Erik Balling
🎥 Writing

Erik Balling

🎂 Born 29 November 1924 (age 80)19 November 2005📍 Nyborg, Danmark
0
Popularity Score
1
Acting Credits
41
Directed

Erik Balling was one of the most beloved Danish filmmaker in the 20th century. Balling was a director, a producer and a writer. Erik Balling was mostly famous for creating such TV epics as "Matador" and "Huset På Christianshavn" and the film-series of "Olsen banden". Erik Balling was born the 19th of November 1925 in the Danish city of Nyborg, as a son of a priest. In 1946 Balling was hired as an assistant at "Nordisk Film Kompagni" - the world's oldest film production company. His talent was soon recognised, and Balling soon had the opportunity to work as a director. His debut as a director came in 1952, with the film: "Vi arme syndere". Balling soon gained a reputation of having good technical skills, and after that film his talent was widely recognised. In 1957 he became head of "Nordisk Film" - the youngest one ever. Balling was mostly famous for his comedies. In his early days he directed Poeten og Lillemor (1959) and Sommer i Tyrol (1964), which were very popular at the time. In the middle of the 1960s Balling tried to chance his style when it came to comedies. At this time the popular James Bond films circled the globe, Balling's next film was inspired by those films, teaming up with Henning Bahs to make the Jamed Bond spoof "Slå Først Frede" (1965), which became very popular in Denmark - so popular it spawned a sequel Slap af, Frede! (1966). This co-work with Henning Bahs was so fruitful that they made many more movies together. This co-work eventually led to film-series of "Olsen banden", which started with Olsen-banden (1968) - and eventually they made a total of 14 "Olsen banden" film, plus a TV series and a movie version where the characters in "Olsen banden" are children. "Olsen banden" was about a small band of small time criminals, trying to become millionaires. "Olsen banden" were not only very popular in Denmark, but also in East-Germany, Poland, Sweden and Norway - especially in Norway and Sweden, who eventually made their own national versions of "Olsen banden", namely the Norwegian "Olsen banden" and the Swedish "Jönssonligan" - Henning Bahs and Erik Balling also helped the Norwegians and the Swedes to write those. In that late 60s and early 70s Balling made the popular Danish TV series "Huset På Christianshavn", which also became the basis for a movie: "Ballade på Christianshavn (1971)". In 1970 Balling produced the very popular Danish TV epic "Matador". More than fifty percent of Denmark's population watched "Matador" in those days. "Matador" was about life in a smaller city in Denmark in the 30s and 40s. Balling was always known for his warm style, when he portrayed humans. Throughout his life, he received many prizes. He was 80 years old when he died the 19th of November 2005.

Known For

Directed Films(41)

One of Those Things
9.0
One of Those Things
1971
Director
The Olsen Gang on the Track
7.2
The Olsen Gang on the Track
1975
Director
The Olsen Gang's Big Score
6.8
The Olsen Gang's Big Score
1972
Director
The Olsen Gang in a Fix
6.6
The Olsen Gang in a Fix
1969
Director
The Olsen Gang Goes to War
6.9
The Olsen Gang Goes to War
1978
Director
The Olsen Gang Runs Amok
6.8
The Olsen Gang Runs Amok
1973
Director
The Last Exploits of the Olsen Gang
7.2
The Last Exploits of the Olsen Gang
1974
Director
The Olsen Gang Outta Sight
7.1
The Olsen Gang Outta Sight
1977
Director
The Olsen Gang Jumps the Fence
6.9
The Olsen Gang Jumps the Fence
1981
Director
The Olsen Gang Long Gone
6.5
The Olsen Gang Long Gone
1981
Director
Qivitoq
6.4
Qivitoq
1956
Director
The Olsen Gang
7.0
The Olsen Gang
1968
Director
In the Middle of the Night
6.7
In the Middle of the Night
1984
Director
The Olsen Gang Never Surrenders
6.8
The Olsen Gang Never Surrenders
1979
Director
The Girl Gogo
7.0
The Girl Gogo
1962
Director
Cirkus Buster
6.3
Cirkus Buster
1961
Director
Martha
6.9
Martha
1967
Director
The Olsen Gang Sees Red
7.4
The Olsen Gang Sees Red
1976
Director
Strike First Freddy
6.0
Strike First Freddy
1965
Director
Hvis lille pige er du?
6.8
Hvis lille pige er du?
1963
Director
Revolution My A..
6.4
Revolution My A..
1970
Director
The Olsen Gang in Jutland
7.0
The Olsen Gang in Jutland
1971
Director
Kispus
6.2
Kispus
1956
Director
Jeg er sgu min egen
8.5
Jeg er sgu min egen
1967
Director
Landmandsliv
6.0
Landmandsliv
1965
Director
Summer in Tyrol
6.5
Summer in Tyrol
1964
Director
Kongeligt besøg
8.0
Kongeligt besøg
1954
Director
Relax Freddy
6.4
Relax Freddy
1966
Director
Vi som går køkkenvejen
10.0
Vi som går køkkenvejen
1953
Director
Our Home Is Our Castle
6.8
Our Home Is Our Castle
1971
Director
The Poet and Lillemor and Lotte
5.8
The Poet and Lillemor and Lotte
1960
Director
Faith, Hope and Witchcraft
6.2
Faith, Hope and Witchcraft
1960
Director
Halløj i himmelsengen
6.3
Halløj i himmelsengen
1965
Director
Den kære familie
7.2
Den kære familie
1962
Director
Adam and Eve
4.7
Adam and Eve
1953
Director
Superfos Glasuld – et isoleret tilfælde
6.0
Superfos Glasuld – et isoleret tilfælde
1976
Director
Det var en lørdag aften
7.0
Det var en lørdag aften
1968
Director
Death Comes at High Noon
7.6
Death Comes at High Noon
1964
Director
The Poet and the Little Mother
6.6
The Poet and the Little Mother
1959
Director
Poeten og Lillemor i forårshumør
6.6
Poeten og Lillemor i forårshumør
1961
Director
Us Petty Sinners
7.3
Us Petty Sinners
1952
Director

Full Filmography(1 films)

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