Sickan Carlsson
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Sickan Anna Greta Carlsson (August 12, 1915- ) is a Swedish classic movie actress and singer.
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[edit] Biography
Sickan Carlsson was in the 1930s-50s Sweden's most popular on-screen actress nationally. She was also the highest paid actress in films of those days, topping even the most popular male actor's salary. She was also an appreciated singer and released many records.
Most notable and appreciated for her work in film comedies, but also for her longtime work on stage in revues and variety shows. Her fame and success became huge in Sweden during World War II when she sung and acted in many cheerful comedies in a depressing time for so many. Often these films also included many cheerful song numbers (in the line of Gracie Fields). She continued on in the late 40s and 50s with more popular comedies, now with characters slightly less one-dimensional than before (and with less singing in her films!). She was also cast in stronger female character parts, often as a more independent career woman, playing for example a teacher, a reporter and a doctor. And this time the leading roles and the screenplays were written especially for her.
Her image was solid; always the spiritual, energetic young woman who solved the everyday problems and who almost always had this bright, carefree and uncomplicated approach to life. As an actress at the time she possessed a unique naturalness and an unparalleled gift when it came to delivering sharp and witty lines; together with a captivating charm and beauty this made her shine through on-screen like no other Swedish actress of her days. She can perhaps best be described as Sweden's answer to Julie Andrews in regards to her charm, acting presence and cheerful charisma - and popularity! As a proof of her popularity the films she made was often called just "Sickan-films", regardless of the title or director, and people would generally only ask: 'When will the new Sickan-film be released?'. Her films were extremely popular and often long-runners in theatres.
She co-operated mainly with film directors Schamyl Bauman (in years 1945-55) and Hasse Ekman (in years 1956-65), also the directors of her most successful films. Despite her gay and happy nature she had a very serious side and a more stronger dept to her as an actress than people knew; a side that she, unfortunately, only got to show fully one time on-screen in the 1961 film Lustgården (aka The Pleasure Garden), with a script written by Ingmar Bergman (he wrote the part especially for her). She was most definitely "typecasted" year after year as the carefree woman, but has stated in recent years that, in the end, she didn't mind because she is proud of the films that she did make, for being fortunate to have got those roles and happy to have made people laugh.
Some of her best films include Det glada kalaset (1946), Skolka skolan (1948), Klasskamrater (1952), Sjunde himlen (1956) and Lustgården (1961).
Privately her life was less cheerful with two painful divorces, and a young girl born and raised in the Swedish working class later fighting for acceptance in an upper-class environment when she married "above class" in 1938. However, her third marriage in 1958 to Norwegian born business man Sölve Adamsson (who died 1987) lasted and was, according to herself in her autobiography, very happy. From her first marriage she had a daughter; Ingegerd.
Sickan Carlsson never received any film prize or "serious" recognition for her film work during her active career, but in 2005 she was awarded an Honorary Guldbagge Award at the Guldbagge Awards in Sweden.
Lives in Stockholm (2005).
[edit] Selected filmography
- 1992 - Kusiner i kubik (TV-series)
With actor and director Hasse Ekman, publicity shot from late 1950s - 1983 - Öbergs på Lillöga (TV-series)
- 1973 – Anderssonskans Kalle i busform
- 1973 – Bröllopet
- 1972 – Anderssonskans Kalle
- 1965 - Niklassons (TV-series)
- 1961 – Lustgården
- 1959 – Himmel och pannkaka
- 1959 – Fröken Chic
- 1958 – Du är mitt äventyr
- 1957 – Med glorian på sned
- 1956 – Sjunde himlen
- 1955 – Älskling på vågen
- 1954 – Dans på rosor
- 1952 – Klasskamrater
- 1951 – Puck heter jag
- 1950 – Frökens första barn
- 1950 – Min syster och jag
- 1949 – Skolka skolan
- 1949 – Jungfrun på Jungfrusund
An autographed photo, mid-1940s - 1947 – Pappa sökes
- 1946 – Det glada kalaset
- 1945 – Flickorna i Småland
- 1944 – Hans officiella fästmö
- 1944 – Gröna hissen
- 1943 – En flicka för mej
- 1942 – Flickan i fönstret mitt emot
- 1942 – Löjtnantshjärtan
- 1941 – Landstormens lilla argbigga
- 1941 – I natt - eller aldrig
- 1940 – Gentleman att hyra
- 1939 – Landstormens lilla Lotta
- 1939 – Åh, en sån grabb!
- 1939 – Rena rama sanningen
- 1938 – Blixt och dunder
- 1938 – Bara en trumpetare
- 1937 – Ryska snuvan
- 1937 – O, en så'n natt
Sickan at Södra Teatern 1934 - 1937 – Klart till drabbning
- 1935 – Smålänningar
- 1935 – Kärlek efter noter
- 1934 – Sången till henne
- 1934 – Simon i Backabo
- 1933 – Kära släkten
- 1932 – En stulen vals
[edit] Source and references
- Carlsson, Sickan; Sickan (autobiography), Bonniers, Stockholm, Sweden, 1977.
- Holm, Crick; På tu man hand med filmidoler (chapter Sickan Carlsson), Medéns, Stockholm, Sweden, 1947.
