Madame de Thèbes (1915)
The story is wacky – a gypsy is cursed by her father, so that she has to deny her illegitimate son in order for him to have a successful life. She gives him to a well-to-do lady who has lost her own child. Later, he has grown up to be a politician who wants to become the foreign minister. He doesn’t know that his real mother is the famous Madame de Thebes, the fortuneteller who all politicians make sure to visit! This information falls into the hands of a rival, who tries to use it to ruin his career. Meanwhile, the rival’s attractive daughter is attacked by a ruffian and needs to be rescued… There are a lot of striking images in this film. You can see the beauty of them even if the state of the print is far from perfect. The Norwegian actress Ragna Wettergreen gives a haunting performance as Madame de Thebes, with wisdom and regret – and quite a few melodramatic gestures. Understatement was not the norm in those days.
Cast
- Ragna Wettergreen - Ayla
- John Ekman - Ayla's father
- Märta Halldén - Countess Julie
- Nicolai Johannsen - Count Robert
- William Larsson - Max
- Albin Lavén - von Volmar
- Karin Molander - Louise von Volmar
- Doris Nelson - Young Ayla
- Carl Apolloff - Member of Parliament
- Albert Ståhl - Member of Parliament
Screenplay
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is Madame de Thèbes about?
- The story is wacky – a gypsy is cursed by her father, so that she has to deny her illegitimate son in order for him to have a successful life. She gives him to a well-to-do lady who has lost her own child. Later, he has grown up to be a politician who wants to become the foreign minister. He doesn’t know that his real mother is the famous Madame de Thebes, the fortuneteller who all politicians make sure to visit! This information falls into the hands of a rival, who tries to use it to ruin his career. Meanwhile, the rival’s attractive daughter is attacked by a ruffian and needs to be rescued… There are a lot of striking images in this film. You can see the beauty of them even if the state of the print is far from perfect. The Norwegian actress Ragna Wettergreen gives a haunting performance as Madame de Thebes, with wisdom and regret – and quite a few melodramatic gestures. Understatement was not the norm in those days.
- Who directed Madame de Thèbes?
- Madame de Thèbes was directed by Mauritz Stiller.
- Who stars in Madame de Thèbes?
- Madame de Thèbes stars Ragna Wettergreen, John Ekman, Märta Halldén, Nicolai Johannsen, William Larsson, Albin Lavén.
- How long is Madame de Thèbes?
- Madame de Thèbes has a runtime of 1h 8m (68 minutes).
- What genre is Madame de Thèbes?
- Madame de Thèbes is a Drama film.
- Where was Madame de Thèbes produced?
- Madame de Thèbes was produced in Sweden.