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 special effects expert Henning Bahs, he worked on the Olsen Gang series of comedy films.
Biography Balling started working for the largest and oldest Danish film production company, Nordisk Films Kompagni, in 1946. He later became the boss of the company.
His made his directing debut with Adam & Eva (1953), which was nominated for a Bodil-award as Best Film.
In 1956 he directed Kispus, which was the first Danish movie filmed in color.
The most popular films directed by Balling were the feature film comedies about a trio of small-time crooks, the Olsen Gang. There were 13 episodes of this movie series between 1968 and 1981, starting with Olsen-banden. They were remade in several languages.
In 1998, Erik Balling received an Honorary Robert Award.
Filmography Work Year Credit Notes The Olsen Gang's Last Trick 1998 Script Feature Mer' Matador 1998 Himself TV documentary Bryggeren 1996 Story TV series 1988 Script Feature 1986 Script Feature In the Middle of the Night 1984 Direction Feature 1984 Direction TV series Kurt and Valde 1983 Screenplay Feature The Olsen Gang Long Gone 1981 Direction Feature The Olsen Gang's Escape over the Fence 1981 Direction Feature 1979 Direction Feature 1978 Direction Feature Matador 1978 Direction TV series Bandefører Balling 1978 Appearance TV documentary 1977 Direction Feature The Moelleby Affair 1976 Script Feature It all adds up 1976 Script Feature The Olsen Gang Sees Red 1976 Direction Feature 1976 Direction Commercial The Olsen Gang on the Track 1975 Direction Feature The Last Exploits of the Olsen Gang 1974 Direction Feature The Olsen Gang Goes Crazy 1973 Direction Feature The Olsen Gang's Big Score 1972 Direction Feature Our Home is Our Castle 1971 Direction Feature 1971 Direction Feature The Olsen Gang in Jutland 1971 Direction Feature Viva the revolution! 1970 Direction Feature Huset på Christianshavn 1970 Direction TV series The Olsen Gang in a Fix 1969 Direction Feature 1968 Direction Feature The Olsen Gang 1968 Direction Feature Martha 1967 Direction Feature I Belong to Me 1967 Direction Feature Relax Freddie 1966 Direction Feature Strike first Freddy 1965 Direction Feature 1965 Direction Feature Landmandsliv 1965 Direction Feature Death Comes at High Noon 1964 Direction Feature Sommer i Tyrol 1964 Direction Feature Hvis lille pige er du? 1963 Direction Feature Den kære familie 1962 Direction Feature 79 of Station 1962 Direction Feature Cirkus Buster 1961 Direction Feature Poeten og Lillemor i forårshumør 1961 Direction Feature Forelsket i København 1960 Producer Feature Poeten og Lillemor og Lotte 1960 Direction Feature Tro, håb og trolddom 1960 Direction Feature Poeten og Lillemor 1959 Direction Feature Helle for Helene 1959 Producer Feature The six-day bicycle race 1958 Script Feature The Girls Are Willing 1958 Production manager Feature A woman not wanted 1957 Producer Feature Jeg elsker dig 1957 Producer Feature Kispus 1956 Direction Feature Qivitoq 1956 Direction Feature På tro og love 1955 Script Feature 1954 Direction Feature Adam and Eve 1953 Direction Feature We Who Go the Kitchen Route 1953 Direction Feature Vi arme syndere 1952 Direction Feature Mød mig på Cassiopeia 1951 Production manager Feature Cinderella 1950 Director: Danish version Feature 1949 Assistant director Feature Israel 1949 Direction Documentary Ditte, daughter of man 1946 Production assistant Feature 1946 Assistant director Feature
Literature , Balling – Hans liv og film, Informations Forlag, 2011. . , Erik Balling : manden med de største succeser i dansk film, Møntergården, 1996. . Erik Balling – Som barn var jeg voldsomt hidsig, Aschehoug, 1998. . Erik Balling – Gedächtnisbilder: Über ein Leben, die Olsenbande und all die anderen schöne Filme, Mosamax Verlag, Dresden 2016.
References
External links
Erik Balling at the British Film Institute