Atlantis (1913 film)
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| Atlantis | |
|---|---|
 1913 Movie Poster by Aage Lund |
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| Directed by | August Blom |
| Written by | Karl Ludvig Schroder Axel Garde Gerhart Hauptmann (book) |
| Starring | Olaf Fønss Ida Orlov |
| Cinematography | Johan Ankerstjerne |
| Distributed by | Nordisk Film Kompagni |
| Release date(s) | December 26, 1913 |
| Running time | 113 min |
| Country |  Denmark |
| Language | silent film |
| Allmovie profile | |
| IMDb profile | |
Atlantis, (1913), is a melodramatic silent film from Denmark that was the first multi-reeled Danish feature movie. It was directed by August Blom, the head of production at the Nordisk Film company, and was based upon the 1912 novel by Gerhart Hauptmann, winner of the 1912 Nobel Prize. The film starred an international cast headlined by Danish matinee idol Olaf Fønss and Austrian opera diva Ida Orlov.
The story, which tells the tale of a doctor who travels to the United States in search of a cure for his ailing wife, includes the tragic sinking of an ocean liner after it strikes an object at sea. Released only one year after the sinking of the Titanic, the movie drew considerable attention as well as criticism due to similarities to the actual tragedy.
The high production cost for Atlantis were not equaled by box office returns at that time. However, the film went on to become the most watched film for Nordisk Film and has been hailed by film historian Erik Ulrichsen as a Danish masterpiece and "one of the first modern films." [1]
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[edit] Plot
Dr. Friedrich von Kammacher (Olaf Fønss), a surgeon, is devastated after his wife develops a brain disorder and is institutionalized. He leaves Denmark in search of a cure for his wife's illness. Von Kammacher travels to Berlin, where he meets a young dancer named Ingigerd (Ida Orlov) and becomes romantically involved. The pair decide to leave for New York and board an ocean liner. The ship, the SS Atlantis, steams at record speed. The distinct class division aboard ship scenes becomes apparent through several on-board stories. Von Kammacher falls in love with a poor Russian emigrant in Third Class and divides his attention between her and Ingigerd.
Halfway across the sea the Atlantis strikes an unseen object which causes massive flooding and dooms the ship. The passengers panic as the ship sinks into the Atlantic. Von Kammacher saves both Ingigerd and his other lover, then climbs into the last lifeboat. After drifitng for hours, a passing freighter rescues the survivors.
Von Kammacher and Ingigerd arrive in New York and she begins her career. Von Kammacher is impressed by an art gallery and takes an interest in fine art. They meet a talented actor named Arthur Floss who gets Ingigerd into big time show business. Von Kammacher says goodbye to her and he resumes looking for a cure for his wife. Von Kammacher meets a sculptress named Eva Burns (Ebba Thomsen) who leads him to a house in the mountains where he discovers a medicine. Von Kammacher returns to Denmark with the medicine and cures his beloved wife.
[edit] Production
The sinking of the Atlantis used a real cargo ship that was sunk off Zeeland, a province in the southwest of the Netherlands. Some sources claim that the sinking ship scenes were inspired by the Titanic sinking, but this is not true. It was based on a novel written before that.
An alternate ending,in which the Doctor dies at the end, was made for the Russian market. It was believed the Russians had a love for sad endings.[2]
[edit] Cast
- Olaf Fønss ... Dr. Friedrich von Kammacher
- Ida Orlov ... Ingigerd Hahlstroem, artistic dancer
- Ebba Thomsen ... Eva Burns, sculptress
- Alma Hinding ... Russian immigrant
- Carl Lauritzen ... Dr. Schmidt
- Frederik Jacobsen ... Dr. Georg Rasmussen
- Charles Unthan ... Arthur Stoss, armless man
- Torben Meyer ... Willy Snyders, artist
- Cajus Bruun ... Friedrich's father
- Sven Kombach .. Captain
- Christain Schrøder ... Ingigerd's father
- Michael Curtiz ... Hans Fuellenberg, Friedrich's college pal (credited as Mihály Kertész)
- Marie Dinesen ... Friedrich's mother
- Lily Frederiksen
- Thomas P. Hejle ... Clerk
- Alma Hinding ... Fugitive
- Musse Kornbech ... Young Canadian lady
- Svend Kornbech ... Ship's captain
- Bertel Krause ... Artist's agent
- Emilie Otterdah ... Lady at fancy dress ball
- Carl Schenstrøm
- Albrecht Schmidt ... Eva's father
- Christian Schrøder ... Ingigerd's father
- Franz Skondrup ... Stoss's waiter-helper
- Alfred Stigaard ... Ship's 1st Mate Wilhelm
[edit] Restored Version
Atlantis was restored and released on laserdisc in 1993 and in DVD format in 2005. The restoration was created through a high definition scan of a restored negative and the tinting was recreated using an abbreviated version from The National Film Center in Japan.[3] The restored version also was made with combined intertitles in Danish and English. Extra material on the DVD included the 2-minute alternative ending originally filmed for Russian audiences and the 15-minute surviving fragment of August Blom’s and Holger-Madsen’s film Liebelei from 1914.
[edit] Notes
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