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 the formerly Helga Krumlinde. She was a student at the Royal Dramatic Theatre's famous acting school, the

Royal Dramatic Training Academy The Royal Dramatic Training Academy ( sv, Kungliga Dramatiska Teaterns Elevskola, also known as ''Dramatens elevskola''), was the acting school of Sweden's national stage, the Royal Dramatic Theatre, and for many years (1787–1964) seen as the ...

(1919–22), where she during her student years already was recognized as a rising star by audience and critics for her debut performance of Ariel in

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

's '' The Tempest'', where director Olof Molander had hand-picked her for the part, early recognizing her talent. After her graduation from drama school she worked at the

Swedish Theatre The Swedish Theatre ( sv, Svenska Teatern) is a Swedish-language theatre in Helsinki, Finland, and is located at the Erottaja ( sv, Skillnaden) square, at the end of Esplanadi ( sv, Esplanaden). It was the first national stage of Finland. Hi ...

, where she had her big star breakthrough in Sweden as

Ophelia Ophelia () is a character in William Shakespeare's drama '' Hamlet'' (1599–1601). She is a young noblewoman of Denmark, the daughter of Polonius, sister of Laertes and potential wife of Prince Hamlet, who, due to Hamlet's actions, ends u ...

in ''

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 ...

'', opposite Schanke in the title role, in 1924. She remained in the theatre's ensemble until its tragic burn-down in 1925. Most notable for her many female leads in Shakespeare and Strindberg plays, star performances by Tidblad on stage include her Ophelia in Shakespeare's ''Hamlet'', Billie Moore in ''Broadway'', the Angel in ''Cenodoxus'', Aude in ''Graven under triumfbågen'', Anna Boleyn in ''

Henry VIII Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is best known for his six marriages, and for his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disa ...

'', Juliet in Shakespeare's ''

Romeo and Juliet ''Romeo and Juliet'' is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare early in his career about the romance between two Italian youths from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular plays during his lifetime and, along with ''Ham ...

'', Ellen in ''Älskling jag ger mig'', Rosalind in Shakespeare's ''

As You Like It ''As You Like It'' is a pastoral comedy by William Shakespeare believed to have been written in 1599 and first published in the First Folio in 1623. The play's first performance is uncertain, though a performance at Wilton House in 1603 h ...

'', Lotta Enterfelt in ''Svenska sprätthöken'', Alegre in

Maxwell Anderson James Maxwell Anderson (December 15, 1888 – February 28, 1959) was an American playwright, author, poet, journalist, and lyricist. Background Anderson was born on December 15, 1888, in Atlantic, Pennsylvania, the second of eight children to ...

's play ''Key Largo'' (1940), Sonja in ''Crime and Punishment'', Blanche in ''Folkungasagan'', Portia in Shakespeare's ''

Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war, an ...

'', Mary Vetsera in ''Mayerlingdramat'', Cecilia in ''Rovdjuret'', The Daughter in Strindberg's ''

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 bee ...

'', Mrs. Kenyon in

Samson Raphaelson Samson Raphaelson (March 30, 1894 – July 16, 1983) was a leading American playwright, screenwriter and fiction writer. While working as an advertising executive in New York, he wrote a short story based on the early life of Al Jolson, called ' ...

's play ''Skylark'' (1943), Beréngère in Robert Boissy's ''Jupiter'' (1943), Marguerite Gautier in

Alexandre Dumas Alexandre Dumas (, ; ; born Dumas Davy de la Pailleterie (), 24 July 1802 – 5 December 1870), also known as Alexandre Dumas père (where '' '' is French for 'father', to distinguish him from his son Alexandre Dumas fils), was a French writer ...

' ''The Lady of the Camellias'' (1954), Mary 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 literature. His poetically titled plays were among the first to introduce into the U.S. the drama techniques of realism, earli ...

's '' Long Day's Journey Into Night'' (1956), in

Terence Rattigan Sir Terence Mervyn Rattigan (10 June 191130 November 1977) was a British dramatist and screenwriter. He was one of England's most popular mid-20th-century dramatists. His plays are typically set in an upper-middle-class background.Geoffrey Wan ...

's ''

Separate Tables ''Separate Tables'' is the collective name of two one-act plays by Terence Rattigan, both taking place in the Beauregard Private Hotel, Bournemouth, on the south coast of England. The first play, titled ''Table by the Window'', focuses on the ...

'' at Vasateatern (1958-59) and as Queen Christina in

August Strindberg Johan August Strindberg (, ; 22 January 184914 May 1912) was a Swedish playwright, novelist, poet, essayist and painter.Lane (1998), 1040. A prolific writer who often drew directly on his personal experience, Strindberg wrote more than sixty p ...

's play ''Kristina'' in 1961. During her career Tidblad performed at Sweden's prime theatres; after her work at the Swedish Theatre she worked at the Vasateatern (1925-26), the

Oscarsteatern Oscarsteatern (English: Oscar Theatre), also known simply as Oscars, is one of Stockholm's private theatres and is the best-known musical theatre in Sweden. It is located at Kungsgatan 63 in central Stockholm. History The theater was designed in ...

(1926-32) and at the Royal Dramatic Theatre (

Dramaten The Royal Dramatic Theatre ( sv, Kungliga Dramatiska Teatern, colloquially ''Dramaten'') is Sweden's national stage for "spoken drama", founded in 1788. Around one thousand shows are put on annually on the theatre's five running stages. The the ...

) from 1932 to 1963 when she retired from stage. After her retirement she made only a few guest appearances on stage and film. She starred in some notable early Swedish silent films, including ''Norrtullsligan'' (1923), ''Mälarpirater'' (1923), ''Farbror Frans'' (1926) and ''Svarte Rudolf'' (1928). She made her film debut in ''Andersson, Pettersson och Lundström'' in 1923. In 1930 she starred in the lead, opposite

Gösta Ekman Hans Gösta Gustaf Ekman (; 28 July 1939 – 1 April 2017) was a Swedish actor, comedian, and director. Career Ekman was born in Stockholm, Sweden, and was the son of the director Hasse Ekman and Agneta (née Wrangel). Ekman represented ...

, in the first Swedish talkie; '' For Her Sake''. Notable performances on film include ''Norrtullsligan'' (1923), '' Sången om den eldröda blomman'' (1934), ''

Intermezzo In music, an intermezzo (, , plural form: intermezzi), in the most general sense, is a composition which fits between other musical or dramatic entities, such as acts of a play or movements of a larger musical work. In music history, the term ha ...

'' (the original Swedish 1936 film), ''

Flames in the Dark ''Flames in the Dark'' ( sv, Lågor i dunklet) is a 1942 Swedish drama film directed by Hasse Ekman. Plot summary Rolf Nordmark and Eva Berg both work as teachers at Ringsala boarding school. Rolf has long been in love with Eva, but when the s ...

'' (1942), ''Det brinner en eld'' (1943), ''Den osynliga muren'' (1944), ''Frånskild'' aka ''

Divorced Divorce (also known as dissolution of marriage) is the process of terminating a marriage or marital union. Divorce usually entails the canceling or reorganizing of the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage, thus dissolving th ...

'' (1951; directed by

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 ...

and written by

Ingmar Bergman Ernst Ingmar Bergman (14 July 1918 – 30 July 2007) was a Swedish film director, screenwriter, producer and playwright. Widely considered one of the greatest and most influential filmmakers of all time, his films are known as "profoun ...

), ''Kvinnohuset'' (1953), ''Enhörningen'' (1955), ''Pärlemor'' (1961); and ''Pistolen'' (1973), for which Tidblad was awarded a

Guldbagge Award The Guldbagge Awards ( sv, Guldbaggen, en, Gold scarab) is an official and annual Swedish film awards ceremony honoring achievements in the Swedish film industry. Winners are awarded a statuette depicting a rose chafer, better known by the nam ...

(the finest Swedish film award, the Golden Beetle) for Best Actress, shortly before her death. She was also the voice of Pinocchio in the Swedish dubbing of

Walt Disney Walter Elias Disney (; December 5, 1901December 15, 1966) was an American animator, film producer and entrepreneur. A pioneer of the American animation industry, he introduced several developments in the production of cartoons. As a film p ...

's film ''

Pinocchio Pinocchio ( , ) is a fictional character and the protagonist of the children's novel '' The Adventures of Pinocchio'' (1883) by Italian writer Carlo Collodi of Florence, Tuscany. Pinocchio was carved by a woodcarver named Geppetto in a Tuscan ...

'' (1940) and also guest-starred in an episode of the early American TV series '' Foreign Intrigue'' in 1956. Was awarded the

Eugene O'Neill Award The Eugene O'Neill Award (Swedish: ''O'Neill-stipendiet'') is one of Sweden's finest awards for stage actors. It is a scholarship for actors at the Swedish theater. It has been awarded annually by the Royal Dramatic Theatre since 1956. Histo ...

in 1956 and a

for

Best Actress Best Actress is the name of an award which is presented by various film, television and theatre organisations, festivals, and people's awards to leading actresses in a film, television series, television film or play. The first Best Actress aw ...

1974 Major events in 1974 include the aftermath of the 1973 oil crisis and the resignation of United States President Richard Nixon following the Watergate scandal. In the Middle East, the aftermath of the 1973 Yom Kippur War determined politics; ...

for her role in ''

Pistol A pistol is a handgun, more specifically one with the chamber integral to its gun barrel, though in common usage the two terms are often used interchangeably. The English word was introduced in , when early handguns were produced in Europe, a ...

''. She was married first to actor Ragnar Billberg (1923–1930) and then to actor

Håkan Westergren Håkan Karl Leonard Westergren (29 April 1899 – 15 October 1981) was a Swedish actor. He was mostly known for playing in Swedish comedy movies during the 1930s and 1940s, but was sometimes seen in some more serious roles. He was married t ...

from 1931 (to her death in 1975), with whom she had daughter

Meg Westergren Elsa Margareta "Meg" Westergren (born 16 May 1932) is a Swedish actress from Nockeby, Bromma, in Stockholm. Her parents were both actors and she made her acting debut in the 1951 film '' Living on 'Hope. She studied at the Royal Dramatic Trai ...

and son Claes-Håkan Westergren, also actors.

Selected filmography

* Andersson, Pettersson och Lundström (1923) * Mälarpirater (1923) * Norrtullsligan (1923) * '' The Counts at Svansta'' (1924) * Ödets man (1924) * '' Uncle Frans'' (1926) * ''

Black Rudolf ''Black Rudolf'' (Swedish: ''Svarte Rudolf'') is a 1928 Swedish drama film directed by Gustaf Edgren and starring Fridolf Rhudin, Inga Tidblad and John Ekman.Gustafsson p.104 It was shot at the Råsunda Studios in Stockholm. The film's sets were ...

'' (1928) * For Her Sake (1930) * ''

Longing for the Sea ''Longing for the Sea'' (Swedish: ''Längtan till havet'') is a 1931 French-Swedish drama film directed by John W. Brunius and starring Edvin Adolphson, Carl Barcklind and Inga Tidblad.Sadoul p.32 It is the Swedish-language version of the French ...

'' (1931) * '' People of Hälsingland'' (1933) * Hon eller ingen (1934) * Sången om den eldröda blomman (1934) *

(1936) * Janssons frestelse (1938) *

(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) * '' The Invisible Wall'' (1944) * Kungajakt (1944) * '' The Gallows Man'' (1945) * Frånskild (aka

) (1951) * '' House of Women'' (1953) * Gabrielle (1954) * '' The Unicorn'' (1955) * Foreign Intrigue,

TV series A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed b ...

(1956) * Pärlemor (1961) * Ateljé Mia (1965) * Glasmenageriet (

The Glass Menagerie ''The Glass Menagerie'' is a memory play by Tennessee Williams that premiered in 1944 and catapulted Williams from obscurity to fame. The play has strong autobiographical elements, featuring characters based on its author, his Histrionic persona ...

), TV theatre (1967) * Drottningens juvelsmycke,

mini series The Mini is a small, two-door, four-seat car, developed as ADO15, and produced by the British Motor Corporation (BMC) and its successors, from 1959 through 2000. Minus a brief hiatus, original Minis were built for four decades and sold during ...

(1967) * Pistolen (1973) * Gangsterfilmen (1974)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Tidblad, Inga 1901 births 1975 deaths Swedish film actresses Swedish silent film actresses 20th-century Swedish actresses Eugene O'Neill Award winners Best Actress Guldbagge Award winners Burials at Norra begravningsplatsen

Biography

Selected filmography

References

Further reading

External links