Ib Schønberg

Grave robbing, torture, possessed nuns, and a satanic Sabbath: Benjamin Christensen's legendary film uses a series of dramatic vignettes to explore the scientific hypothesis that the witches of the Middle Ages suffered the same hysteria as turn-of-the-century psychiatric patients. But the film itself is far from serious-- instead it's a witches' brew of the scary, gross, and darkly humorous.

The good people of a small community in the countryside near Copenhagen enjoy life and find their way to love.

A train pulls into Copenhagen Central Station, and 16-year-old Dorte gets off. She needs to find some people on a road somewhere near Svanemøllen. Here, in a beautiful villa, lives Asger Haensen, a director who runs a large company in Copenhagen. He lives with his two children, Margot and Steen. Asger Haensen lives a superficial and overly expensive life—among other things, he has an expensive girlfriend. In the evening, the doorbell rings at the director's house. Outside stands Dorte with a letter that must be delivered to him personally. The letter reveals that Dorte is the result of a small youthful mistake on the part of the director. So Dorte stays in the house. Dorte does not quite fit into the elegant home. But she is feisty—and brings life to the house!

Søndreø is a small, peaceful island in one of Denmark's fjords, owned and run by the old farmer Lars Søndervold and his son Søren. But times are hard, and everything is not going as it should. The greedy, bragging merchant Anders Lundrup has used all means to gain possession of the island, and one fine day Søren and his old father must leave their ancestral farm and the island. Søren swears an expensive oath - he will earn so much money that he can one day buy the farm and the island back, and at the same time he swears revenge on Anders Lundrup.

Anno 1826. Grethi Birger is 17 years old and is now all alone in the world. Her mother is dead, and she has never known her father. Grethi are now looking for the mother's only sister, aunt Birger who has a laundry in a remote provincial town. Aunt is of strictly religious disposition, receiving sister daughter with cool goodness. When the young county clerk Peer discovers that Grethi is heir to a large fortune from his father, he plans to marry her without telling anything about the legacy.

A bunch of wagons are crossing the border. It's the Karla Circus, which, after a rough season in Germany, is gonna try its luck in Denmark. Mrs. Karla, the beloved and respected circus director, goes through passports and papers with the customs officers... everything's fine, so the circus caravan can keep going to the next town. One of the circus employees is caught harboring a vagrant in his wagon. But when it turns out that the vagrant is an excellent flute player, he becomes an asset to Circus Karla.

At Vesterbros Torv in Copenhagen, Olsen has his newspaper kiosk. Here comes high and low in society: Homeless, a district attorney with pain in marriage, a barmaid and a writer. They all fight with theirs, while Olsen's good heart makes him interfere in everything he can.

The priest in Solby borrows 2,000 kroons from the parish council treasury to pay for one of his parishioners' hospital stays in Germany. Marianne, the rich man's daughter, is to be a bridesmaid in Aalborg and is leaving Copenhagen for Jutland. In Solby, she drives too fast through the town, which is why she has a car accident and ends up in the priest's garden! She immediately starts to lead everyone around the rectory, which Aunt Marie is definitely not happy about. The priest, on the other hand, is attracted to the girl. They swim in the lake and go to a ball together, which leads to Mrs. Larsen coming in to talk to the bishop. After Marianne has returned to Copenhagen, the bishop announces his arrival at the rectory. Where will the priest now find the 2,000 kroons? The priest has a number of friends who are trying to help him, but he also receives unexpected help from the bishop.

Behind the red gates lies Dyrehaven with the green beeches and the famous zoo hill - the motley world of clowns. Professor Labardi is behind the popular singer pavilion, where his young daughter, Gulnare, performs. After a rainy summer, there is an economic low tide on Bakken, and the family is tempted to seek help from Gulnare's enterprising suitor, Carlo Petersen. But Professor Labardi carries a secret: the clown family has family ties to the fine legal world outside the gates. There is conflict, money transactions, love, hypocrisy and villainous streaks when the fine world and the hill folk meet. Behind the Red Gates is a terrific folk comedy that takes us behind the attractions at the traditional amusement park in Klampenborg.

Søren Holm becomes a pastor in the small town of Harslev. The parish council chairwoman, Mrs. Andersen, interferes in the pastor's family's private life, and when Søren plays in a soccer game to get to know the town's young men, Mrs. Andersen becomes furious. Half of the parish turns its back on Søren. But Søren does good work for the young people, and gradually, with the help of the parish clerk, he is accepted by both the parish council and the town's youth.

The large manufacturer, engineer Steen Andersen, is a powerful man. A large staff jumps at his slightest whim, he is used to his every order being carried out, and he does not know how to be told off at all. But suddenly his entire regular life is shaken up, and the reason is a young, lovely girl on horseback in the Deer Park. Steen Andersen has met her several times on his morning rides. But how to get to know her?

A dangerous prison escaper, a young Jutland woman, and a bank clerk, who has just deprived his employer of some cash and is now headed abroad, meet on a lyntog (literally "lightning train") from Arhus to Copenhagen.

In a large fish export company, the general manager's talented son Hugo holds a trusted position. When one day 500 kroner is missing from the cash register, speculation begins about who the culprit might be. Greengrocer Olsen is a happy man, completely satisfied with the lot he has been allotted in life. When he is drawn as a juror in the case against the general manager of the fish export company, he is beside himself: he has no idea. But who is the culprit anyway?

An everyday story about a single father with four children, whose eldest daughter, Søs, runs the household. Søs occasionally goes into town with Peter. In connection with Ole's schooling, she comes into contact with his teacher, Jørgen Stæhr. Gradually, love develops between them, especially after Søs and Jørgen participate together in Children's Aid Day. Uncle Anders is a frequent guest in the house, and the neighbor, Mrs. Sejersen, often visits under various pretexts.

The world-distant and absent-minded professor Jacob Jensen lives exclusively for his science and his stamps. He has no idea what is going on around him, in his own home. In the 11 years since his wife died, his capable, wise and lovable housekeeper Karen Frederiksen has, with a loving hand, managed the home for him and his 3 children. The aspiring amateur boxer Oscar and the 2 daughters Else-Margrethe and Birthe. She has shared in the children's sorrows and joys and has often lent them money when they have had dry pocket pains. She has praised and scolded them at the right times - in short, she has been in their mother's place. Both the professor and the children take her for granted. They take her services, big and small, for granted, and do not quite understand what she really means to them.

After World War II, Europe lies in ruins and help is desperately needed everywhere. One person trying to make a difference is Dr. Jørgen Vedel, who travels with the Red Cross to Vienna to vaccinate children. There he meets Leni, a girl who has been to Auschwitz, where she lost her mother. Jørgen arranges for Leni to come to Denmark, where she can start a whole new life.

Fourteen-year-old Jan and his companion Erling appear as extras in a film being filmed at Nordisk Film's studios in Valby. A mysterious burglary at the studio's fine mechanics workshop gives the two healthy boys the opportunity to act as detectives.

Eight separate family dramas (uncovering many aspects of deceit) are woven together to the sound of a certain Chopin waltz.

In the year 1646, Denmark is at peace. Only recently have the last occupying troops left Jutland, leaving behind the sad traces of iron heels. The administration has partially collapsed, the kingdom is short of money, and what money there is is unevenly distributed. This is the unusual and sad background to this unpretentious account.

Kjeld Petersen plays a merchant who has stolen his clothes when he is out take a dip in the Sound. He stopped by the police, and they find a call to military service in his pocket, after further complications lands him at the barracks, where he came under the loving care of 66 (Dirch compatible) and 65 (Ove Sprogø). So the stage is set for lots of fun and games, in the right old style.