockholm, Sweden in 1915. Her father and grandfather died when sh ...

, William Langford, Road and

Stig Olin Stig Olin, né ''Högberg'' (11 September 1920 – 28 June 2008) was a Swedish actor, theatre director, songwriter and singer. He was the father of actress Lena Olin and singer Mats Olin. He was married to film actresses Britta Holmberg and ...

.Krawcp.420 It was shot at the Centrumateljéerna Studios 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 ...

. 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 ...

Arthur Spjuth Arthur Spjuth (1904–1989) was a Swedish art director who designed film sets for many Swedish productions. He also directed five films and worked as a screenwriter on seven and a producer on two, as well as production manager on many others ...

. It is based on the 1831 short story ''

La Grande Bretèche ''La Grande Bretèche'' is a short story by Honoré de Balzac published in 1831. It is one of the ''Scènes de la vie privée'' of ''La Comédie humaine''. Plot Dr. Horace Bianchon discovers near the town of Vendôme an abandoned manor: La Gran ...

'' by

Honoré de Balzac Honoré de Balzac ( , more commonly , ; born Honoré Balzac;Jean-Louis Dega, La vie prodigieuse de Bernard-François Balssa, père d'Honoré de Balzac : Aux sources historiques de La Comédie humaine, Rodez, Subervie, 1998, 665 p. 20 May 179 ...

and a further short story by

Guy de Maupassant Henri René Albert Guy de Maupassant (, ; ; 5 August 1850 – 6 July 1893) was a 19th-century French author, remembered as a master of the short story form, as well as a representative of the Naturalist school, who depicted human lives, destin ...

. Hasso produced the film, having recently return from a

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood, ...

, and cast her husband Langford opposite her.

Synopsis

On the night before her wedding a young prospective bride opens a book of

short stories A short story is a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the oldest t ...

and witnesses two nineteenth century tales of love and tragedy.

Cast

as Joséphine de Merret * William Langford as Count Louis de Merret *

Ragnar Arvedson Ragnar Arved Arvedson, (4 December 1895 – 2 October 1973) was a Swedish actor, director, writer and producer. Arvedson appeared in about 50 roles in films between 1920 and 1970 and directed about 20 films between 1935 and 1949. Selected filmogr ...

as Innkeeper *

Sven Arvor Sven Arvor (26 July 1907 - 16 November 2001) was a Swedish actor best known for his roles in ''Fröken Julie'', ''Kungliga Johansson'' and ''Kvinna utan ansikte''.”Sven Arvor”. Svensk Filmdatabas - section 3. Filmography *1934 – Kungliga Jo ...

as Waiter *

Ann Bibby Anne, alternatively spelled Ann, is a form of the Latin female given name Anna. This in turn is a representation of the Hebrew Hannah, which means 'favour' or 'grace'. Related names include Annie. Anne is sometimes used as a male name in the ...

as Innkeeper's Wife *

John Botvid John Botvid (12 September 1889 – 20 February 1964) was a Swedish actor and comedian. Biography John Botvid Börjesson was born at Gothenburg, Sweden. Botvid debuted as a film actor in 1917. He was frequently featured on the movie screen durin ...

as Old Man * Ruth Brady as Agnes' Cousin *

Tor Isedal Tor Isedal (20 July 1924 – 18 February 1990) was a Swedish actor on stage, screen and television. He appeared in more than 70 films between 1952 and 1990. One of his sons is Swedish actor Ola Isedal. Partial filmography * ''She Came Like ...

as Policeman *

Lillebil Kjellén Britta Lillebil Sofia Kjellén, a.k.a. Lillebil Nordrum (December 3, 1921 – March 7, 1994) was a Swedish actress born Drammen, Norway to Swedish parents. She grew up in Stockholm, Sweden, where she attended the Royal Dramatic Training Academy ...

as Gertrud *

as Goronflot *

Hjördis Petterson Hjördis Olga Maria Petterson (17 October 1908 – 27 May 1988) was a Swedish actress. She appeared in more than 140 films. She was born in Visby, Sweden and died in Stockholm. Selected filmography * ''Perhaps a Poet'' (1933) * ''Eva Goes ...

as Aunt Emilie *

as Edmond *

Naima Wifstrand Naima Wifstrand (; 4 September 1890 – 23 October 1968) was a Swedish film actress, operetta singer, troubadour, director and composer. In her later years, she was cast in several supporting roles in Ingmar Bergman films. Biography Born Siri ...

as Gertrud (50 years later)

References

Bibliography

* Hannsberry, Karen Burroughs. ''Femme Noir: Bad Girls of Film''. McFarland, 2012. * Krawc, Alfred. ''International Directory of Cinematographers, Set- and Costume Designers in Film: Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden (from the beginnings to 1984)''. Saur, 1986.

External links

* 1955 films 1955 drama films 1950s Swedish-language films Swedish historical drama films 1950s historical drama films Films set in the 19th century Swedish black-and-white films Films based on works by Honoré de Balzac Films based on works by Guy de Maupassant 1950s Swedish films {{1950s-Sweden-film-stub