Sommarnattens leende (1955)

Director:

Ingmar Bergman

Writer:

Ingmar Bergman (writer)

Release Date:

23 December 1957 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Tagline:

A Sexy Frolic About the Sport of Love

Plot:

A small town at the turn of the century. Lawer Fredrik EGerman has an ingenue-wife, Anne, and a grown-up son...

Plot Keywords:

Mistress | Country House | Maid | Sweden | Incest

Awards:

Nominated for 3 BAFTA Film Awards. Another 2 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Ulla Jacobsson	...	Anne Egerman
Eva Dahlbeck	...	Desiree Armfeldt
Harriet Andersson	...	Petra the Maid
Margit Carlqvist	...	Countess Charlotte Malcolm (as Margit Carlquist)
Gunnar Björnstrand	...	Fredrik Egerman
Jarl Kulle	...	Count Carl Magnus Malcolm
Åke Fridell	...	Frid the Groom
Björn Bjelfvenstam	...	Henrik Egerman (as Björn Bjelvenstam)
Naima Wifstrand	...	Mrs. Armfeldt
Jullan Kindahl	...	Beata, cook
Gull Natorp	...	Malla
Birgitta Valberg	...	Actress
Bibi Andersson	...	Actress

Also Known As:

Smiles of a Summer Night (USA)
Sonrisas de una noche de verano (Argentina) (Spain) [es]
Sorrisos de Uma Noite de Verão (Brazil) (Portugal) [pt]
Das Lächeln einer Sommernacht (West Germany) [de]
Glimlach van een zomernacht (Netherlands) [nl]
Hamogela kalokairinis nychtas (Greece) [el]
Kesäyön hymyilyä (Finland) [fi]
Sommernattens smil (Denmark) [da]
Sorrisi di una notte d'estate (Italy) [it]
Sorrisos de Uma Noite de Amor (Brazil) [pt]
Sourires d'une nuit d'été (France) [fr]
Surâsul unei nopti de vara (Romania) [ro]
Usmiech nocy (Poland) [pl]

Runtime:

108 min | Argentina:110 min | France:105 min (2001 DVD release)

Country:

Sweden

Language:

Swedish

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:Approved | USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | Argentina:13 | Finland:K-11 (re-rating) | Finland:K-16 (original rating) | Portugal:17 (censored version) | Sweden:15 | UK:PG (video rating) (1995) | UK:X (original rating) (1956) (cut) | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Anderslöv, Skåne län, Sweden

Company:

Svensk Filmindustri (SF)

Trivia:

Filmed in 55 days in the midst of a heatwave.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Egerman looks in the mirror at Desiree's, his nightcap is bent forwards over his face. In the next shots after he has moved away from the mirror, the nightcap is now bent towards his right shoulder.

Quotes:

Carl Magnus: I have fought 18 duels. Pistol, rapier, foil, spear, bow, poison, rifle. I have been wounded six times.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Zomergasten: (#18.1)" (2005)

Soundtrack:

PSALM 144: I HIMMELEN, I HIMMELEN

One of Bergmans's best

I have seen just about all of Bergman's available films and Smiles of a Summer Night is among my favorites. The humor derives from the situations, cleverness of the dialogue and foibles of the characters, rather than from Woody Allen-type punch lines. (Bergman has funnier lines in Seventh Seal coming from the squire in his scenes with the church painter and blacksmith). Much of the humor comes from the changeability of the characters. At one point, Jarl Kulle's character says he doesn't mind if someone has an affair with his wife, but they better not fool around with his mistress, and later on says just the opposite. Like Renoir's Rules of the Game or Carne's Children of Paradise, the ensemble cast grows on you with each viewing. Along with Wild Strawberries, a good place to start with Bergman.