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Erik Balling

Film Director / Screenwriter / Writer / Veterinarian / Film Producer | * 11/29/1924 († 80, 11/19/2005) | Nyborg (Denmark)
Erik Balling (29 November 1924 – 19 November 2005) was a Danish TV and film director. He created two of Denmark's most popular TV-series, Matador and Huset på Christianshavn. His feature film Qivitoq (1956) was nominated for a Golden Palm at the 1957 Cannes Film Festival, and for an Oscar as Best Foreign Language Film. His 1962 film Den kære familie was entered into the 3rd Moscow International Film Festival. Together with Henning Bahs, he also created the hugely popular series of Olsen Gang feature films. ()
Photo of Erik Balling

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.

Most frequent genres for this person: Comedies | Crime | Kids & Family

Known for these Movies & Shows

Awards & Nominations for Erik Balling

Bodil Honorary Award Robert Honorary Award
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Movies with Erik Balling as Actor(2)

as Erik Balling (uncredited)1998 The Olsen Gang's Last Trick

Movies with Erik Balling as Crew(93)

Production/Associate Producer1998 The Olsen Gang's Last Trick
Writing/Characters1998 The Olsen Gang's Last Trick
Writing/Script Consultant1998 The Olsen Gang's Last Trick
Writing/Writer1988 Murder in Paradise
Writing/Writer1986 Murder in the Dark
Directing/Director1984 In the Middle of the Night
Writing/Writer1984 In the Middle of the Night
Writing/Screenplay1982 The Jönsson Gang & Dynamite Harry
Writing/Characters1981 Beware of the Jönsson Gang
Directing/Director1981 The Olsen Gang Long Gone
Writing/Writer1981 The Olsen Gang Long Gone
Directing/Director1981 The Olsen Gang Jumps the Fence
Directing/Director1979 The Olsen Gang Never Surrenders
Directing/Director1978 The Olsen Gang Goes to War
Writing/Screenplay1978 The Olsen Gang Goes to War
Directing/Director1977 The Olsen Gang Outta Sight
Writing/Writer1977 The Olsen Gang Outta Sight
Writing/Writer1976 The Moelleby affair
Writing/Writer1976 Kassen stemmer
Directing/Director1976 The Olsen Gang Sees Red
Writing/Screenplay1976 The Olsen Gang Sees Red
Writing/Writer1976 Olsenbanden for full musikk
Directing/Director1975 The Olsen Gang on the Track
Writing/Screenplay1975 The Olsen Gang on the Track
Writing/Writer1975 Olsenbandens siste bedrifter
Directing/Director1973 The Olsen Gang Runs Amok
Writing/Writer1973 The Olsen Gang Runs Amok
Directing/Director1972 The Olsen Gang's Big Score
Writing/Author1972 The Olsen Gang's Big Score
Writing/Writer1972 Olsenbanden tar gull
Directing/Director1971 Our Home Is Our Castle
Writing/Writer1971 Our Home Is Our Castle
Directing/Director1971 One of Those Things
Production/Producer1971 One of Those Things
Writing/Writer1971 One of Those Things
Directing/Director1971 The Olsen Gang in Jutland
Writing/Screenplay1971 The Olsen Gang in Jutland
Directing/Director1970 Revolution My A..
Writing/Writer1970 Revolution My A..
Writing/Screenplay1969 The Olsen Gang
Directing/Director1969 The Olsen Gang in a Fix
Writing/Screenplay1969 The Olsen Gang in a Fix
Directing/Director1968 The Olsen Gang
Writing/Screenplay1968 The Olsen Gang
Directing/Director1968 Det var en lørdag aften
Writing/Writer1968 Det var en lørdag aften
Directing/Director1967 Jeg er sgu min egen
Directing/Director1967 Martha
Writing/Writer1967 Martha
Directing/Director1966 Relax Freddy
Writing/Writer1966 Relax Freddy
Directing/Director1965 Landmandsliv
Writing/Writer1965 Landmandsliv
Directing/Director1965 Halløj i himmelsengen
Directing/Director1965 Strike First Freddy
Writing/Writer1965 Strike First Freddy
Directing/Director1964 Summer in Tyrol
Writing/Writer1964 Summer in Tyrol
Directing/Director1964 Death Comes at High Noon
Writing/Writer1964 Death Comes at High Noon
Directing/Director1963 Hvis lille pige er du?
Writing/Writer1963 Hvis lille pige er du?
Directing/Director1962 Den kære familie
Directing/Director1962 The Girl Gogo
Directing/Director1961 Cirkus Buster
Directing/Director1961 Poeten og Lillemor i forårshumør
Directing/Director1960 Faith, Hope and Witchcraft
Writing/Writer1960 Faith, Hope and Witchcraft
Production/Producer1960 Forelsket i København
Directing/Director1960 The Poet and Lillemor and Lotte
Directing/Director1959 The Poet and the Little Mother
Directing/Director1956 Kispus
Production/Producer1956 Kispus
Writing/Writer1956 Kispus
Directing/Director1956 Qivitoq
Production/Producer1955 På tro og love
Writing/Writer1955 På tro og love
Directing/Director1954 Kongeligt besøg
Directing/Director1953 Adam and Eve
Writing/Writer1953 Adam and Eve
Directing/Director1952 Vi arme syndere

TV Shows/Series with Erik Balling as Crew(3)

Directing/Director1978 Matador
Creator/Creator1978 Matador
Creator/Creator1970 The House at Christianshavn

Full Name: Erik Balling
Citizenship: Denmark
Born: Saturday, 11/29 1924 (November) in Nyborg (Denmark)
Died: Saturday, 11/19 2005 (November) in Copenhagen (aged: 80)
Zodiac sign: Sagittarius (Chinese zodiac sign: Rat)
Languages: Danish (DA)
Other names for Erik Balling (nicknames, foreign languages etc.):
"Эрик Баллинг"
Erik Balling frequently works together with these people:
Henning Bahs (62x, Crew)
Bo Christensen (45x, Crew)
Ove Sprogøe (34x, Actor)
Karl Stegger (24x, Actor)
Morten Grunwald (23x, Actor)
Poul Bundgaard (22x, Actor)
Poul Reichhardt (18x, Actor)
Helle Virkner (18x, Actress)
Bjørn Watt-Boolsen (18x, Actor)
Kirsten Walther (17x, Actress)
Lise Nørgaard (2x, Crew)
WatchPlayStream ID: PEOPLE:6401, Added: 03/23/2018, Last updated: 04/13/2024