Gull-Maj Norin
Encyclopedia
Gull-Maj Norin, was a Danish
actress of stage and film who performed for acting companies in both Denmark and Sweden during the 1930s and 40's. She is best known for her leading role as the suspected serial murderer in the 1944 film noir
thriller Melody of Murder
.
, Sweden
on 4 April 1920. Norin was the daughter of Swedish actress Ann-Sofi Norin (1893–1942) and moved with her to Denmark when she was 10-years-old. She began her career as an artist, studying with the painter Peter Rostrup Bøyesen. She made her stage debut in a 1931 production of Lysistrata
at the Riddersalen Theater in Copenhagen. The following year Norin landed a small role as a choirgirl in Emanuel Gregers
's comedy film Odds 777
. During the next several years she performed as a cabaret singer and stage actress in many theaters in Denmark and Sweden.
melodrama Fredløs (Outlawed). After seeing her performance, the Hollywood director Josef von Sternberg
asked Norin to replace the injured Merle Oberon
in his film I, Claudius
. However, the outbreak of World War II prevented the production. Norin worked for ASA Film company in such movies as De Tre, måske fire, Nordhavets mænd and with Max Hansen in Wienerbarnet. With her Swedish background, she also made several films in Sweden. In 1942, Norin began working with Danish director Bodil Ipsen
. Norin's finest performance came in their third collaboration, Ipsen's 1944 crime thriller Mordets Melodi, in which Norin played a cabaret singer suspected of serial murder. The film is considered the first Danish film noir.
Norin made her final film, Mani in 1947. Thereafter, she withdrew from public performance. The Danish film critic Morten Piils wrote that Norin's acting created a "different female type with figures filled with tragic undertones and vague suffering."
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...
actress of stage and film who performed for acting companies in both Denmark and Sweden during the 1930s and 40's. She is best known for her leading role as the suspected serial murderer in the 1944 film noir
Film noir
Film noir is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and sexual motivations. Hollywood's classic film noir period is generally regarded as extending from the early 1940s to the late 1950s...
thriller Melody of Murder
Melody of Murder
The Melody of Murder, , is a 1944 Danish film noir directed by Bodil Ipsen and starring Gull-Maj Norin and Poul Reichhardt. The dark tale revolves around a sexually ambiguous serial killer whose crimes are committed to a French cabaret song, and the police suspect a chanteuse who sings the same...
.
Early life
Gull-Maj Norin was born in HelsingborgHelsingborg
Helsingborg is a city and the seat of Helsingborg Municipality, Skåne County, Sweden with 97,122 inhabitants in 2010. Helsingborg is the centre of an area in the Øresund region of about 320,000 inhabitants in north-west Scania, and is Sweden's closest point to Denmark, with the Danish city...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
on 4 April 1920. Norin was the daughter of Swedish actress Ann-Sofi Norin (1893–1942) and moved with her to Denmark when she was 10-years-old. She began her career as an artist, studying with the painter Peter Rostrup Bøyesen. She made her stage debut in a 1931 production of Lysistrata
Lysistrata
Lysistrata is one of eleven surviving plays written by Aristophanes. Originally performed in classical Athens in 411 BC, it is a comic account of one woman's extraordinary mission to end The Peloponnesian War...
at the Riddersalen Theater in Copenhagen. The following year Norin landed a small role as a choirgirl in 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...
's comedy film Odds 777
Odds 777
Odds 777 is a 1932 Danish family film directed by George Schnéevoigt. The film stars Liva Weel and Inger Stender.-Cast:*Liva Weel as Hansy Hansen*Emanuel Gregers as Godsejer Rosen*Inger Stender as Inga Rosen*Angelo Bruun as Hans Berg...
. During the next several years she performed as a cabaret singer and stage actress in many theaters in Denmark and Sweden.
Film career
Norin became a film star in Denmark during the 1940s, however her career was brief. After several small roles, her breakthrough came as the heroine in the George SchnéevoigtGeorge Schnéevoigt
George Schnéevoigt was a Danish film director, cinematographer, and actor of the 1930s and early 1940s....
melodrama Fredløs (Outlawed). After seeing her performance, the Hollywood director Josef von Sternberg
Josef von Sternberg
Josef von Sternberg — born Jonas Sternberg — was an Austrian-American film director. He is particularly noted for his distinctive mise en scène, use of lighting and soft lens, and seven-film collaboration with actress Marlene Dietrich.-Youth:Von Sternberg was born Jonas Sternberg to a Jewish...
asked Norin to replace the injured Merle Oberon
Merle Oberon
Merle Oberon was an Indian-born British actress best known for her screen performances in The Scarlet Pimpernel and The Cowboy and the Lady . She began her film career in British films as Anne Boleyn in The Private Life of Henry VIII . She travelled to the United States to make films for Samuel...
in his film I, Claudius
I, Claudius
I, Claudius is a novel by English writer Robert Graves, written in the form of an autobiography of the Roman Emperor Claudius. As such, it includes history of the Julio-Claudian Dynasty and Roman Empire, from Julius Caesar's assassination in 44 BC to Caligula's assassination in AD 41...
. However, the outbreak of World War II prevented the production. Norin worked for ASA Film company in such movies as De Tre, måske fire, Nordhavets mænd and with Max Hansen in Wienerbarnet. With her Swedish background, she also made several films in Sweden. In 1942, Norin began working with Danish director Bodil Ipsen
Bodil Ipsen
Bodil Ipsen was a Danish actress and film director, and is considered one of the great stars of Danish cinematic history. Her acting career, which began in theater and silent films, was marked by leading roles in large folk comedies and melodramas...
. Norin's finest performance came in their third collaboration, Ipsen's 1944 crime thriller Mordets Melodi, in which Norin played a cabaret singer suspected of serial murder. The film is considered the first Danish film noir.
Norin made her final film, Mani in 1947. Thereafter, she withdrew from public performance. The Danish film critic Morten Piils wrote that Norin's acting created a "different female type with figures filled with tragic undertones and vague suffering."
Personal life
Norin married film and television director Søren Melson in 1940. They remained married until his death in 1984. Norin died on 27 November 1993.Filmography
- Odds 777Odds 777Odds 777 is a 1932 Danish family film directed by George Schnéevoigt. The film stars Liva Weel and Inger Stender.-Cast:*Liva Weel as Hansy Hansen*Emanuel Gregers as Godsejer Rosen*Inger Stender as Inga Rosen*Angelo Bruun as Hans Berg...
(1932) - Två man om en änka (1933)
- Karl Fredrik regerar (1934) .... Lena ... aka Karl Fredrik Reigns (USA)
- Sången om den eldröda blomman (1934) .... Maikki ... aka Man's Way with Women (USA)
- Fredløs (1935)
- Det begyndte ombord (1937)
- De tre, måske fire (1939)
- Nordhavets mændNordhavets mændNordhavets mænd is a 1939 Danish family adventure film directed by Lau Lauritzen.-Cast:*Johannes Meyer ... Sigurds far, konsul Jernø*Lau Lauritzen ... Sigurd Jernø*Poul Reichhardt ... Lorens*Gull-Maj Norin ... Aino Flatø...
(1939) - Wienerbarnet - (1941)
- Alle mand på dæk (1942)
- En herre i kjole og hvidt (1942) .... Gloria Brandt ... aka A Gentleman in Top Hat and Tails
- Tante Cramers testamente (1942)
- Et skud før midnat (1942)
- Ballade i Nyhavn (1942)
- Drama på slottet (1943)
- Mordets Melodi (1944) ... Cabaret Singer Odette Margot/Sonja ... aka Melody of MurderMelody of MurderThe Melody of Murder, , is a 1944 Danish film noir directed by Bodil Ipsen and starring Gull-Maj Norin and Poul Reichhardt. The dark tale revolves around a sexually ambiguous serial killer whose crimes are committed to a French cabaret song, and the police suspect a chanteuse who sings the same...
- I går og i morgen (1945)
- Så mødes vi hos Tove (1946).... Gerd ... akaWe Meet at Tove'sWe Meet at Tove'sWe 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...
- Mani (1947)
External links
- Den Danske Film Database (In Danish)
- Det Danske Filminstitut
- IMDb