Sven Hugo Borg (July 26, 1896 - February 19, 1981) was a Swedish-American character actor.

Biography

Sven Hugo Borg was born in Vinslöv, Skåne län, Sweden. Early in his career, Borg was a secretary with the Swedish Consulate in

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

. While working at the consulate he met the actress

Greta Garbo Greta Garbo (born Greta Lovisa Gustafsson; 18 September 1905 – 15 April 1990) was a Swedish-American actress and a premier star during Hollywood's Silent film, silent and early Classical Hollywood cinema, golden eras. Regarded as one of the g ...

who had recently arrived in Hollywood. Garbo asked Borg to be her

interpreter Interpreting is translation from a spoken or signed language into another language, usually in real time to facilitate live communication. It is distinguished from the translation of a written text, which can be more deliberative and make use o ...

for an upcoming movie to which he readily agreed. He served as Garbo's interpreter from 1925 to 1929. After interpreting for Greta, Borg decided to pursue acting as a career. He had done some dramatic work on the Swedish stage. He continued to remain with the consulate until the late 1930s. Borg became much in demand during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

Hollywood films, playing both

Nazi Nazism (), formally named National Socialism (NS; , ), is the far-right politics, far-right Totalitarianism, totalitarian socio-political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Germany. During H ...

officers and

Scandinavia Scandinavia is a subregion#Europe, subregion of northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. It can sometimes also ...

n resistance fighters. Throughout his acting career, Borg was an actor who portrayed a wide range of many different characters, e.g. Sverre-King of Norway in ''

The Crusades The Crusades were a series of religious wars initiated, supported, and at times directed by the Papacy during the Middle Ages. The most prominent of these were the campaigns to the Holy Land aimed at reclaiming Jerusalem and its surrounding t ...

''. Borg died in 1981 at the age of 84 in

, California. He was buried in Westwood Village Memorial Park.Wilson, Scott. ''Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons'', 3d ed.: 2 (Kindle Locations 25047-25048). McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. Kindle Edition.

Filmography

* ''

Rose-Marie ''Rose-Marie'' is an operetta-style musical with music by Rudolf Friml and Herbert Stothart, and book and lyrics by Otto Harbach and Oscar Hammerstein II. The story is set in the Canadian Rocky Mountains and concerns Rose-Marie La Flemme, a F ...

'' (1928) .... Hudson * ''

Let's Fall in Love "Let's Fall in Love" is a song written by Harold Arlen (music) and Ted Koehler (lyrics) for the film ''Let's Fall in Love (film), Let's Fall in Love'' and published in 1933. In the film, it is heard during the opening credits and later sung by ...

'' (1933) .... Eric (uncredited) * '' I'll Love You Always'' (1935) .... Hamlet (uncredited) * ''

'' (1935) .... Sverre, the Norse King (as Sven-Hugo Borg) * ''

Barbary Coast The Barbary Coast (also Barbary, Berbery, or Berber Coast) were the coastal regions of central and western North Africa, more specifically, the Maghreb and the Ottoman borderlands consisting of the regencies in Algiers, Tunis, and Tripoli, a ...

'' (1935, ... a.k.a. Port of Wickedness (US: reissue title) .... Sailor (uncredited) * '' Dangerous Waters'' (1936) .... Sailor (uncredited) * '' The Country Doctor'' (1936) .... Logger (uncredited) * ''

A Son Comes Home ''A Son Comes Home'' is a 1936 American drama film directed by E.A. Dupont and starring Mary Boland, Julie Haydon and Donald Woods (actor), Donald Woods. It was one of three films made by Dupont for Paramount Pictures.St. Pierre p.23 Plot Cast * ...

'' (1936) .... Swedish Sailor (uncredited) * '' Theodora Goes Wild'' (1936) .... Bartender (uncredited) * '' Find the Witness'' (1937) .... Diver * ''

Espionage Espionage, spying, or intelligence gathering, as a subfield of the intelligence field, is the act of obtaining secret or confidential information ( intelligence). A person who commits espionage on a mission-specific contract is called an ...

'' (1937) .... Masseuse (uncredited) * ''

Slave Ship Slave ships were large cargo ships specially built or converted from the 17th to the 19th century for transporting Slavery, slaves. Such ships were also known as "Guineamen" because the trade involved human trafficking to and from the Guinea ( ...

'' (1937) .... Crew Member (uncredited) * '' The Mysterious Pilot'' (1937, Serial) .... Lumberjack Smitht h.11(uncredited) * ''

Here's Flash Casey ''Here's Flash Casey'' is a 1937 American film directed by Lynn Shores and starring Eric Linden and Boots Mallory. Plot Flash Casey is able finally to get the job as photographer at Globe Press. And he would like to marry newspaper woman Kay Lann ...

'' (1938) .... Blonde Student (uncredited) * '' Romance of the Redwoods'' (1939) .... Boarder (uncredited) * ''

Espionage Agent ''Espionage Agent'' is a pre–World War II spy melodrama produced by Hal B. Wallis in 1939. Directed by Lloyd Bacon, ''Espionage Agent'', like many Warner Bros. movies, clearly identifies the Germans as the enemy. This was unlike many other mov ...

'' (1939) .... Chauffeur (uncredited) * '' The Man from Montreal'' (1939) .... Mountie (uncredited) * '' Death Rides the Range'' (1939) .... Baron Strakoff * ''

Mystery Sea Raider ''Mystery Sea Raider'' is a 1940 American drama war film directed by Edward Dmytryk Edward Dmytryk (September 4, 1908 – July 1, 1999) was a Canadian-born American film director and editor. He was known for his 1940s films noir, noir films ...

'' (1940) .... Sven * '' Captain Caution'' (1940) .... Sailor (uncredited) * ''

Little Nellie Kelly ''Little Nellie Kelly'' is a 1940 American musical-comedy film based on the stage musical of the same title by George M. Cohan which was a hit on Broadway in 1922 and 1923. The film was written by Jack McGowan and directed by Norman Taurog. ...

'' (1940) .... Immigrant at Citizenship Ceremony (uncredited) * '' Comrade X'' (1940) .... Streetcar Passenger (uncredited) * '' Road Show'' (1941) .... Brawler (uncredited) * '' Buzzy and the Phantom Pinto'' (1941) .... Kurt F. Henck * '' Man Hunt'' (1941) .... Ship's Mate (uncredited) * '' The Son of Davy Crockett'' (1941, ... a.k.a. Blue Clay (UK)) .... Swede (uncredited) * '' Night of January 16'' (1941) .... Sailor (uncredited) * '' Law of the Timber'' (1941) .... Olaf (as Sven-Hogo Borg) * '' Dangerously They Live'' (1941) .... U-Boat Under Officer (uncredited) * '' To Be or Not to Be'' (1942) .... German soldier (uncredited) * ''

Reap the Wild Wind ''Reap the Wild Wind'' is a 1942 American adventure film produced and directed by Cecil B. DeMille and starring Ray Milland, John Wayne, and Paulette Goddard, with a supporting cast featuring Raymond Massey, Robert Preston (actor), Robert Pres ...

'' (1942, ... a.k.a. Cecil B. DeMille's Reap the Wild Wind (US: complete title)) .... Blackie, 'Falcon' Crewman (uncredited) * '' The Affairs of Jimmy Valentine'' (1942, ... a.k.a. Unforgotten Crime (US: TV title)) .... Olaf * ''

They Raid By Night ''They Raid by Night'' is a 1942 American low-budget World War II film directed by Spencer Gordon Bennet and starring Lyle Talbot and June Duprez. It was from Producers Releasing Corporation. Plot The story follows the insertion of Britis ...

'' (1942) .... Dalberg * ''

Invisible Agent ''Invisible Agent'' is a 1942 American Action film, action and spy film directed by Edwin L. Marin with a screenplay written by Curt Siodmak. The invisible agent is played by Jon Hall (actor), Jon Hall, with Peter Lorre and Sir Cedric Hardwick ...

'' (1942) .... German Captain (uncredited) * ''

Desperate Journey ''Desperate Journey'' is a 1942 American World War II action and aviation film directed by Raoul Walsh and starring Errol Flynn and Ronald Reagan. The supporting cast includes Raymond Massey, Alan Hale Sr., and Arthur Kennedy. The melodramati ...

'' (1942) .... Mechanic (uncredited) * ''

The Devil with Hitler ''The Devil with Hitler'' (released in Great Britain as ''The Devil Checks Up'') is a black-and-white 1942 comedy short propaganda film that was one of Hal Roach's Streamliners short film series. When the board of directors of Hell want Adolf Hitle ...

'' (1942, Short, ... a.k.a. The Devil Checks Up (US: 16mm release title)) .... Gestapo Guard (uncredited) * ''

The Navy Comes Through ''The Navy Comes Through'' is a 1942 American World War II film directed by A. Edward Sutherland. It stars Pat O'Brien, George Murphy and Jane Wyatt. Vernon L. Walker and James G. Stewart were nominated for an Oscar for Best Special Effects. Th ...

'' (1942) .... U-Boat first officer (uncredited) * ''

Stand By All Networks ''Stand by All Networks'' is a 1942 American thriller film directed by Lew Landers and starring Florence Rice, John Beal and Margaret Hayes.Shull p.248 The films sets were designed by Lionel Banks. Plot Before Pearl Harbor, a radio reporter is ...

'' (1942) .... Sailor (uncredited) * ''

Chetniks The Chetniks,, ; formally the Chetnik Detachments of the Yugoslav Army, and also the Yugoslav Army in the Homeland; and informally colloquially the Ravna Gora Movement, was a Kingdom of Yugoslavia, Yugoslav royalist and Serbian nationalist m ...

'' (1943, ... a.k.a. Chetniks! The Fighting Guerrillas (US: poster title)... a.k.a. The Fighting Guerrillas (US: new title)) .... Nazi Officer (uncredited) * '' Tarzan Triumphs'' (1943, ... a.k.a. Edgar Rice Burroughs' Tarzan Triumphs (US: complete title)) .... Heinz (uncredited) * ''

The Moon Is Down ''The Moon Is Down'' is a novel by American writer John Steinbeck. Fashioned for adaptation for the theatre and for which Steinbeck received the Norwegian King Haakon VII Freedom Cross, it was published by Viking Press in March 1942. The sto ...

'' (1943) .... Sergeant (uncredited) * ''

Tonight We Raid Calais ''Tonight We Raid Calais'' is a 1943 American film directed by John Brahm and starring John Sutton, Lee J. Cobb, and Annabella. Plot Geoffrey Carter ( John Sutton), a young British commando officer, is sent into Nazi-occupied France as a one-m ...

'' (1943) .... German Soldier (uncredited) * ''

They Came to Blow Up America ''They Came to Blow Up America'', also known as ''School for Sabotage'' and ''School for Saboteurs'', is a 1943 American war spy film directed by Edward Ludwig and starring George Sanders and Anna Sten. It is based on the World War II Operation P ...

'' (1943) .... Cmdr. Ullrich Hauser * '' This Land Is Mine'' (1943) .... German Soldier (uncredited) * ''

Action in the North Atlantic ''Action in the North Atlantic'' is a 1943 American war film from Warner Bros. Pictures. It was produced by Jerry Wald, directed by Lloyd Bacon, and adapted by John Howard Lawson from a story by Guy Gilpatric. The film stars Humphrey Bogart and R ...

'' (1943) .... Norwegian Seaman (uncredited) * '' Above Suspicion'' (1943) .... German Guard (uncredited) * ''

Appointment in Berlin ''Appointment in Berlin'' (also known as ''Assignment in Berlin'') is a 1943 American war drama film directed by Alfred E. Green and starring George Sanders, Marguerite Chapman and Onslow Stevens. The film's plot follows an R.A.F. officer who i ...

'' (1943) .... Stockholm Waiter (uncredited) * '' First Comes Courage'' (1943) .... Captain Schmidt (uncredited) * '' Adventures of the Flying Cadets'' (1943, Serial) .... Jake (uncredited) * '' The Strange Death of Adolf Hitler'' (1943) .... Soldier (uncredited) * ''

I Dood It ''I Dood It'' (UK title ''By Hook or by Crook'') is a 1943 American musical comedy film starring Red Skelton and Eleanor Powell, directed by Vincente Minnelli, and released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The screenplay is by Fred Saidy and Sig Herzig ...

'' (1943, ... a.k.a. By Hook or by Crook (UK)) .... German Valet (uncredited) * ''

The Cross of Lorraine ''The Cross of Lorraine'' is a 1943 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer war film about French Prisoner of war, prisoners of war escaping a German prison camp and joining the French Resistance. Directed by Tay Garnett, starring Jean-Pierre Aumont and Gene Kelly, ...

'' (1943) .... German guard (uncredited) * ''

Jack London John Griffith London (; January 12, 1876 – November 22, 1916), better known as Jack London, was an American novelist, journalist and activist. A pioneer of commercial fiction and American magazines, he was one of the first American authors t ...

'' (1943) .... Axel (uncredited) * '' What a Woman!'' (1943, ... a.k.a. The Beautiful Cheat (UK)) .... Ricky (uncredited) * ''

None Shall Escape ''None Shall Escape'' is a 1944 war film. Even though the film was made during World War II, the setting is a post-war Nuremberg-style war crimes trial. Alexander Knox plays Wilhelm Grimm, a Nazi officer who is on trial, and the story unfolds thr ...

'' (1944) .... German Soldier (uncredited) * ''Two-Man Submarine'' (1944) .... Nazi Officer (uncredited) * ''

Knickerbocker Holiday ''Knickerbocker Holiday'' is a 1938 musical written by Kurt Weill (music) and Maxwell Anderson (book and lyrics); based loosely on Washington Irving's '' Knickerbocker's History of New York'' about life in 17th-century New Netherland (old New ...

'' (1944) .... Swedish Colonist (uncredited) * '' Address Unknown'' (1944) .... Angry German at Play (uncredited) * ''

The Story of Dr. Wassell ''The Story of Dr. Wassell'' is a 1944 American World War II film set in the Dutch East Indies, directed by Cecil B. DeMille, and starring Gary Cooper, Laraine Day, Signe Hasso and Dennis O'Keefe. The film was based on a book of the same name by ...

'' (1944) .... Dutch Guard (uncredited) * '' U-Boat Prisoner'' (1944, ... a.k.a. Dangerous Mists (UK)) .... U-Boat Lt. Dorner (uncredited) * '' Secrets of Scotland Yard'' (1944) .... Nazi Messenger (uncredited) * '' My Buddy'' (1944) .... German Sniper (uncredited) * ''

Counter-Attack A counterattack is a tactic employed in response to an attack, with the term originating in " war games". The general objective is to negate or thwart the advantage gained by the enemy during attack, while the specific objectives typically seek ...

'' (1945, ... a.k.a. One Against Seven (UK) (US:

working title A working title is a preliminary name for a product or project. The usage is especially common in film and TV, gaming, music and publishing. It is often styled in trade publications as (wt) and is synonymous with production title and tentative ...

)) .... German Lieutenant (uncredited) * ''

Nob Hill Nob Hill is a neighborhood of San Francisco, California, United States that is known for its numerous luxury hotels and historic mansions. Nob Hill has historically served as a center of San Francisco's upper class. Nob Hill is among the highe ...

'' (1945) .... Swedish Sailor (uncredited) * '' Pursuit to Algiers'' (1945, ... a.k.a. Sherlock Holmes in Pursuit to Algiers (US: series title)) .... Johansson (uncredited) * '' Blondie's Lucky Day'' (1946) .... Jensen, Butler's Masseur (uncredited) * ''

Spook Busters ''Spook Busters'' is a 1946 American comedy horror film, directed by William Beaudine and starring the comedy team of The Bowery Boys. It is the fourth film in the series of forty eight. In the film, the Boys are working as pest control agents. ...

'' (1946) .... Slip's Relative at Graduation (uncredited) * '' The Farmer's Daughter'' (1947) .... Dr. Mattsen (uncredited) * '' The Senator Was Indiscreet'' (1947, ... a.k.a. Mr. Ashton Was Indiscreet (UK)) .... Swedish Waiter (uncredited) * '' Letter from an Unknown Woman'' (1948) .... Mover (uncredited) * ''Annie Was a Wonder'' (1949, Short, ... a.k.a. John Nesbitt's Passing Parade: Annie Was a Wonder (US: series title)) .... Gus (as Hugo-Sven Borg) * ''Cargo to Capetown'' (1950) .... Captain (uncredited) * ''The Reformer and the Redhead'' (1950) .... Finnish-American Speaker (uncredited) * '' Fortunes of Captain Blood'' (1950) .... Swede * '' Santa Fe'' (1951) .... 'Swede' Swanstrom * ''

Reunion in Reno ''Reunion in Reno'' is a 1951 American comedy film directed by Kurt Neumann and starring Mark Stevens, Peggy Dow and Gigi Perreau.Quinlan p.143 The screenplay concerns a girl who hires an attorney to get her a divorce from her parents. The fi ...

'' (1951) .... Swedish Waiter (uncredited) * ''

Mutiny Mutiny is a revolt among a group of people (typically of a military or a crew) to oppose, change, or remove superiors or their orders. The term is commonly used for insubordination by members of the military against an officer or superior, ...

'' (1952) .... Sailor in Saloon (uncredited) * '' Captain Pirate'' (1952, ... a.k.a. Captain Blood, Fugitive (UK)) .... Swede * '' Desirée'' (1954) .... Aide (uncredited) * ''

It's Always Fair Weather ''It's Always Fair Weather'' is a 1955 American Musical film, musical romantic comedy film directed by Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen. The film was scripted by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, who also wrote the show's lyrics, with music by André P ...

'' (1955) .... Svenson – Masseur (uncredited) * ''

The Gale Storm Show ''The Gale Storm Show'' is an American sitcom starring Gale Storm. The series premiered on September 29, 1956, and ran until 1960 for 125 half-hour black-and-white episodes, initially on CBS and in its last year on ABC. Its title is also seen a ...

'' (1957, TV Series, ... a.k.a. "Oh! Susanna" – Swiss Miss).... Archer * '' The Prize'' (1963) .... Oscar Lindblom, Dead Make-up Artist (uncredited) (final film role)

Other sources

* Borg, Sven-Hugo ''The Only True Story of Greta Garbo’s Private Life'' (Amalgamated Press, Ltd., London, England. 1933) * Wollstein, Hans J. ''Strangers in Hollywood: the history of Scandinavian actors in American films from 1910 to World War II'' (Scarecrow Press. 1994)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Borg, Svenhugo 1896 births 1981 deaths People from Hässleholm Municipality Male actors from Skåne County Swedish emigrants to the United States 20th-century American male actors