Django Nudo and the Smut Peddler mourn Kitten Natividad but celebrate the 100th birthday of Bert I Gordon, the director of big creature and small people fantasy films who is still alive. They also announce that the European Genre Film Foundation has acquired the Joe Sarno collection of costumes, props, scripts and more from his widow Peggy Sarno, including the notorious double-dildo rocking horse from Young Playthings (1972).
Kenne Fant was a talented director who was overshadowed by Ingmar Bergman, just like his contemporaries Hasse Ekman and Arne Mattsson. He often worked with the same actors as Bergmen, including Bibi Andersson and Max von Sydow. Other of his actors had no problem switching between arthouse and exploitation films, like Lars Ekborg (Blonde in Bondage, The Dance Hall), Christina Schollin and others. Special mention to older actor Edvin Adolphson.
As the films were produced by Nordisk Tonefilm, owned by the Swedish labour movement, there are some recurring political/didactic themes: one being criticism against the church and conservative priests, the conflict between rural and urban Sweden, and how young people try to change their lives, despite the grown-up world.
Wings in the Night (1953) - An orphan boy and the vicar's daughter fall in love, but her father is opposed to their relationship.
Young Summer (1954) - Helge Lysvik is a farmer's son. He dreams of a future as a musician, but there are many obstacles on the way. He's also torn between the girl next door and big city life.
The Taming of Love (1955) - The headmaster's wife in the small town has just published an acclaimed collection of love poems. Everyone is curious about who the young lover of the poems might be.
Tarps Elin (1956) - Elin Tarp is an unmarried mother with three children, who lives a hard life in the countryside. Eva Dahlbeck was referred to as “Battleship Femininity” by Ingmar Bergman.
The Priest in Uddarbo (1958) - A young Max von Sydow impresses with warmth and humor as a young preacher, mobilizing the whole village to build a church. (No exorcism involved.)
The Game of Love (1959) - Colourful and innovative marital comedy. The everyday life scenes are black and white, the fantasy/film scenes are in vivid colour. A weird film. Very hard to understand the target audience for it. But great colour and great performances all around!
The Wedding Day (1960) - Star-studded comedy. A surprisingly outspoken and cynical film, where Max von Sydow screws around, despite his love for his fiancée Bibi Anderson.
With English subtitles! Done by Smut Peddler himself!!
A memorable line from Christina Schollin as young student Titti, talking to Bibi Andersson, who’s about to marry Max: “Can’t I just borrow him for the night? You’ll have him every day!” Schollin is now matriarch of an acting dynasty and back on stage age 83.
The Wonderful Adventures of Nils (1962) - Based on Selma Lagerlöf's fairy-tale about a boy who shrinks and flies on a goose all over Sweden. One of Sweden’s very few fantasy films, also a great geography lesson.