''Life Begins Today'' (Swedish: ''I dag börjar livet'') is a 1939 Swedish

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular ...

directed by

Schamyl Bauman Magnus Schamyl Bauman (4 December 1893 – 28 February 1966) was a Swedish film director (in 1931-57). Born in Vimmerby, Småland. First studied law and modern languages at Uppsala University. In 1917 he began to work with translating text ...

and starring

Sture Lagerwall Sture Lagerwall (13 December 1908 – 1 November 1964) was a Swedish actor and film director. He appeared in more than 70 films between 1931 and 1963. He was born in Stockholm, and died in Limhamn, Sweden, in 1964. Selected filmography * ' ...

Sonja Wigert Sonja Wigert (11 November 1913 – 12 April 1980) was a Norwegian-Swedish actress. She appeared in 34 films between 1934 and 1960. She was a spy for Swedish intelligence during World War II. Ingrid Bolsø Berdal portrayed her in the film ''The ...

and

Nils Ohlin Nils Ohlin (1895–1958) was a Swedish stage and film actor.Gustafsson p.113 Primarily acting in the theatre, he also appeared in a variety of films from the silent era to the 1950s as a character actor. Selected filmography * '' De landsflyktig ...

.Qvist & Von Bagh p.44 It was shot at the Centrumateljéerna Studios in

Stockholm Stockholm (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, most populous city of Sweden, as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately ...

. The film's sets were designed by the

art director Art director is a title for a variety of similar job functions in theater, advertising, marketing, publishing, fashion, live-action and animated film and television, the Internet, and video games. It is the charge of a sole art director to supe ...

Arthur Spjuth Arthur Spjuth (1904–1989) was a Swedish art director who designed film sets for many Swedish productions. He also directed five films and worked as a screenwriter on seven and a producer on two, as well as production manager on many others. ...

. It is based on the 1933 play ''Pétrus'' by the French writer

Marcel Achard Marcel Achard (5 July 1899 – 4 September 1974) was a French playwright and screenwriter whose popular sentimental comedies Garzanti p. 3 maintained his position as a highly recognizable name in his country's theatrical and literary circles ...

Synopsis

Wera Holm, a

ballerina A ballet dancer is a person who practices the art of classical ballet. Both females and males can practice ballet. They rely on years of extensive training and proper technique to become a part of a professional ballet company. Ballet dancer ...

, waits outside an

apartment block A tower block, high-rise, apartment tower, residential tower, apartment block, block of flats, or office tower is a tall building, as opposed to a low-rise building and is defined differently in terms of height depending on the jurisdiction. ...

with a

pistol A pistol is a type of handgun, characterised by a gun barrel, barrel with an integral chamber (firearms), chamber. The word "pistol" derives from the Middle French ''pistolet'' (), meaning a small gun or knife, and first appeared in the Englis ...

waiting for the womanising

choreographer Choreography is the art of designing sequences of movements of physical bodies (or their depictions) in which Motion (physics), motion or Visual appearance, form or both are specified. ''Choreography'' may also refer to the design itself. A chor ...

who has now dropped her for one of the other dancers. She takes two shots at him, misses, and then dives into a nearby apartment of the

artist An artist is a person engaged in an activity related to creating art, practicing the arts, or demonstrating the work of art. The most common usage (in both everyday speech and academic discourse) refers to a practitioner in the visual arts o ...

Petrus Sommar. When the choreographer turns up dead, it appears there is someone else who has reason to kill him.

Cast

as Petrus Sommar, målare *

as Wera Holm, dansös *

as Börje Fredin, balettmästare * Margareta Bergfeldt as Karin, Petrus syster *

Dagmar Ebbesen Dagmar Ebbesen (1 October 1891 – 6 November 1954) was a Swedish film actress. She appeared in 90 films between 1913 and 1954. She was closely associated with the role of Kristina the maid which she played on stage and in three films beginn ...

as Moster Johanna *

Axel Högel Axel Erik Högel (23 March 1884 – 20 September 1970) was a Swedish stage and film actor.Kwiatkowski p.73 He was a prolific character actor in the theatre and in Swedish cinema. Selected filmography * '' Johan Ulfstjerna'' (1923) * ''Ingmar's ...

as Morbror Karl *

Barbro Kollberg Barbro Kollberg (27 December 1917 – 6 March 2014) was a Swedish film actress. Born in Eskilstuna, Södermanlands län, Sweden, she starred in Ingmar Bergman's 1946 ''It Rains on Our Love''. She lived to be 96. Selected filmography * '' ...

as Nelly, balettflicka * Ziri-Gun Eriksson as Margot, balettflicka *

Ingrid Borthen Ingrid Borthen (1913–2001) was a Norwegian-born Swedish stage and film actress. Goble p.271 She was involved with the Dramatist Studio of Sweden in Stockholm. She was married to the actor Ulf Johanson Ulf Olav Johanson (also credited as J ...

as Dittan, balettflicka * Nils Johannisson as Stålhagen, detektiv *

Ivar Kåge Ivar Kåge (21 February 1881 – 21 April 1951) was a Swedish film actor. He appeared in more than 50 films between 1913 and 1949. Selected filmography * '' The Conflicts of Life'' (1913) * '' Where the Lighthouse Flashes'' (1924) * '' The ...

as Kriminalchefen *

Olga Appellöf Olga may refer to: People and fictional characters * Olga (name), a given name, including a list of people and fictional characters named Olga or Olha * Michael Algar (born 1962), English singer also known as "Olga" Places Russia * Olga, Russia ...

as Polissystern *

Naemi Briese Naemi Briese (4 March 1908 – 20 August 1980) was a Swedish film actress. Selected filmography * ''Jolly Musicians'' (1932) * ''Simon of Backabo'' (1934) * '' Andersson's Kalle'' (1934) * '' Oh, Such a Night!'' (1937) * '' A Cruise in the A ...

as Modell *

Ernst Brunman Ernst Olof Wilhelm Brunman (2 August 1886 – 1 January 1961) was a Swedish stage and film actor.Steene p.194 Selected filmography * '' Johan Ulfstjerna'' (1923) * '' Artificial Svensson'' (1929) * '' Ulla, My Ulla'' (1930) * '' Frida's Songs' ...

as Polisen vid skrivmaskinen *

Erland Colliander Erland is a Nordic male given name with several possible origins. It is typically believed to come from the Old Norse or , meaning ''foreigner''. Other possible origins are and the Proto-Norse words * (''here'') and * (''noble'', ''important''). ...

as Bartendern * Greta Ericson as Lola *

Hartwig Fock Hartwig may refer to: * Hartwig (given name) * Hartwig (surname) *Hartwig (lunar crater) Hartwig is a lunar impact crater that is located near the western limb of the Moon. It is attached to the eastern rim of the prominent crater Schlüter, to ...

as Poliskonstapel Österberg *

Lillebil Kjellén Britta Lillebil Sofia Kjellén, a.k.a. Lillebil Nordrum (December 3, 1921 – March 7, 1994) was a Swedish actress born Drammen, Norway to Swedish parents. She grew up in Stockholm, Sweden, where she attended the Royal Dramatic Training Academy. ...

as Balettdansös *

Eivor Landström Harriet Eivor Emilie Landström (22 March 1919 – 4 August 2004) was a Swedish actress. Selected filmography * '' Mother Gets Married'' (1937) * '' Thunder and Lightning'' (1938) * '' Life Begins Today'' (1939) * '' Oh, What a Boy!'' (1939 ...

as Kvinnan som söker modelljobb *

Arne Lindblad Arne Lindblad (30 January 1887 – 19 December 1964) was a Swedish film actor. He appeared in more than 100 films between 1934 and 1964. Selected filmography * ''Simon of Backabo'' (1934) * '' Johan Ulfstjerna'' (1936) * ''Unfriendly Relat ...

as Pianisten *

Gerd Mårtensson Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) or gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) is a chronic upper gastrointestinal disease in which stomach content persistently and regularly flows up into the esophagus, resulting in symptoms and/or ...

as Balettdansös *

John Norrman John Anders Norrman (19 July 1884 – 11 November 1966), was a Swedish actor. Norrman appeared in over 70 roles in films between 1921 and 1964. Selected filmography * '' Norrtullsligan'' (1923) * ''The Marriage Game'' (1935) * '' Shipwrecked Ma ...

as Polis *

Hanny Schedin Hanny may refer to: First name: * Hanny Kellner (1892-?), Austrian diver who competed in the 1912 Olympics * Hanny Michaelis (1922–2007), Dutch poet * Hanny Nahmias (born 1959), Israeli singer, actress, writer and television personality * Han ...

as Servitris

References

Bibliography

* Qvist, Per Olov & von Bagh, Peter. ''Guide to the Cinema of Sweden and Finland''. Greenwood Publishing Group, 2000.

External links

* 1939 films Swedish drama films 1939 drama films 1930s Swedish-language films Films directed by Schamyl Bauman Films set in Stockholm Swedish films based on plays 1930s Swedish films Films based on works by Marcel Achard {{1930s-Sweden-film-stub