Lars Mauritz Hanson (26 July 1886 – 8 April 1965) was a Swedish film and stage actor, internationally mostly remembered for his motion picture roles during the

silent film A silent film is a film with no synchronized Sound recording and reproduction, recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) ...

era.

Biography

Born in Göteborg, Sweden, Hanson began his career on the stages of Sweden after studying drama in Helsinki and Stockholm as a Shakespearean actor, appearing in such classics as '' Othello'' and ''

Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...

''. Hanson made his film debut in the 1915 film ''Dolken'', directed by Mauritz Stiller, and his popularity as a leading man in his homeland grew with ensuing roles. He was a student of the Royal Dramatic Training Academy.Isak Thorsen, Lars Gustaf Andersson, Olof Hedling, Gunnar Iversen. ''Historical Dictionary of Scandinavian Cinema''. p. 192. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc. 2012. While already a well established popular actor in Sweden and much of continental Europe, Lars Hanson gained greater international recognition for his role as the title character in the 1923 Stiller film '' Gösta Berlings saga'' (English: ''The Story of Gösta Berling)'', which featured a young

Mauritz Stiller Mauritz Stiller (born Moshe Stiller, 17 July 1883 – 18 November 1928) was a Swedish film director of Finnish Jewish origin, best known for discovering Greta Garbo and bringing her to America. Stiller had been a pioneer of the Swedish film ...

protégé named

Greta Garbo Greta Garbo (born Greta Lovisa Gustafsson; 18 September 1905 – 15 April 1990) was a Swedish-American actress. Regarded as one of the greatest screen actresses, she was known for her melancholic, somber persona, her film portrayals of tragic ch ...

in one of her first major appearances on screen as well as film stage actress Gerda Lundequist. At the request of American actress Lillian Gish, Hanson arrived in

Hollywood, California Hollywood is a neighborhood in the central region of Los Angeles, California. Its name has come to be a shorthand reference for the U.S. film industry and the people associated with it. Many notable film studios, such as Columbia Pictures, ...

in 1926 (the same year as Garbo) to star opposite Gish in the film version of ''

The Scarlet Letter ''The Scarlet Letter: A Romance'' is a work of historical fiction by American author Nathaniel Hawthorne, published in 1850. Set in the Puritan Massachusetts Bay Colony during the years 1642 to 1649, the novel tells the story of Hester Prynne, ...

'' directed by fellow countryman

Victor Sjöström Victor David Sjöström (; 20 September 1879 – 3 January 1960), also known in the United States as Victor Seastrom, was a pioneering Swedish film director, screenwriter, and actor. He began his career in Sweden, before moving to Hollywood in ...

. In 1922, Lars Hanson married the ex-wife of influential director

Gustaf Molander Gustaf Harald August Molander (18 November 1888 – 19 June 1973) was a Swedish actor and film director. His parents were director Harald Molander, Sr. (1858–1900) and singer and actress Lydia Molander, ''née'' Wessler, and his brother was th ...

, Swedish actress Karin Molander. The couple remained married until Hanson's death in 1965. Hanson's Hollywood career as an actor steadily grew momentum during the 1920s and he was paired with Greta Garbo in two more motion pictures;

MGM Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded on April 17, 1924 a ...

's 1927 box-office hit ''

Flesh and the Devil ''Flesh and the Devil'' is an American silent romantic drama film released in 1927 by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and stars Greta Garbo, John Gilbert, Lars Hanson, and Barbara Kent, directed by Clarence Brown, and based on the novel ''The Undying ...

'', which also starred Garbo's offscreen lover, the successful film actor John Gilbert, and 1928's '' The Divine Woman'', again directed by Victor Sjöström. Sjöström also directed Hanson in a performance opposite Lillian Gish in '' The Wind'' (1928). By the end of the 1920s however, the era of the silent film was waning, and seeing that his heavy Swedish accent might be a liability in American films, Lars Hanson returned to Europe. Upon arriving back in Europe in 1928, Hanson starred in the aptly titled German film '' Heimkehr'' (English: ''Homecoming'') opposite Gustav Fröhlich and

Dita Parlo Dita Parlo (born Grethe Gerda Kornstädt or Gerda Olga Justine Kornstädt; 4 September 1908 – 12 December 1971) was a German film actress. Early life and career Dita Parlo was born on 4 September 1908 in Stettin, Pomerania, then in the G ...

. The following year, he starred in a British version of '' The Informer'' filmed at

Elstree Studios Elstree Studios is a generic term which can refer to several current and demolished British film studios and television studios based in or around the town of Borehamwood and village of Elstree in Hertfordshire, England. Production studios ha ...

, playing the same role for which

Victor McLaglen Victor Andrew de Bier Everleigh McLaglen (10 December 1886 – 7 November 1959) was a British boxer-turned-Hollywood actor.Obituary ''Variety'', 11 November 1959, page 79. He was known as a character actor, particularly in Westerns, and made sev ...

won an Academy Award for Best Actor in the

John Ford John Martin Feeney (February 1, 1894 – August 31, 1973), known professionally as John Ford, was an American film director and naval officer. He is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers of his generation. He ...

-directed version six years later. Lars Hanson continued to appear in Swedish films until the early 1950s before retiring. Hanson's last performance was in the 1951 film ''Dårskapens hus (The Nuthouse)''. In Sweden, Hanson balanced his film work with an outstanding stage career, making memorable appearances in ''

A Dream Play ''A Dream Play'' ( sv, Ett drömspel) is a fantasy play in 14 scenes written in 1901 by the Swedish playwright August Strindberg. It was published in Swedish in 1902 and first performed in Stockholm on 17 April 1907. It remains one of Strindberg ...

'' (1935), ''

The Ghost Sonata ''The Ghost Sonata'' ( sv, Spöksonaten, links=no) is a play in three acts by the Swedish playwright August Strindberg. Written in 1907, it was first produced at Strindberg's Intimate Theatre in Stockholm on 21 January 1908. Since then, it has be ...

'' (1942), and as James Tyrone in the world premiere of

Eugene O'Neill Eugene Gladstone O'Neill (October 16, 1888 – November 27, 1953) was an American playwright and Nobel laureate in Nobel Prize in Literature, literature. His poetically titled plays were among the first to introduce into the U.S. the drama tech ...

's '' Long Day's Journey into Night'' (1956). In 1956, Hanson, along with actress

Inga Tidblad Inga Sofia Tidblad (29 May 1901 – 12 September 1975) was a Swedish actress. She was one of the most praised actresses in Swedish theatre during her lifetime. Biography Tidblad grew up in Stockholm as daughter to engineer Otto Tidblad and ...

(who played Mary Tyrone) also became the first two actors to receive The Eugene O'Neill Award; today known as Sweden's most prestigious theatre award and presented annually to the country's most outstanding stage actors. Hanson was also a successful Shakespearean actor, especially for his performances as Richard III and

. Lars Hanson died in Stockholm, Sweden in 1965 after a short illness at the age of 78.

Selected filmography

* '' The Wings'' (1916) * '' The Lass from the Stormy Croft'' (1917) * '' A Dangerous Wooing'' (1919) * '' Synnöve Solbakken'' (1919) * '' Erotikon'' (1920) * '' The Saga of Gosta Berling'' (1924) * '' Ingmar's Inheritance'' (1925) * '' To the Orient'' (1926) * ''

'' (1926) * ''

'' (1927) * '' Captain Salvation'' (1927) * '' The Divine Woman'' (1928) * ''

Sin In a religious context, sin is a transgression against divine law. Each culture has its own interpretation of what it means to commit a sin. While sins are generally considered actions, any thought, word, or act considered immoral, selfish, s ...

'' (1928) * '' The Wind'' (1928) * '' Heimkehr'' (1928) * '' The Call of the North'' (1929) * '' The Informer'' (1929) * ''

Walpurgis Night Walpurgis Night (), an abbreviation of Saint Walpurgis Night (from the German ), also known as Saint Walpurga's Eve (alternatively spelled Saint Walburga's Eve), is the eve of the Christian feast day of Saint Walpurga, an 8th-century abbess ...

'' (1935) * ''

Conflict Conflict may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Conflict'' (1921 film), an American silent film directed by Stuart Paton * ''Conflict'' (1936 film), an American boxing film starring John Wayne * ''Conflict'' (1937 film) ...

'' (1937) * ''

Första divisionen ''Första divisionen'' ( eng, First Squadron) is a 1941 Swedish drama film directed by Hasse Ekman. Plot summary After a period of hospitalization, caused by an aircraft accident, second lieutenant Gunnar Bråde returns to his old squadron. Du ...

'' (1941) * ''

Ride Tonight! ''Ride Tonight!'' (Swedish: ''Rid i natt'') is a 1942 Swedish historical drama film directed by Gustaf Molander and starring Lars Hanson, Oscar Ljung, Gerd Hagman and Eva Dahlbeck. It is an adaptation of the 1941 novel '' Ride This Night'' by ...

'' (1942) * ''

There's a Fire Burning ''There's a Fire Burning'' (Swedish: ''Det brinner en eld'') is a 1943 Swedish drama film directed by Gustaf Molander and starring Inga Tidblad, Lars Hanson and Victor Sjöström. It was made at the Råsunda Studios in Stockholm. The film's se ...

'' (1943) * ''

His Excellency Excellency is an honorific style given to certain high-level officers of a sovereign state, officials of an international organization, or members of an aristocracy. Once entitled to the title "Excellency", the holder usually retains the righ ...

'' (1944)

References

External links

* * *
Photographs and literature
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hanson, Lars 1886 births 1965 deaths Swedish male film actors Swedish male silent film actors Swedish male stage actors Eugene O'Neill Award winners People from Gothenburg 20th-century Swedish male actors Swedish expatriates in the United States