Pauline Brunius, née ''Emma Maria Pauline Lindstedt'' (10 February 1881 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 ...
– 30 March 1954 in Stockholm) was a Swedish stage and film actor, screenwriter and film and theatre director. She was the managing director of the
Royal Dramatic Theatre
The Royal Dramatic Theatre (, 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 theatre has been at its present lo ...
from 1938 to 1948.
Biography
Born in 1881, Brunius became a ballet student in 1891, but ended her ballet studies in favor of spoken drama. She was engaged at the theatre
Olympiateatern in 1902. Jointly with her spouse (
John W. Brunius) and colleague,
Gösta Ekman (senior)
Frans Gösta Viktor Ekman (28 December 1890 – 12 January 1938) was a Swedish actor, director and singer. Generally spoken of as Swedish theatre's most legendary stage actor, Gösta Ekman enjoyed a prolific stage career during his short life, b ...
, she was the managing director of the theatre
Oscarsteatern
Oscarsteatern (English language, 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 (Stockholm), Kungsgatan 63 in central Stock ...
in 1926–1932. In 1938, she was engaged as the managing director of the Royal Dramatic Theatre.
As a theater manager, she was known for her tough attitude and determination among the gentlemen in the male-dominated entertainment industry, at least in the managerial positions. As director of the Oscar Theater, she managed to negotiate financial support from
Ivar Kreuger
Ivar Kreuger (; 2 March 1880 – 12 March 1932) was a Swedish civil engineer, financier, entrepreneur and industrialist. In 1908, he co-founded the construction company Kreuger & Toll Byggnads AB, which specialized in new building techniques. B ...
, among others. As director of the Dramaten, she was both praised and criticized. Among other things, she was criticized for a number of play choices during the Second World War and for a guest performance by Dramaten in Berlin in 1941. However, she was also praised for her deliberately strong investment in
Riksteatern
The National Swedish Touring Theatre () is the largest touring theatre company in Sweden. It serves as Sweden's national stage on tour. The company is owned and funded by 240 local economic associations spread throughout the country. Their mai ...
and for taking the initiative to build a second stage, Lilla scenen, to increase the competitiveness and capacity of the national stage. She resigned as director of Dramaten in 1948 due to illness.
She was married from 1909 to 1935 with actor John W. Brunius and was the mother of actress
Anne-Marie Brunius and actor
Palle Brunius.
Selected filmography
*''
Thora van Deken'' (1920)
*''
Gyurkovicsarna'' (1920)
* ''
A Wild Bird
''A Wild Bird'' or ''Her Adopted Son'' (Swedish: ''En vildfågel'') is a 1921 Swedish silent drama film directed by John W. Brunius and starring Tore Svennberg, Pauline Brunius and Paul Seelig. It was shot at the Filmstaden situated in Råsu ...
'' (1921)
* ''
The Eyes of Love'' (1922)
*''
The Blizzard
"The Blizzard" (or The Snow Storm) (, ''Metél' '') is the second of five short stories that constitute ''The Belkin Tales'' by Alexander Pushkin. The manuscript for the story was originally completed October 20, 1830. It was intended to be the la ...
'' (1923)
*''
Charles XII
Charles XII, sometimes Carl XII () or Carolus Rex (17 June 1682 – 30 November 1718 Old Style and New Style dates, O.S.), was King of Sweden from 1697 to 1718. He belonged to the House of Palatinate-Zweibrücken, a branch line of the House of ...
'' (1925)
* ''
Gustaf Wasa'' (1928)
*''
The Doctor's Secret'' (1930)
*''
Charlotte Löwensköld'' (1930)
* ''
False Greta'' (1934)
Sources
Further reading
*
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brunius, Pauline
1881 births
1954 deaths
Swedish theatre directors
Swedish stage actresses
Swedish film actresses
Swedish silent film actresses
20th-century Swedish actresses
Swedish film directors
Swedish women film directors
Swedish women theatre directors
Litteris et Artibus recipients
Burials at Galärvarvskyrkogården
Actresses from Stockholm