København ved Nat - 1910
ABOUT THE FILM : København ved Nat
Det Danske FilminstitutCopenhagen by Night
Year: 1910
The women head to the theatre, leaving their husbands to their card games. They plan to meet up again after the show. Now that their wives have gone out, the lads hit the streets of Copenhagen to play the ladies' men.
Slightly tipsy, they wind up in a dive and in bad company. Filled with twists and turns, Copenhagen by night reveals its prostitutes and police stations. A bevy of Danish actors set the pace for a larger-than-life comedy. But who's going to be the dupe when all is said and done?
Nationality: Danish
Actors: Frederik Jensen, Oscar Stribolt, Lauritz Olsen, Carl Petersen, Emilie Sannom
Length: 27' 34"
Genre: comedy
Sound: silent with soundtrack
Original elements: tinted
Producer: Biorama
Composer: Antonio Coppola (2008)
Original language: Danish
A BRIEF HISTORY : København ved Nat
This comedy from the golden age of Danish silent film was re-released in 1915.
The famous Biorama production company had just been renamed Filmfabriken Skandinavien. Founder Søren Nielsen is responsible for the creation of Denmark' first permanent cinema in Alborg and the Biograf theatre (Biografteatret) in Nytorv. A modest company carried out the distribution for these locations, which grew in number and quickly became a chain.
Although the director of København ved Nat remains unknown, the film is brought to life by a host of famous actors steeped in the tradition of theatre. Among them, Lauritz Olsen (1872-1965) is a true Stakhanovist of the screen. The actor played over 200 silent and sound roles and holds the Danish film record for longevity and productivity.
His associate Oscar Stribolt, better known by his nickname &lsquoStri'(1873-1927), also enjoyed enormous popularity, boosted by his oversized build. Immediately recognizable by his large size and cutting humour, he boasts a career of almost 160 films.
After this production for Biorama, Stribold merged with Nordisk Films, whose remarkable productions rivalled those of Hollywood. The stage actors were hired permanently by the studio, which played a major part in the golden age of Danish silent film.
The script department at Nordisk followed very specific instructions, since the films were aimed at an international market. The storylines depicted the upper class and had either a happy or a sad ending, depending on the country of export. The &ldquoerotic melodrama&rdquo quickly caught on, inspired by the astonishing and sensational success of actress Asta Nielsen and her film The Abyss (Afgrunden, 1910).
There are several copies of København ved Nat, as well as two written programmes. The 1910 original exists in 35 mm, but two scenes have been censured. The uncut version of the film was released in 1915. There are two copies on nitrate reels from the 1940s, as well as an acetate positive film from 1960. Since 2000, four backup copies have made it possible to restore the film to its original hues.
The original music for this film was composed by Antonio Coppola in 2008.
