Miss Julie (1951 film)

Miss Julie
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Alf Sjöberg
Screenplay by	Alf Sjöberg
Produced by	Rune Waldekranz
Starring	Anita Björk Ulf Palme
Cinematography	Göran Strindberg
Edited by	Lennart Wallén
Music by	Dag Wirén
Production company	AB Sandrew-Produktion
Release dates	6 April 1951 (1951-04-06) (Cannes Film Festival) 30 July 1951 (1951-07-30)
Running time	89 minutes
Country	Sweden
Language	Swedish

Miss Julie (Swedish: Fröken Julie) is a 1951 Swedish drama film directed by Alf Sjöberg and starring Anita Björk and Ulf Palme, based on the play of the same name by August Strindberg. The film deals with class, sex and power as the title character, the daughter of a Count in 19th century Sweden, begins a relationship with one of the estate's servants. The film won the Grand Prize at the 1951 Cannes Film Festival.

Plot

In spite of being the daughter of a count, Julie had an unhappy childhood. She is haunted by according memories. When her engagement fails, she's even more depressed than usual. A servant offers solace and takes advantage of her. She succumbs to his seductive manners, yet right after this incident she takes her own life.

Cast

• Anita Björk as Miss Julie
• Ulf Palme as Jean
• Märta Dorff as Kristin, cook
• Lissi Alandh as Countess Berta, Julie's mother
• Anders Henrikson as Count Carl, Julie's father
• Inga Gill as Viola
• Åke Fridell as Robert
• Kurt-Olof Sundström as Julie's fiancé
• Max von Sydow as hand
• Margaretha Krook as governess
• Åke Claesson as doctor
• Inger Norberg as Julie as a child
• Jan Hagerman as Jean as a child

Production

Sjöberg had directed a stage adaption of August Strindberg's Miss Julie in 1949, starring Ulf Palme as Jean and Inga Tidblad in the title role. For the film adaptation, not only Palme was kept but also many of the set designs. Tidblad however, at the age of almost 50, was replaced by the 27-year-old Anita Björk. Tidblad's interpretation was held as an ideal by the director and only during the exterior sequences, which had not been part of the stage version, did Björk feel that the part actually belonged to her.

Filming took place between 28 April and 18 July 1950 in Sandrew's studios and various locations in the Stockholm area, including Dalarö, Stora Wäsby Castle, and the Drottningholm Palace Park.

In the book-length interview Hitchcock/Truffaut (Simon and Schuster, 1967), Alfred Hitchcock said he had hired Björk as the female lead for I Confess in 1952, after seeing her in Miss Julie. However, when Björk arrived in Hollywood with her lover Stig Dagerman and their baby, Jack L. Warner, head of Warner Brothers. insisted that Hitchcock find another actress.

External links

• Miss Julie at IMDb
• Miss Julie at the Swedish Film Institute Database
• Miss Julie at AllMovie
• Miss Julie at the TCM Movie Database