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Axel Graatkjaer


1885 - 1969

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The cinematographer Axel Graatkjaer was born as Axel Sorensen in Arhus. He belonged to the film pioneers of the then booming Dansih film business.

First he planned to become an musician and he studied music in Copenhagen. In order to earn his living he worked as a ticket seller in a cinema where he developed his interest in the film business. He joined the new founded film studio Nordisk Film by Ole Olsen where he applied as a cinematographer. It followed numerous movies, among others with the later movie stars Viggo Larsen and Asta Nielsen.

Already at the beginning of his activity as a cinematographer he was involved in countless short movies like "Den sorte maske" (06), "En foraering til min Kone" (06), "Den glade Enke" (06),"Krybskytten" (06), "Feens Rose" (07), "Tantes Fodesdag" (07), "Lovejagten" (07), "Falliten" (07), "Kroblingen" (07), "Kameliadamen" (07), "Vildmanden" (08), "Lille Hanne" (08), "Den Blinde" (08), "Testamentet" (08), "Othello" (08), "Sherlock Holmes i Livsfare" (08), "Tiggersken" (08), "Toffelhelten" (09), "Faderen" (09), "Wilhelm Tell" (09), "Nat Pinkerton" (09), "Bomben" (09) and "Dr. Nikola" (09).
When the movie "Lovejagten" (07) - in German Löwenjagd - was released it caused a scandal and the movie was forbidden because they shot two real lions in front of the camera. Axel Graatkjaer had to spend one day in prison because of his participation. The movie was forbidden in Denmark but became a huge success abroad.

He continued his extensive work for the Danish film and at the same time he changed his name Axel Sorensen to the pen name Axel Graatkjaer. He was engaged for the movies "Sherlock Holmes i Bondefangerklor" (10), "Duellen" (10), "Rivaler" (10), "Napoleon og den lille Hornblaeser" (10), "Blind Alarm" (10), "Robinson Crusoe" (10), "Den farllige Alder" (11), "Hansa" (12), "Dodsdrommen" (12), "Dobbeltgaengeren" (13), "Axel Breidahl morer sig" (13) and "Hans og Grethe" (13).

After some disagreements with Nordisk he went to the film metropolis Berlin where he also filmed the first German movies of Asta Nielsen till 1916 which turned her into the first European movie star.
To his well-known work of those years belong "Engelein" (13), "Das Kind ruft" (14), "Der Stolz der Firma" (14), "Vordertreppe - Hintertreppe"(15), "Der Tunnel" (15), "Die ewige Nacht" (16), "Engeleins Hochzeit" (16), "Aschenbrödel" (16) and "Morphium" (19).

His last cinematical works came in the 20s into being and he worked together with many great German directors, among them Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau, Robert Wiene and Carl Froelich.

With his engagement as a cinematographer for movies like "Kurfürstendamm" (20), "Algol" (20), "Hamlet" (21), "Irrende Seelen" (21), "Phantom" (22), "Erdgeist" (23), "Der Kaufmann von Venedig" (23), "I.N.R.I." (23), "Nju" (24), "Wallenstein" (25), "Der Meister von Nürnberg" (27), "Dr. Bessels Verwandlung" (27) and "Scampolo" (28) he cemented his reputation as a leading cinematographer.

When the sound film arose and heralded a new era, Axel Graatkjaer retired from the film business and returned to Denmark.

Other movies from Axel Graatkjaer: 
Christian IXS bisaettelse (06) Kong Haakons Kroning i Trondhjem (06) Fiskerlilv i Norden (06) Anarkistens svigermor (06) Tandpinens Kvaler (06) Roverhovdingens Flugt og Dod (06) En ny hat til Madammen (06) Vitrioldrama (06) Stenhuggerens Datter (06) Forstyrret Middag (06) Triste Skaebner (06) Haanden (07) Fra Bagdad (07) En Opstandelse (07) Den forfaldne Husleje (07) Naturstykke (07) Gaardmandsson og Husmandsdatter (07) Den hvide slavinde (07) Feriedrengen (07) Gratis Middag (07) Ivrige Kortspillere (07) Datteren solgt (07) Isbjornejagten (07) Violinistindens Roman (07) Uskyldig domt (07) Roverens brud (07) Mordet paa Fyn (07) Sjaelebytning (07) Jeg maa tilgive (07) Zigeunerens Haevn (07) Et Drama fra Riddertiden (07) Vikingeblod (07) Der var engang (07) Flugten fra seraillet (07) Drengen med den sjette sans (07) Tryllesaekken (07) En moderne Sohelt (07) Djaevlespillet i Zoologisk Have (07) Kejsere Nero paa krigsstien (07) Baby paa Laanekontoret (07) Angelo, Tyran fra Padua (07) Hjortens Flugt (07) Lodsens datter (07) Fyrtojet (07) Betjentens Middagslur (07) Urmagerens Bryllup (08) Stativerne paa Morgenkommers (08) Natten for Christians Fodselsdag (08) Motorcyklisten (08) Kaliffens Aeventyr (08) I Forbryderhaender (08) Havkongens Dateter (08) Hans og Trine (08) Dansen paa Koldinghus (08) Mollen (08) Jeppe paa bjerget (08) Madkaeresten (08) Fra Puppe til Sommerfugl (08) Skuespilleren (08) Trilby (08) Gennem Livets Skole (08) Karneval (08) Feltherrens Haevn (08) Rosen (08) Verdens Herkules (08) Et folkesagn (08) Naar Mobler flyttes (08) Svend Dyrings hus (08) Den falske Generaldirektor (08) Alene i Verden (08) Barn i kirke (08) Vidunder Doktoren (08) Skilt og atter forenet (08) Rulleskojterne (08) Peters Held (08) Magdalene (08) Levemanden paa variete (08) Hestetyven (08) Falkedrengen (08) En Synderinde (08) De sma landstrygere (08) Den Romerske Model (08) Praestens Sonner (09) Paul Wangs skaebne (09) Far tapetserer (09) En behagelig Spadseretur (09) Den naersynede guvernante (09) Sherlock Holmes II (09) Capriciosa (09) Sherlock Holmes III (09) Livsslaven (09) En kvinde af folket (09) Obersten og Skildvagen (09) Droske 519 (09) Pat Corner (09) En standhaftig Frier (09) Herremandens Barnebarn (09) Landstrygerliv (09) Haevnen (09) Den graa dame (09) Heksen og cykllisten (09) Barnet (09) Den store Gevinst (09) Et budskab til Napoleon paa Elba (09) Anarkister ombord (09) Barnet som elgorer (09) Bjornejagt i Rusland (09) Fredlos (09) Revolutionsbryllup (09) Naar Djaevle er paa Spil (09) Arrestation med 'ekstraforplejning (09) Lille Peters Nordpolsfaerd (10) Faibans Skovtur (10) Bjornejagten (10) Plageaander (10) Den gule Djaevel (10) Sangerindens Diamanter (10) Den vidunderlige Haarelexir (10) Tyksakkernes Olgilde (10) Olkuskens Drom (10) Den hvide slavehandel (10) Gennem Kamp til Sejr (10) Fabian paa Rottejagt (10) Hvem er hun? (10) Et forfriskende Bad (10) Den skaebnesvangre opfindelse (10) Den sorte haette (11) Den hvide Slavehandels sidste Offer (11) Ved Faengslets Port (11) En lektion (11) Mormonens offer (11) Kaerlighedens Styrke (11) Bedraget i doden (11) Balletdanserinden (11) En Dags simpelt Faengsel (12) Dixi som Pudsemand (12) Brudegaven (12) Strandingen i Vesterhavet (12) Livets baal (12) Dr. Gar el Hamas flugt (12) Dodsangstens maskespil (12) Vor tids dame (12) Uden Nattegn (12) Ulykkens Galoscher (12) Bornholmeruret (12) Et Mandfolk til Auktion (13) Amor paa Spil (13) Festforestilling i Snolderod (13) En Bryllupsaften paa Hotel (13) Privatdetektivens offer (13) Vennerne fra Officersskolen (13) Hvem var Forbryderen? (13) Stemmeretskvinder (13) Professor Buchs Rejseeventyr (13) Guldmonten (13) Ramasjang i Kantonnementet (13) Et skud i morket (13) Gaestespillet (13) Frederik Buch som Dekorator (13) Axel Breidahl som hypnotisor (13) En farlig Forbryderske (13) Hvor er Pelle? (13) Fader og Son (13) Styrmandens sidste fart (13) Den gamle Majors Ungdomskaerlighed (13) Axel Breidahls Lotterigevinst (13) Die Filmprimadonna (13) Zapatas Bande (14) Das Feuer (14) Das Feuer – Die alte Gnädige (14) Blindekuh (15) So rächt sich die Sonne (15) Die Tochter der Landstrasse (15) Der Loder (15) Der geheimnisvolle Wanderer (15) Boddan Stimoff (16) Der Karneval der Toten (19) Durch Seligkeit und Sünden (20) Der gelbe Tod (20) Der Reigen (20) Wildes Blut (20) Glaube und Heimat (21) Die kleine Dagmar (21) Das zweite Leben (21) Zirkus des Lebens (21) Der Mann aus Stahl (22) Der Herr aus dem Zuchthaus (22) Der Absturz (23) Die Liebe einer Königin (23) Die Stimme des Herzens (2) Kammermusik (25) Das Abenteuer der Sibylle Brant (25) Schatten der Weltstadt (25) Tragödie (25) Rosen aus dem Süden (26) Wie einst im Mai (w26) Die Flammen lügen (26) Der Juxbaron (27) Kopf hoch, Charly! (27) Die schönsten Beine von Berlin (27) Funkzauber (27) Die Dame mit dem Tigerfell (27) Die grosse Pause (27) Vilantha (28) Jahrmarkt des Lebens (28) Freiwild (28) Das Spreewaldmädel (28) Mädchenschicksale (28) Verirrte Jugend (29) Die Vierte von rechts (29) Flucht in die Fremdenlegion (29) Kehre zurück! Alles vergeben! (29) Fräulein Lausbub (30) Zalacain el aventurero (30)

Actor:
Lovejagten (07) Isbjornejagten (07)

Director:
Hansa (12)


 
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