''Erotikon'' is a 1920 Swedish romantic comedy film directed by

Mauritz Stiller Mauritz Stiller (born Moshe Stiller, 17 July 1883 – 8 November 1928) was a Finnish film director of Jewish origin, best known for discovering Greta Garbo and bringing her to America. Stiller was a pioneer of the Swedish film industry, writing ...

, starring

Tora Teje Tora Teje (17 January 1893 – 30 April 1970) was a Swedish theatre and silent film actress. She appeared in ten films between 1920 and 1939. Filmography * '' Gubben kommer'' (1939) * ''Getting Married'' (1926) * ''The Lady of the Camellias ...

Karin Molander Karin Molander (born Katarina Margareta Elisabet Edwertz; 20 May 1889 – 3 September 1978) was a Swedish stage and film actress whose career spanned over five decades. Career In Stockholm, Sweden, Molander began taking classes from theater act ...

Anders de Wahl Anders de Wahl, (9 March 1869 – 9 March 1956) was a Swedish actor. Biography He was the son of the music director Oscar de Wahl (1832–1873) and opera singer Anna Lundström de Wahl (1844–1889). de Wahl was a student at the Royal Dramati ...

and

Lars Hanson 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 era. Biography Born in Göteborg, Sweden, Hanson began his career on t ...

. It is based on the 1917 play ''A kék róka'' by

Ferenc Herczeg Ferenc Herczeg (born ''Franz Herzog'', 22 September 1863 in Versec, Kingdom of Hungary, Austrian Empire – 24 February 1954 in Budapest, Hungary) was a Hungarian playwright and author who promoted conservative nationalist opinion in his cou ...

. The story revolves around an

entomology Entomology (from Ancient Greek ἔντομον (''éntomon''), meaning "insect", and -logy from λόγος (''lógos''), meaning "study") is the branch of zoology that focuses on insects. Those who study entomology are known as entomologists. In ...

professor obsessed with the sexual life of bugs, and his easygoing wife who is courted by two suitors. Over a century old, the film depicting a married woman having an affair pushed the boundaries of what was acceptable on the screen in 1920.

Plot

Leo Charpentier, entomology professor, is interested in polygamy among beetles but hasn't noticed that his wife Irene is having an affair with his best friend, sculptor Preben Wells, and flirting with an aviator, Baron Felix. They go to a ballet – Schaname, about the shah's wife who tries to seduce his best friend: he demurs but the shah kills him anyway. Leo says he'd have preferred a happy ending. In a shop, Irene hears a woman charging a fur to Preben and walks out, jealous. Preben sees Felix taking a woman home, and thinks it's Irene, and is also jealous. He goes to Irene's home and accuses her; she tells Leo she's deceived him, and walks out. Preben finds Felix's friend wasn't Irene at all. To atone for his mistake, he tries to return Irene to Leo – but when he finds her, and explains that the woman buying the fur was his model, it's they who make up. Irene phones Leo to point out that his niece Marte loves him and will cook the meals for him she never did herself.

Cast

as Leo Charpentier *

as Irene *

as Marthe * Elin Lagergren as Irene's mother *

as Preben Wells * Vilhelm Bryde as baron Felix * Bell Hedqvist as the baron's female friend * Torsten Hammarén as Sidonius * Vilhelm Berndtson as Jean The extensive ballet scene in the film was choreographed by Carina Ari, noted Swedish dancer. The dance was performed by the

Royal Swedish Ballet The Royal Swedish Ballet is one of the oldest ballet companies in Europe. Based in Stockholm, Sweden, Gustav III of Sweden, King Gustav III founded the ballet in 1773 as a part of his national cultural project in response to the French and Italian ...

and music was written by

Kurt Atterberg Kurt Magnus Atterberg (, 12 December 188715 February 1974) was a Swedish composer and civil engineer.Don Michael Randel, editor (1996). "Atterberg, Kurt", ''The Harvard Biographical Dictionary of Music''. Cambridge, Massachusetts: The Belknap Pres ...

Release

The film premiered in Sweden on 8 November 1920. It became a commercial success and was sold to 45 markets abroad.

References

External links

* * 1920 films 1920 romantic comedy films Swedish silent feature films Swedish films based on plays Films based on works by Ferenc Herczeg Films directed by Mauritz Stiller Swedish black-and-white films Swedish romantic comedy films Silent romantic comedy films 1920s Swedish films 1920s Swedish-language films {{1920s-Sweden-film-stub