Gustaf Molander | |
|---|---|
 Gustaf Molander, 1964. | |
| Born | Gustaf Harald August Molander (1888-11-18)18 November 1888 Helsinki, Finland |
| Died | 19 June 1973(1973-06-19) (aged 84) Stockholm, Sweden |
| Nationality | Swedish |
| Occupation(s) | Director, actor, screenwriter |
| Years active | 1948–2004 |
| Spouses | |
| Children | Harald Molander Jan Molander |
| Parent(s) | Harald Molander Lydia Molander |
| Relatives | Olof Molander (brother) |
Gustaf Harald August Molander (18 November 1888 – 19 June 1973) was aSwedish actor and film director.[1] His parents were director Harald Molander, Sr. (1858–1900) and singer and actressLydia Molander,née Wessler, and his brother was the directorOlof Molander (1892–1966). He was the father of director and producerHarald Molander from his first marriage, from 1910-1918, with actressKarin Molander and father to actorJan Molander from his second marriage to Elsa Fahlberg (1892–1977).
Gustaf Molander was born inHelsingfors (Helsinki) in theGrand Duchy of Finland (in theRussian Empire), where his father was working at theSwedish Theatre. He studied in the school of theRoyal Dramatic Theatre inStockholm 1907–1909, acted at the Swedish Theatre in Helsingfors 1909–1913, and then at the Royal Dramatic Theatre from 1913 to 1926. The last years there he headed the school; his students includedGreta Garbo.
Molander wrote several screenplays forVictor Sjöström andMauritz Stiller, and was helped by the latter to get employment as a director forSvensk Filmindustri, where he worked 1923–1956. All in all, he directed 62 films. He often worked withGösta Ekman, and his films includeIntermezzo (1936), which becameIngrid Bergman's breakthrough and paved her way to America, where she starred in the 1939Hollywood remake of the film.
In 1943 he directedOrdet, the first film version of the play of the same name written by the Protestant pastorKaj Munk, not to be confused with the second and more famous version of the film brought to the big screen byCarl Theodor Dreyer. The Danish master's film was shot twelve years later and won the prestigious Golden Lion at the Venice International Film Festival.
In 1948 Molander made what should have been his last film,Eva, but almost twenty years later, in 1967, he agreed to participate as a director of an episode in the collective filmStimulantia only to return to work with Ingrid Bergman 30 years later.
