Marguerite Viby (25 June 1909 – 8 April 2001) was a Danish

actress An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), li ...

of stage, film and television. Considered one of the great comedy actresses of Danish cinema, Viby received honorary Bodil and

Robert The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of '' Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory, honou ...

Awards in 2000 for lifetime achievement. She appeared in more than 50 films and television shows during a career that spanned from the silent film era in 1929 until a television series in 1983.

Career

Marguerite Viby was born Ida Marguerite Steenberg Jensen Viby in

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( or .; da, København ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a proper population of around 815.000 in the last quarter of 2022; and some 1.370,000 in the urban area; and the wider Copenhagen metropolitan ar ...

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark , establish ...

on 25 June 1909, the daughter of a policeman and a secretary. Her father died when she was 16 and her mother a year later. Viby left school at 14, and worked part-time to pay for dance lessons. She was schooled as a dancer at Emilie Walbom's Ballet School as'a well as through private instruction from the Danish Royal Dancer John Andersen. In 1923, when she was 14 years old, Viby debuted in a summer revue at Tivoli Gardens. She continued to perform in revues and stage musicals throughout her life. In 1929, Viby began her film career in the silent film ''Højt på en kvist'' (''High on in the Attic''). She followed with four Fy og Bi comedies film in which her casting was mostly based on her physical attraction, however in '' He, She and Hamlet'', the first Danish combined sound film, she danced and sang a romantic duet with leading man Hans W. Petersen. According to Danish film historian Morten Piil, it was Viby's next role which established her most noted persona—the energetic, witty woman who acts as she necessary to maneuver in a man's world. In the 1932 George Schnéevoigt film '' Tretten År'' (''13 Years''), Viby was an office girl who plays a thirteen-year-old Lolita to avoid men's advances. Piil wrote that it was only Viby's "fundamental cheerful innocence which saved this erotic farce..."Piil, Morten, ''Marguerite Viby'', Danske Fimshuespillere, Gyldendal, (2001), pg 510-514 Viby made her next nine films under the direction of her second husband,

Emanuel Gregers Emanuel Gregers (28 December 1881 – 22 March 1957) was a Danish actor, screenwriter and film director. Gregers made 36 films during a career which extended over four decades from the Danish golden age of silent film until 1949. Critics often ...

. This included four films after they divorced in 1938, and she had married the actor Knud Wold. Her greatest success during this period was ''Mille, Marie og Mig'' (''Mille, Marie and Me'') in which Viby played a woman with three personalities—the prim, bespectacled student Klaus; the erotic

nightclub singer A nightclub act is a production, usually of nightclub music or comedy, designed for performance at a nightclub, a type of drinking establishment, by a nightclub performer such as a nightclub singer or nightclub dancer, whose performance may ...

Mille; and the homebody Marie. As Mille, in Marlene Dietrich-style men's clothing, Viby sings the popular Danish hit ''Jeg har elsket dig så længe jeg kan mindes'' (''I have Loved You as Long as I Can Remember''). In the early 1940s, Viby made two popular comedies with the directing duo of

Alice O'Fredericks Alice O'Fredericks (born Mitzi Otha Alice Frederiksen; 8 September 1899 – 18 February 1968) was a Danish actress, screenwriter, and film director. She is best known for directing the series of '' Far til Fire'' (''Father of Four'') comedi ...

and Lau Lauritzen Jr. -- ''Frøken Kirkemus'' (''Mrs. Churchmouse'') and ''Frøken Vildkat'' (''Mrs. Wildcat''). The style of direction—quick light-hearted banter similar to American screw-ball comedies—was better suited to Viby than the heavier exposition of Gregers direction. She quickly became one of the most popular actresses and performed in a string of romantic comedies including ''Som du vil ha' mig-!'' (''However You Will Have Me-!'')(1943), ''Jeg elsker en anden'' (''I Love Someone Else'') (1946), and ''Den Store Gavtyv'' (1956). During the period 1938-1956 she made over a dozen films in Sweden, including Swedish versions of some of her major Danish film successes. Also three films she first made in Swedish were made in Danish versions, ''Fröken Kyrkråtta'' (''Mrs. Churchmouse'' (1941), ''Fröken Vildkatt'' (''Mrs. Wildcat'' (1942) and ''Lyckan kommer'' (''Happiness Comes'' (1942). In the 1970s and 80's, Viby continued her acting in television, including the continuing role of Olga Mortensen in the comedy series ''En Stor Familie'' (''One Big Family''). In 2000, Viby was presented with lifetime achievement awards at both the Bodil and

awards ceremonies. Viby died the following year on 8 April 2001 at the age of 91.

Personal life

While her professional acting life was steady, her personal life was more volatile. Viby married five times. Her first marriage was to actor and dancer Poul Christian Guldager (1926–1931), then to Danish film director

(1932–1938). In 1938, Viby married businessman Knud Wold with whom she had her only child, the actress Susse Wold. During the early 1940s, Viby was linked with Prince Bertil of Sweden. In 1953, she married actor Preben Mahrt, and after they divorced, she was married to schoolteacher Erik Henry Tangfelt from 1967 until his sudden death at 48 in 1971.

Filmography

*''

Højt paa en kvist ''Højt paa en kvist'' is a 1929 Danish silent family film directed by Lau Lauritzen Sr. and written by his son Lau Lauritzen Jr. Cast *Carl Schenstrøm as Fyrtårnet * Harald Madsen as Bivognen * Victor Wulff * Gerda Kofoed *Margue ...

'' - (1929) *'' Pas paa pigerne'' (1930) *'' Hr. Tell og søn'' (1930) *'' Ve' den, der lyver'' (1930) ... aka ''Woe to Him who Lies'' *'' Krudt med knald'' (1931) *'' Han, hun og Hamlet'' - (1932) ... aka ''He, She and Hamlet'' *''

Skal vi vædde en million? ''Skal vi vædde en million?'' is a 1932 Danish romantic drama film directed by George Schnéevoigt, and written by frequent collaborators Fleming Lynge and Paul Sarauw. The film stars Frederik Jensen and marked the film debut of Marguerite ...

'' - 1932 ... aka ''Do You want to bet a Million?'' *''

Tretten år Tretten is a village in Øyer Municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. The village is located on the Losna lake, which is part of the Gudbrandsdalslågen river. Tretten is located in the Gudbrandsdal valley, along the Gudbrandsdalslågen r ...

'' - 1932 *''

Fem raske piger ''5 raske piger'' is a 1933 Danish comedy film directed by A. W. Sandberg and starring Karina Bell. Cast * Karina Bell as Annie From * Marguerite Viby as Karin From * Tove Wallenstrøm as Grace From * Nanna Stenersen as Irene From * Vesl ...

'' - 1933 *'' Så til søs'' - 1933 *''

Skaf en sensation Skaf or SKAF may refer to: People * Bilal Skaf Bilal Skaf ( ar, بلال سكاف) (born 14 September 1981) is a serial gang rapist who led groups of Lebanese-Australian men to commit gang rape attacks against women and girls in Sydney in 20 ...

'' - 1934 *''

Min kone er husar Min or MIN may refer to: Places * Fujian, also called Mǐn, a province of China ** Min Kingdom (909–945), a state in Fujian * Min County, a county of Dingxi, Gansu province, China * Min River (Fujian) * Min River (Sichuan) * Mineola (A ...

'' - 1935 *'' Cocktail'' - 1937 *'' Mille, Marie og mig'' - 1937 *''

Komtessen på Stenholt ''Komtessen'' is a 1961 Danish family film directed by Erik Overbye and starring Malene Schwartz. Cast * Malene Schwartz - Betina Mortensen * Mimi Heinrich - Komtesse Maria Hardenborg * Birgitte Federspiel - Gevinde Sonja Hardenborg * Ebbe L ...

'' - 1939 *''

En pige med pep En or EN may refer to: Businesses * Bouygues (stock symbol EN) * Esquimalt and Nanaimo Railway (reporting mark EN, but now known as Southern Railway of Vancouver Island) * Euronews, a news television and internet channel Language and writing * E ...

'' - 1940 *'' Sørensen og Rasmussen'' - 1940 *'' Frøken Kirkemus'' - 1941 *'' Lykken kommer'' - 1942 *'' Frøken Vildkat'' - 1942 *'' Op med humøret'' - 1943 *'' Som du vil ha' mig'' - 1943 *'' Dolly Takes a Chance'' - 1944 *'' Teatertosset'' - 1944 *''Lilla helgonet - 1944 *'' Jeg elsker en anden'' - 1946 * '' Peggy on a Spree'' - 1946 * '' I Love You Karlsson'' (1947) *'' Den opvakte jomfru'' - 1950 *'' Den store gavtyv'' - 1956 *'' Hvad vil De ha'?'' - 1956 * ''

A Little Nest ''A Little Nest'' (Swedish: ''Litet bo'') is a 1956 Swedish comedy film directed by Arne Mattsson and starring Maj-Britt Nilsson, Folke Sundquist and Edvin Adolphson.Qvist & Von Bagh p.112 It was shot on location in Denmark. The film's sets were ...

'' (1956) *'' Pigen og vandpytten'' - 1958 *'' Mine tossede drenge'' - 1961 *'' Don Olsen kommer til byen'' - 1964 *'' Far laver sovsen'' - 1967 *'' Mordskab'' - (1969) ... aka ''The Busybody'' *'' På'en igen Amalie'' - 1973

Awards

Johanne Luise Heiberg Johanne Luise Heiberg (; née Pätges; 22 November 1812 – 21 December 1890) was a Danish actress of the 19th century. She is most famous for her work at the Royal Theatre in Copenhagen, where she achieved great success. Though she was cl ...

Memorial Grant * Liva Weel Anniversary Grant *Ole Haslund Artists Fund (1969) *Frederiksberg Artist of the Year (1983) *Clara Pontoppidans Fødseldaglegat (1987) *Karl Gerhardts Hæderpris (1987) * Bodil Award (2000) * Robert Award (2000)

References

External links