Grete Frische
Encyclopedia
Grete Frische was a Danish
actress, screenwriter and director. The daughter of a playwright, Frische is best known for her screenplays, especially the war drama Støt står den danske sømand (English: The Viking Watch of the Danish Seaman
) which received the 1949 Bodil Award for Best Danish Film
. During a short career of less than 24 years, Frische wrote 22 produced screenplays including five of the popular Far til Fire (English: Father of Four
) family comedies and two adaptations of Morten Korch
novels.
, Denmark
, the daughter of the actor and playwright Axel Frische
and Christine Jørgine Christensen. In accordance with her father's wishes, Frische began her career by studying English and History at Bedford
, England rather than attending theater school. While studying in England, she met a young Burmese student, whom she married, and moved to Mandalay
and Rangoon. Before the outbreak of World War II, she divorced her husband, became ill, and returned home to Denmark.
companies, where she was a director's assistant to Benjamin Christensen
and Emanuel Gregers
, and in May 1943 she arrived at the newly established Saga Studio as a writer and film director. Frische wrote novellas and radio plays and the book Vejen til Mandaley (The Road to Mandalay), however her dramatic talent was seen best through her screenplays. Beginning in May 1945, Frische became a freelance screenwriter, working mostly for ASA Film for whom she wrote five of the Far til fire (Father of Four) family comedies. She also adapted two Morten Korch
novels for the screen: Fløjtespilleren and Flintesønnerne. In 1948, Frische wrote the true war drama The Viking Watch of the Danish Seaman
(Støt står den danske sømand) which she based upon the wartime diary of Kaj Frische. The film received critical acclaim and won the 1949 Bodil Award for Best Danish Film
.
In the 1940s, Frische also directed several of her own stories including Kriminalassistant Bloch (Detective Bloch), En ny dag gryr (A New Day Dawns) and Så mødes vi hos Tove (We Meet at Tove's
). She also performed on screen as well as in Cabaret theater shows. In the 1940s, Frische also popularized the comedy character of Snøvle-Sofie which she performed for a weekly radio program. The character was often transferred to Frische's films as a whining, but tough gossip, such as the surly housemaid she played in We Meet at Tove's.
In 1959, Frische was scheduled to perform in the film Eventyr på Mallorca (Adventure on Mallorca), but shortly after her arrival in Palma Frische became ill and needed to return home. After a long illness, she wrote a film about her life in the hospital. Frische died on 17 August 1962 at the age of 51. In a career which spanned less than 24 years, Frische produced 22 screenplays, performed in 10 movies, and directed 4 films.
Danish language
Danish is a North Germanic language spoken by around six million people, principally in the country of Denmark. It is also spoken by 50,000 Germans of Danish ethnicity in the northern parts of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, where it holds the status of minority language...
actress, screenwriter and director. The daughter of a playwright, Frische is best known for her screenplays, especially the war drama Støt står den danske sømand (English: The Viking Watch of the Danish Seaman
The Viking Watch of the Danish Seaman
The Viking Watch of the Danish Seaman is a 1948 Danish war drama directed by Bodil Ipsen and Lau Lauritzen Jr. The film, written by Grete Frische based upon the wartime diary of Kaj Frische, tells the true story of Danish sailors who sailed with the Allied forces during the German occupation of...
) which received the 1949 Bodil Award for Best Danish Film
Bodil Award for Best Danish Film
The Bodil Award for Best Danish Film is one of the categories for the Bodil Awards presented annually by the Danish Union of Film Critics . It was created in 1948 and is one of the oldest film prizes in Europe. The judging committee can decide not to give out the award if no deserving films are...
. During a short career of less than 24 years, Frische wrote 22 produced screenplays including five of the popular Far til Fire (English: Father of Four
Father of Four
Far til Fire, , is a 1953 Danish family comedy directed by Alice O'Fredericks and starring Ib Schønberg and Birgitte Bruun. The film is based on the comic strip by Kaj Engholm and Olaf Hast...
) family comedies and two adaptations of Morten Korch
Morten Korch
Morten Korch was a Danish writer who wrote populist stories and romances about rural Denmark. During his lifetime, he was the most widely read author in Denmark. Korch wrote 123 novels, several of which were made into popular films. In 1937, Korch was awarded a Danish knighthood in the Order of...
novels.
Early life
Grete Frische was born on 15 June 1911 in CopenhagenCopenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, the daughter of the actor and playwright Axel Frische
Axel Frische
Axel Frische was a Danish screenwriter, actor and film director. He wrote for 23 films between 1914 and 1956...
and Christine Jørgine Christensen. In accordance with her father's wishes, Frische began her career by studying English and History at Bedford
Bedford
Bedford is the county town of Bedfordshire, in the East of England. It is a large town and the administrative centre for the wider Borough of Bedford. According to the former Bedfordshire County Council's estimates, the town had a population of 79,190 in mid 2005, with 19,720 in the adjacent town...
, England rather than attending theater school. While studying in England, she met a young Burmese student, whom she married, and moved to Mandalay
Mandalay
Mandalay is the second-largest city and the last royal capital of Burma. Located north of Yangon on the east bank of the Irrawaddy River, the city has a population of one million, and is the capital of Mandalay Region ....
and Rangoon. Before the outbreak of World War II, she divorced her husband, became ill, and returned home to Denmark.
Career
Shortly after her return in 1938, Frische made her stage debut at Det Ny Teater as Fedosia in Opstandelse under the direction of her father. Her theater talents were evident and she was engaged in roles at the Betty Nansen and Rialto Theaters in Copenhagen. She completed an education as a dramatist and film director at ASA and Nordisk FilmNordisk Film
Nordisk Film , established in Denmark in 1906 by Danish filmmaker Ole Olsen, is the oldest continuously operating film studio in the world. Olsen started his company in the Copenhagen suburb of Valby under the name "Ole Olsen's Film Factory" but soon changed it to the Nordisk Film Kompagni...
companies, where she was a director's assistant to Benjamin Christensen
Benjamin Christensen
Benjamin Christensen was a Danish film director, screenwriter and an actor both in film and on the stage. As a director he is most well known for the 1922 film Häxan and as an actor, he is best known for his performance in the film Michael , in which he plays Claude Zoret, the jilted lover of the...
and Emanuel Gregers
Emanuel Gregers
Emanuel Gregers was a Danish actor, screenwriter and film director. Gregers made 36 films during a career which extended during four decades from the Danish golden age of silent film until 1949. Critics often dismissed his work as dependable yet uninspired, however many of his light-hearted...
, and in May 1943 she arrived at the newly established Saga Studio as a writer and film director. Frische wrote novellas and radio plays and the book Vejen til Mandaley (The Road to Mandalay), however her dramatic talent was seen best through her screenplays. Beginning in May 1945, Frische became a freelance screenwriter, working mostly for ASA Film for whom she wrote five of the Far til fire (Father of Four) family comedies. She also adapted two Morten Korch
Morten Korch
Morten Korch was a Danish writer who wrote populist stories and romances about rural Denmark. During his lifetime, he was the most widely read author in Denmark. Korch wrote 123 novels, several of which were made into popular films. In 1937, Korch was awarded a Danish knighthood in the Order of...
novels for the screen: Fløjtespilleren and Flintesønnerne. In 1948, Frische wrote the true war drama The Viking Watch of the Danish Seaman
The Viking Watch of the Danish Seaman
The Viking Watch of the Danish Seaman is a 1948 Danish war drama directed by Bodil Ipsen and Lau Lauritzen Jr. The film, written by Grete Frische based upon the wartime diary of Kaj Frische, tells the true story of Danish sailors who sailed with the Allied forces during the German occupation of...
(Støt står den danske sømand) which she based upon the wartime diary of Kaj Frische. The film received critical acclaim and won the 1949 Bodil Award for Best Danish Film
Bodil Award for Best Danish Film
The Bodil Award for Best Danish Film is one of the categories for the Bodil Awards presented annually by the Danish Union of Film Critics . It was created in 1948 and is one of the oldest film prizes in Europe. The judging committee can decide not to give out the award if no deserving films are...
.
In the 1940s, Frische also directed several of her own stories including Kriminalassistant Bloch (Detective Bloch), En ny dag gryr (A New Day Dawns) and Så mødes vi hos Tove (We Meet at Tove's
We Meet at Tove's
We Meet at Tove's is a 1946 Danish drama directed by Alice O'Fredericks and Grete Frische. The film stars an ensemble cast, including Illona Wieselmann, Gull-Maj Norin, Helle Virkner and Inger Stender in a story about eight women who meet ten years after their high school graduation to discuss the...
). She also performed on screen as well as in Cabaret theater shows. In the 1940s, Frische also popularized the comedy character of Snøvle-Sofie which she performed for a weekly radio program. The character was often transferred to Frische's films as a whining, but tough gossip, such as the surly housemaid she played in We Meet at Tove's.
In 1959, Frische was scheduled to perform in the film Eventyr på Mallorca (Adventure on Mallorca), but shortly after her arrival in Palma Frische became ill and needed to return home. After a long illness, she wrote a film about her life in the hospital. Frische died on 17 August 1962 at the age of 51. In a career which spanned less than 24 years, Frische produced 22 screenplays, performed in 10 movies, and directed 4 films.
Actress
- Niels Pind og hans dreng (1941)
- En ny dag gryer (1945)
- Så mødes vi hos Tove (1946)
- MosekongenMosekongenMosekongen is a 1950 Danish family film directed by Jon Iversen and Alice O'Fredericks.-Cast:* Johannes Meyer - Claus Munk* Poul Reichhardt - Jørgen Munk* Tove Maës - Hanne* Peter Malberg - Sofus 'Fusser' Hansen* Grete Frische - Norma...
(1950) - Hold fingrene fra mor (1951)
- Unge piger forsvinder i København (1951)
- Hvad vil De ha' ? (1956)
- Jomfruburet (TV) (1959)
- Eventyrrejsen (1960)
- Landsbylægen (1961)
Screenwriter
- Rasmines bryllup (1935)
- Niels Pind og hans dreng (1941)
- Kriminalassistent Bloch (1943)
- En ny dag gryer (1945)
- Så mødes vi hos Tove (1946)
- Jeg elsker en anden (1946)
- Lise kommer til byenLise kommer til ByenLise kommer til Byen is a 1947 Danish family film directed by Lau Lauritzen, Jr. and Alice O'Fredericks.-Cast:* Gerda Gilboe - Lise Olsen* Poul Reichhardt - Instruktør Dan 'Basse' Burling* Lau Lauritzen, Jr...
(1947) - Støt står den danske sømand (1948)
- Vi vil ha' et barn (1949)
- FodboldpræstenFodboldpræstenFodboldpræsten is a 1951 Danish family film directed by Alice O'Fredericks.-Cast:* Jørgen Reenberg - Præst Søren Holm* Grethe Thordahl - Inger Dahl* Ib Schønberg - Direktør Jacob Dahl* Peter Malberg - Degnen Ottesen* Helga Frier - Fru Dahl...
(1951) - FløjtespillerenFløjtespillerenFløjtespilleren is a 1953 Danish family film directed by Alice O'Fredericks.-Cast:* Helga Frier - Cirkusdirektør Karla* Peter Malberg - Laurits 'Laust' Jeppesen* Poul Reichhardt - Kurt / Martin Vest* Grethe Holmer - Bodil Nielsen...
(1953) - En sømand går i landEn sømand går i landEn sømand går i land is a 1954 Danish comedy film directed by Lau Lauritzen, Jr. and starring Poul Reichhardt.-Cast:* Poul Reichhardt - Vladimir W. Olsen* Lau Lauritzen, Jr. - Frederik Larsen* Mogens Hermansen - Portneren i sømandshjemmet...
(1954) - Far til fire i sneen (1954)
- Min datter NellyMin datter NellyMin datter Nelly is a 1955 Danish family film directed by Alice O'Fredericks.-Cast:* Maria Garland - Fru Ingeborg Olsen* Poul Reichhardt - Dyrlæge Kaare* Lillian Tillegren - Nelly* Randi Michelsen - Tante Jessie* Erni Arneson - Kitty...
(1955) - Far til fire på landet (1955)
- Far til fire i byen (1956)
- FlintesønnerneFlintesønnerneFlintesønnerne is a 1956 Danish family film directed by Alice O'Fredericks.-Cast:* Poul Reichhardt - Jesper Poulsen* Peter Malberg - Mikkel* Ib Mossin - Viggo* Ebbe Langberg - Martin* Hanne Winther-Jørgensen - Karen* Astrid Villaume - Anna...
(1956) - Far til fire og onkel Sofus (1957)
- Far til fire og ulveungerne (1958)
- Eventyrrejsen (1960)
Director
- Niels Pind og hans dreng (1941)
- Moster fra MolsMoster fra MolsMoster fra Mols is a 1943 Danish family film directed by Poul Bang and starring Rasmus Christiansen.-Synopsis:A wealthy businessman and his wife deal with gardening troubles and more importantly, their daughter's depression after she has had several romantic problems.-Cast:* Rasmus Christiansen -...
(1943) - Kriminalassistent Bloch (1943)
- En ny dag gryer (1945)
- Så mødes vi hos Tove (1946)
External links
- Grete Frische at IMDb
- Grete Frische at Den Danske Film Database (in Danish)
- Grete Frische at Det Danske Filmistitut (in Danish)
- Grete Frische at danskfilmogtv.dk