Crossed Swords

The popular artist Frank Harvey has been offered a job in America. On the voyage across the Atlantic, Harvey catches sight of the captain’s beautiful daughter, and the two quickly become good friends. However, a fire breaks out in the ship’s hold, and while the crew struggles to put out the flames, Harvey has to keep the passengers calm with his very best performances, and pray for his and the lives of others. (Stumfilm.dk)

Young Elly lives in the fishing town of Whitley as the foster daughter of the greedy merchant Brown. When Brown suddenly raises gasoline prices, the local fishermen revolt. The events escalate to a huge gasoline fire, Brown’s death and poor Elly’s capture by pirates. Fortunately, John Elton heroically extinguishes the fire and, just in the nick of time, saves Elly, whom he has long admired. Will Elly and John finally find a peaceful life together after everything they’ve both been through? (stumfilm.dk)

FRAGMENT | The Family Steffensen lives on a farm in Southern Jutland. The area has been under German rule for 60 years, when WW I suddenly breaks out. The possibility of regaining the lost land brings new hope to the border people, but the poor Steffensen's farm is threatened by compulsory sale. Secretly, the youngest son runs off to Denmark to get money, but he doesn't make it back before his parents are forced out of their home. Surprisingly, the family's farm laborer has come into money and acquires the farm. The restored film is only a fragment of the original film. The fragment consists of the film's ending, where it's exposed who the mystical farm laborer really is. (stumfilm.dk)

Two lively and famous Petersens, namely Robert Storm and Hans W., play prominent roles in this little comedy about a morally vigilant pharmacist, his somewhat more cheerful son, his crush on the pharmacy’s new cashier, Miss Hansen, and the equally enthusiastic two Petersens. Joy of life and free spirit clash with virtue and double standards in Copenhagen's nightlife, and the film’s programme is inscribed with the proclamation: ’The morality you display is not always the best!’ (Stumfilm.dk).

Boarding school friends Edith and Yvonne's intimate friendship is put to the test by fate in this tragic love triangle. Their paths diverge when Edith's father dies and she has to move back home to her mother. Years pass, Edith marries a handsome officer, while Yvonne pursues an artistic career. Time and again she declines Edith's invitations to come and live with her and her officer, Kai Hornung. When she finally comes to rest for a few weeks, sparks fly between Yvonne and Kai – and the drama ends with bloodshed. (Stumfilm.dk).

The documentation of the fifth Thule expedition (1921-1924) led by Knud Rasmussen, supported by his colleague Peter Freuchen, in the Arctic territories.

Things are going well for the young ship’s mate Willy. He has just completed his exams with excellent results and, what is more, he has become engaged to his great love, Lilly, a shipowner’s daughter. Her scorned suitor, Mr Bang, a merchant, whose proposal to Lilly was rejected shortly before, is incandescent with rage and hatches a malicious plan to get his rival out of the way. One evening, he lures Willy out to gamble and drink in an obscure harbour pub to get him shanghaied. The plan is to get Willy drunk, make him accept a loan from the pub landlord and sign a receipt which is actually a blank contract committing him to service on board a ship. Bang’s dastardly scheme succeeds, and before Willy realises what is happening, he has become a slave on a half-rotten wreck of a ship, ‘The Octopus’. (Stumfilm.dk)

When war breaks out between Denmark and Germany in 1848, Christian from poor Nyboder is hired as a bugler. Zealous and proud, he leaves Copenhagen with his old father and cousins Orla and Frants to defend Schleswig against the German enemy. One day, Christian takes on the dangerous task of delivering a depeche about a German attack on the line of defence near Egå – a trip full of obstacles and grim revelations. (Stumfilm.dk)

Of the films that Psilander made at Nordisk during the first two years it is the film Dødsspring til Hest fra Cirkuskuplen (The Great Circus Catastrophe), that is worth noting. Maybe not so much for Psilander's acting, but for the sensational, action-packed storylines that he was in. This film shows the other side of Psilander's fame: his daring. He was an excellent rider and looked fantastic in long riding boots and elegant riding jackets and this skill was exploited in his films.

A long, wet night in the city results in a serious case of hangovers. Mr. Knold must realise this when he has to start his day’s work after only a few hours of sleep. From the moment he leaves the house until he returns and collapses in the middle of his wife’s coffee gathering, his day is filled with troubles. It’ll probably be a while before Knold is up for another round. Stumfilm.dk

A Nordisk crime short film.

Every day is life and death for the circus performers of the big city. Tightrope dancer Ulla lives and works in a circus with her family. Tragically, her husband plunges to his death after a wrong step during the eternal acrobatic ‘dance macabre’. In the midst of Ulla’s grief, the lion tamer proves to be a true predator, eyeing up an easy prey. Ulla quickly faces bigger worries, as the circus director forces her to walk on a tightrope directly over the lion tamer’s ferocious lions. (Stumfilm.dk)

Consul Descombes is a married man, but yearns for long nights with female companionship in Paris. As fate would have it, one day he receives a letter from a former acquaintance named Lulu, who wants to take him to Paris. Descombes leaves under the pretence of going on a business trip. During his trip, the wife is visited by the consul’s superior and the nation’s prince, Louis XXXVIII. Much hilarity ensues.Stumfilm.dk