The feature film "Fyrtøjet":
Problem Times - Continued
As mentioned, Børge Hamberg had seriously resumed his animation of the soldier during the spring of 1944, so that as many scenes as possible with him could be included in the part of the film that was in a working copy for screening at the Grand Theater on 20 May. But there were still a lot of scenes with the film's main character, which had to be drawn and animated, and it required so much of his time and energy that he had to delegate some of the work to first and foremost Mogens Mogensen and later also to Simon, who proved to be an efficient, fast and all-round cartoonist and animator who could handle almost any imaginable animation task he was asked to do.
It was also due to his demanding work with the animation of the soldier that Børge Hamberg was forced to at some point leave the animation of the witch, the crow and especially the smallest of the three dogs to first and foremost his assistant Harry Rasmussen. Later, the animation of the three dogs was handed over to Simon, who therefore came to draw and animate virtually all scenes at the end of the film, including the scenes with the three dogs.
Late in the evening, the soldier has just arrived in the city, where he is applying to the inn, to spend the night. Here he is seen standing in the doorway to the illuminated inn, from where noise and goblet sound are heard. The soldier is drawn and animated by Børge Hamberg, while the background is painted by Finn Rosenberg. Photos from the film: © 1946 Palladium A/S.
This film image shows the soldier who has approached the clothing retailer at Nikolaj Kirkeplads to exchange his well-used uniform with nice civilian clothes. The cloth merchant is drawn and animated by Simon, who, unfortunately, but hardly in an evil sense, has made this in the form of a Jew. However, it is a fact that many clothing retailers and clothing wholesalers in Denmark in the 1800s-1900s and until October 1943 were of Jewish origin. The soldier is drawn and animated by Børge Hamberg and the clothing dealer by Simon. -
Photo from the film: © 1946 Palladium A/S.
Above is a scene that appears somewhat later in the film, namely where the soldier, after spending all the money he had collected down in the witch's hollow tree, again has to go to the clothes dealer and exchange his newly acquired fine clothes with his old uniform. In the first picture he is seen in pouring rain on his way to the clothing store, and in the second picture he has come out and is jogging off in his worn uniform. - The soldier is drawn and animated by Børge Hamberg, the rain is drawn and animated (in a repeat of a few drawings) by Harry Rasmussen. The background is painted by Finn Rosenberg. – Photos from the film: © 1946 Palladium A/S.
After the soldier, with the help of the lighter and the dog, has recovered, he goes for an evening walk around the city. Below he comes near the castle, whose towers he is seen here standing and looking over towards. - The soldier is drawn and animated by Børge Hamberg and the background painted by Finn Rosenberg. - This and the following photos are taken from the film: © 1946 Palladium A/S.
Close up of the soldier, who looks over towards the castle: “It's ridiculous that you cannot see that princess! She must be so lovely, they all say! … ”
”… But what can it help! … ”
"… When she always has to sit up in the big copper castle…"
”… With all the many towers! … ”
"… Can't you see her at all!" After the reply, the soldier whistles as a sign that he has got a good idea, after which he turns on his heel and leaves….
… Running across the street, where the row of houses on his right is seen in the background.
Close up of the soldier seen from the front, running away with the rows of houses behind him on both sides. The soldier as well as the rows of houses are drawn and animated by Børge Hamberg.
The sequence continues with the soldier running up the stairs inside the inn and continuing down the hallway and disappearing in through the door to his room.
Inside the room, he estimates the lighter, and in the same second, the smallest of the three dogs arrives…
… And bows reverently to him, saying, "What does my lord command?" - The soldier answers: "It's really in the middle of the night, but I really wanted to see the princess, just a little moment!" The dog disappears as soon as it has arrived, and…
… A split second later, it is back with the still sleeping and unsuspecting princess on its back.
The soldier looks at the princess and exclaims: "It was a lovely princess!" - The soldier is drawn and animated by Børge Hamberg, the princess by Preben Dorst, and the dog by Harry Rasmussen. The backgrounds are painted by Finn Rosenberg. - Photos from the film: © 1946 Palladium A/S.
However, there were still a number of scenes with the soldier to draw and animate for Børge Hamberg, but the most difficult and demanding scenes with the film's main character had been completed, or were during the winter of 1944/45.
For the other cartoonists and animators, here is a preliminary selection of what they each drew and animated of scenes in the last half of the film's production time, i.e. from around the autumn of 1944 to around June 1945:
Finn Rosenberg:
Throughout the production process, Finn Rosenberg was busy drawing layouts and painting backgrounds, and it gradually became quite a few, estimated at around 500 backgrounds. But as the weeks and months passed, it became clear that he would not be able to overcome all the backgrounds alone. Therefore, first Henning Dixner and then also Otto Jacobsen began to draw layouts and paint backgrounds, well, in parallel with in-between drawing and animation, respectively.
Among the many backgrounds for "Fyrtøjet", which Finn Rosenberg painted in the years 1943-45, were e.g. above picture of Vester Vold with Vester Port, which gave access to the city from its western side. In the background are seen from the left Frue Kirke, which before 1801 had a spire, and Rundetårn, in whose observatory at the top part of the action of the "Fyrtøjet" film begins. Background painted by Finn Rosenberg. - Photo from the film: © 1946 Palladium A/S.
View over Copenhagen at night, seen from the end of Købmagergade, where Rundetårn is located. The castle with the many towers can be seen towering in the background. This is where the astrologer is in a hurry to get there, to soon tell the king and queen that he has seen in the stars that the princess will marry a simple soldier. - The background is painted by Finn Rosenberg. - Photo from the film: © 1946 Palladium A/S.
Another example of Finn Rosenberg's many fine watercolor backgrounds for "Fyrtøjet". Here is the Inn where the soldier is staying. The inn that the young Andersen himself stayed at when he first came to Copenhagen in 1819 as a 14-year-old was located in Vestergade and was called "Gardergården". It is undoubtedly this, like so many other memories from Copenhagen, that forms the basis for the poet's depiction of the soldier's arrival and stay in the big city. - Photo from the film: © 1946 Palladium A/S.
Here is a view of Copenhagen's rooftops with Nikolaj Church Tower towering to the right in the picture. Finn Rosenberg used old copper engravings when he around the autumn / winter of 1944. painted this background for "Fyrtøjet". H.C. Andersen lived in 1827-28 as a lodger with a widow in Vingårdsstræde, where he had a very small attic room, but with an unobstructed view of the then spireless Nikolaj Tower. The spire was burned during the Copenhagen fire in 1795 and was not rebuilt until 1909. - Photo from the film: © 1946 Palladium A/S.
In the picture above, we are in Nikolaj Kirkeplads, where the lower part of the church tower is seen on the right, while the clothing retailer's shop is located in the building on the left. It is in this shop that the soldier exchanges his uniform for civilian clothes. After graduating in 1828, H.C. Andersen became a private and from 1830 non-commissioned officer in the King's Life Regiment (Life Guards), and had on that occasion acquired a used uniform. He probably sold it after retiring from the service in 1834, and instead acquired some nice civilian clothes. He was very careful every day with his attire and his appearance. - As a template for this background, Finn Rosenberg used both old copper engravings and sketches he had drawn and painted on the site itself. - Photo from the film: © 1946 Palladium A/S.
At Nikolaj Plads, the soldier has met three record makers, whose suggestion that on a ride with the horse-drawn carriage they would like to show him the city and its sights, and also Dyrehavsbakken in Klampenborg, he naively falls for. On the drive through the city, you pass the Stock Exchange, whose characteristic building is seen above. The background is painted by Finn Rosenberg. - Photo from the film: © 1946 Palladium A/S.
Shortly afterwards, the soldier and his three friends drive past Rosenborg on the road towards Østerbro and further along Strandvejen to Dyrehaven. Both Børsen and Rosenborg drew and painted Finn Rosenberg on the basis of sketches from the two places. The horse in the foreground is drawn and animated by Preben Dorst - Photo from the film: © 1946 Palladium A/S.
Here is the scene of the older Royal Theater, seen from the spectator room. The soldier, who wants to be on the notes, is a guest at an opera performance, but falls asleep out of sheer boredom. This has hardly been the case for the eager theater-goer H.C. Andersen, who not least liked opera performances a lot. At times, he came to the theater almost every night, joining the repertoire, not least after performing some of his own songs and plays. It gave him free admission and a permanent place in the parterre, where many other deserving and famous people also had their permanent seats. - Photo from the film: © 1946 Palladium A/S.
The stage of the older Royal Theater seen from the backdrop. The busty solo singer stands in the middle of the stage and delivers her aria. The background is painted by Finn Rosenberg, while the singer is drawn and (unfortunately far too little) animated by Otto Jacobsen. - Photo from the film: © 1946 Palladium A/S.
In this film image, a total of the throne room with the king and queen sitting under the canopy is seen in the background, and courtiers standing on both sides along the walls. The scene belongs to the sequence in which the king is shaved in the morning, and in which he simultaneously holds an audience for ministers and staff at the court. - There is no animation in this scene, but the fixed figures are drawn by Bjørn Frank Jensen, and the background is painted by Finn Rosenberg. - Photo from the film: © 1946 Palladium A/S.
Bjørn Frank Jensen:
was, as usual, busy drawing and animating the many scenes with the king, queen, court lady, etc., etc., and since he was a thorough animator, it understandably took his time. Therefore, he also ran into the problem of finishing all the many scenes he was responsible for, and it ended up that some of his scenes were left to Simon in particular. Some scenes with the court lady, however, were entrusted to Harry Rasmussen to draw and animate.
Here the court lady is seen, standing in front of the door to the tower room where the princess is forced to stay, and listening to what the king and princess are talking about. The court lady acts as a kind of spy, who especially keeps the queen constantly informed about what is going on both inside and outside the castle. The court lady is here drawn and animated by Bjørn Frank Jensen. The background is painted by Finn Rosenberg. - Photo from the movie: © 1946 Palladium.
Here is a close up of the court marshal, who with his staff stands at the entrance to the throne room, where he announces the arrival of the audience seekers. He does this by pounding three times in a row with his stick and then shouting the person's name. – The court marshal is designed and animated by Bjørn Frank Jensen. The background is painted by Finn Rosenberg. - Photo from the film: © 1946 Palladium A/S.
Here the court lady is seen again, as she now stands behind the tapestry of the throne and listens to what the king and the barber are talking about. It's about the soldier who the rumors want to know has come to town. The king's voice: "What is he?"
The barber replies: "They say he is a very ordinary soldier!"
The King: “A soldier !? - - - Well, a soldier! ”
The king: "Does that soldier know anyone here in the city?"
The barber replies, “Yeah, he's a real cavalier,…
(the barber's voice continues):… and such a person quickly makes friends! - They will probably help him get rid of the money! ”- The scenes shown above are all drawn and animated by Bjørn Frank Jensen, and the backgrounds are painted by Finn Rosenberg. - Photos from the film: © 1946 Palladium A / S.
Preben Dorst:
drew and animated the princess for months all day long, but also got in between a little other, more enjoyable and relaxing characters to draw and animate. But he also had difficulty overcoming the relatively many scenes with the princess, which is why some of these were therefore also in his case handed over to Simon. Of course, this did not happen with Dorst's good will, but solely because of the overriding necessity, that the film obviously had to and should be finished within a manageable period of time.
The time for this scene is the morning after the soldier has arrived in the big city and has lodged at the inn. Two stoutish wives each open the shutters for their bedroom window, yawning and stretching in the fresh morning air. The two wives are drawn and animated by Preben Dorst and the background is painted by Finn Rosenberg. - Photo from the film: © 1946 Palladium A/S.
Same morning as above. The shoemaker boy opens the shutters in front of one window, after which he too yawns and stretches. The shoemaker boy, who will later play a crucial role for the soldier, is also drawn and animated by Preben Dorst and the background painted by Finn Rosenberg. - Photo from the film: © 1946 Palladium A/S.
Same day as above. The soldier has exchanged his uniform for new civilian clothes, and after he at Nikolaj Plads bought the cake wife's basket with commens pretzels and handed them out to the playful children, three record makers observed and contacted him, and then invited him on a drive through the city and out to Dyrehavsbakken in Klampenborg. Above is the scene in which the soldier and his three new 'friends' sit in the hired horse-drawn carriage, while the three record makers eagerly tell him about the various sights along the way. - All characters are here drawn and animated by Preben Dorst and the background painted by Finn Rosenberg. - Photo from the film: © 1946 Palladium A/S.
Here the princess stands out on the balcony of the tower room she has been banished to by the king. Here she sings her grief over the involuntary confinement in the song "I feel like the bird in the cage". - The princess is drawn and animated by Preben Dorst and in-betweened by Bodil Rønnow. The background is painted by Finn Rosenberg. - Photo from the movie © 1946 Palladium A/S.
The above four images are also a scene or situation from the sequence of the princess' song. This is about two ladybirds in love, which have landed on the princess' right palm. What happens next is shown in the pictures. The allusion to an approximately similar scene in the Snow White movie is clear. The stage here is designed and animated by Preben Dorst and in-betweened by Bodil Rønnow. The background is painted by Finn Rosenberg. - Photos from the film: © 1946 Palladium A/S.
While the princess stands out on the balcony and sings: "I feel like the bird in the cage", you see i.a. also some swallows, which are busy flying back and forth with food for their young in the nest that is clinched up one of the pillars of the balcony. The swallows are drawn and animated by Preben Dorst and in-betweened drawing by Bodil Rønnow, and the background is painted by Finn Rosenberg. - Photos from the film: © 1946 Palladium A/S.
Total of the king and princess seen from inside the tower room with the balcony in the background. The king hauls the princess in from outside the balcony and says admonishingly: "You must not stand out there, my child!" To which the princess replies: “Uh! I am so bored! Why do I always have to be locked in here !? ”
The princess has now sat down on a chair, while the king stands in front of her and answers: "We must make sure that you do not get through anything!"
Close up of the princess, who pleadingly exclaims, “Oh, Dad! May I not be released !? ” - The king answers firmly and firmly (off screen): "No!" - The princess is drawn and animated by Preben Dorst with Bodil Rønnow as in-between artist, the king by Bjørn Frank Jensen, with Helge Hau as in-between artist. The background is painted by Finn Rosenberg. - Photos from the film: © 1946 Palladium A/S.
Otto Jakobsen:
drew and animated scattered scenes with different characters, but had no real main character as his area of responsibility. At one point, therefore, he also devoted himself to drawing layouts and painting backgrounds, first and foremost for some of the scenes on which he himself was an animator. This was done in consultation with Finn Rosenberg and with the management's consent, as it had been realized that Rosenberg would not be able to manage to draw and paint all the remaining backgrounds within the projected time frame.
As previously mentioned, Otto Jacobsen had his very special drawing and animation style, which clearly differed from the ditto of the other animators. This also applied to the style and technique in which he drew and painted his backgrounds, primarily because he used the so-called wet-in-wet technique, where Finn Rosenberg used washing technique, and Henning Dixner a mixture of washing technique and gouache. It is therefore clear to see in the film where and which scenes Otto Jacobsen has drawn and animated, and what backgrounds he has painted. But this difference was accepted, again because it had gradually become imperative to get the film finished as soon as possible.
The city gate seen from inside. The gatekeeper stands to the right, ready to close the gate for the night. After this time and until kl. 6 mornings one could neither get in nor out of the city unless one had a legal errand. - The gatekeeper is designed and animated by Otto Jacobsen. The background is painted by Otto Jacobsen. - Photo from the film: © 1946 Palladium A/S.
Here Vestervold is seen with the city gate in the background. The trees of the bank and the city towers, i.a. the Round Tower, drawing in silhouette against the evening sky. The soldier comes running towards the gate, shouting to the guard that he would like to enter the city. - Both the soldier and the gatekeeper in the background are drawn and animated by Otto Jacobsen. The background is painted by Finn Rosenberg. - Photo from the film: © 1946 Palladium A/S.
The city gate again seen from the inside. The guard is about to close the gate, as the soldier comes running in through the gate and continues into the city. - The soldier as well as the gatekeeper are here drawn and animated by Otto Jacobsen. - Photo from the film: © 1946 Palladium A/S.
Here the inn is seen late in the evening. The door is open and the light is shining on the street. There is common singing from inside the banquet hall. Two lightly intoxicated gentlemen come out the door and leave the place. - The two intoxicated gentlemen are drawn and animated by Otto Jacobsen. The background is painted by Finn Rosenberg. - Photo from the film: © 1946 Palladium A/S.
During the soldier's song in the inn's banquet hall, you see, among other things. a scene with the above couple where the man makes clear cure for the coquettish lady. The couple is drawn and animated by Otto Jacobsen, who, like Simon, also drew several of the scenes with the many singing people of both sexes who are guests in the banquet hall. - The background is painted by Finn Rosenberg. - Photo from the film: © 1946 Palladium A/S.
There are many guests in the inn that evening the soldier arrives at the inn. Everyone is happy and participating in the common song, while liters of frothy beer wash away the thirsty palates. - The pub guests are here drawn and animated by Otto Jacobsen. The background is painted by Finn Rosenberg. - Photo from the film: © 1946 Palladium A/S.
In this scene, the inner staircase of the inn or inn can be seen up to the upper floor. Led by the innkeeper, the soldier is on his way up the stairs to the room on the first floor he has been assigned. The innkeeper almost mumbles: “Please sir! This way!" – The innkeeper is drawn and animated by Otto Jacobsen, the soldier by Børge Hamberg, and the background is painted by Finn Rosenberg. - Photo from the film: © 1946 Palladium A/S.
Next morning. The city wakes up and people start on the day’s work. Here are two chimney sweeps on their way to work out in the city. - The chimney sweeps are designed and animated by Otto Jacobsen. The background is painted by Finn Rosenberg. - Photo from the film: © 1946 Palladium A/S.
The above two pictures are from a scene that takes place at Nikolaj Plads, where a group of children dance in a circle around a child who is standing in the middle, playing and singing "The monk walks in meadows". In the second picture, the song and the play continue with two of the children dancing with each other while the others stand in a circle around them. - The children are drawn and animated by Otto Jacobsen. The background is painted by Finn Rosenberg. -
Here the tuck woman is seen sitting by the wall of Nikolaj Tower, where she sells different kinds of cookies daily. The soldier, who has just exchanged his worn uniform for new clothes, walks up to her and asks: “Hi granny! What does she have in her basket today? ” To which the wife replies: "Commens pretzels!" The soldier: "- Then give me 5 ducats for the rolls!". The wife then gives the entire basket of contents to the soldier, who immediately begins handing out pretzels to the playing children. - The cake wife and the children are drawn and animated by Otto Jacobsen, and the soldier by Børge Hamberg, while the background is painted by Finn Rosenberg. – Photo from the film: © 1946 Palladium A/S.
The entrances to the Deer Park are known as the Red Gates. The above background is painted by Otto Jacobsen and occurs in the sequence in which the soldier and his three 'friends' are on a drive to Dyrehavsbakken. - Photo from the film: © 1946 Palladium A/S.
Here is a couple who have laid down to rest on the forest floor, full and well satisfied after a probably good lunch in the open air, as it also takes place even today in the Deer Park. The forest winery has, however, to some extent declined in recent years, but then it was common in the summer, when people moved to and from Dyrehavsbakken or Bakken, as the place has been called for many years. - Drawing and background by Otto Jacobsen. - Photo from the film: © 1946 Palladium A/S
Scene from the same sequence as above. Here you can see a view towards Dyrehavsbakken, which is in the background, where you can clearly see tents and stalls set up. It was part of a distinctly popular pleasure during the summer that Copenhageners in particular had to pay Dyrehavsbakken the traditional annual visit. Here there were all sorts of amusements and entertainment, and here thirsty people could wet their palates until they could no longer stand on their feet. - The background is painted by Otto Jacobsen. - Photo from the film: © 1946 Palladium A/S.
However, the above series of images covers only a small part of the many scenes and backgrounds that Otto Jacobsen drew, animated and painted for "Fyrtøjet". He continued his work until the autumn of 1945, after which in 1946 he succeeded in obtaining employment with Gutenberghus Reklame Film. Here he became head of the company's cartoon department after the production manager and film director Jens Henriksen, and he then joined several of the former employees at Dansk Farve- og Tegnefilm A/S. But more on that later.
Kjeld Simonsen (Simon):
Due to the suspension and busyness of the scenes in different parts of the film, for which the above-mentioned animators were each responsible, and because, as repeated, of course, it was naturally urgent to finish the film, it was left in early 1944 to Simon to draw and animate the ending sequences. This meant that he basically drew and animated all the scenes and all the characters that appear in these scenes, including the soldier, the princess, the king, the queen, the astrologer, courtiers and others, such as Børge Hamberg, Preben Dorst and Bjørn Frank, respectively. had had 'exclusive right' to. But the circumstances necessitated that the three had to relinquish the exclusive right to each their respective characters, and in fact I think they each felt quite comfortable with the situation as they watched line tests of the animation Simon almost conjured up, and even at a surprising pace.
After arriving in the city late in the evening, the soldier has applied to the inn, where he intends to stay. However, there is noise and goblet noise from inside the inn, and the soldier therefore also goes in there, to want to quench his thirst. Here sits a shoemaker, a so-called shoemaker, who turns to the soldier and asks him: "Are you from far away, soldier, huh?" To which the soldier replies: "Yes, I have worn out a pair of shoe soles along the way, you old cobbler!" - "Tell us about your journey, soldier!" urges the shoemaker. - The soldier is drawn and animated by Børge Hamberg, and the shoemaker by Simon. The background is painted by Finn Rosenberg. - Photo from the film: © 1946 Palladium A/S.
Above, the soldier is seen standing in the background, while at the request of the shoemaker, he entertains the innkeepers about his journey. It happens with the song “Brothers! Very far from here, over the salt waters, America rises ”. The soldier is drawn here and (unfortunately far, far too little) animated by Børge Hamberg, while the pub guests are drawn and animated by Simon. The background is painted by Finn Rosenberg. - Photo from the film: © 1946 Palladium A/S.
Above is a scene from the sequence with the soldier's song in the Inn. It is one of his later three 'friends', who comments on the soldier's song about all the glories of America with the words: "How joyful!" - The figure is drawn and animated by Simon, and the background painted by Finn Rosenberg. - Photo from the film: © 1946 Palladium A/S.
Another of the soldier's 'friends' completes the first cheater's reply with a rather affected statement of the words: "God, how beautiful it is!" - The figure is here drawn and animated by Simon. The background is painted by Finn Rosenberg. - Photo from the film: © 1946 Palladium A/S.
Later in the film, there is a sequence in which the soldier searches down in a basement pub to drink and have fun. Unfortunately, he does not know his own limitation, which is why he can barely stand on his feet in the end and therefore has to be helped home by three passing guards:
Above are three pictures from the sequence where the soldier one late evening comes running and disappears into a basement restaurant. A small dog has run after him, but when he is no longer to be seen, it continues to some beer barrels, which are piled up next to the inn building. - Both the soldier and the dog are here drawn and animated by Simon. The backgrounds are painted by Finn Rosenberg. - Photos from the film: © 1946 Palladium A/S.
The same sequence continues: Three patrolling guards have spotted the apparently intoxicated soldier, as this half-crawler is on his way up the stairs from the basement restaurant. "It's probably a nice city!" exclaims the soldier snorting. "He must be drunk! We better take him and help him! ” says one of the guards. - The guards and the soldier are drawn and animated by Simon, and the backgrounds painted by Finn Rosenberg. - Photos from the film: © 1946 Palladium A/S.
The three guards carry off here with the soldier, who is so drunk that he is unable to stand on his feet. "It's probably a nice city!" snorts the soldier, to which one of the guards replies: "Yes, and then we have such a lovely princess!" - "Can't you see her?" the soldier snorts further. "No, you cannot see her!" says the guard, after which one of his comrades adds: "Now you go home and sleep!" - The guards and the soldier are drawn and animated by Simon, and the background is painted by Finn Rosenberg. - Photo from the film: © 1946 Palladium A/S.
It is interesting to think back to the fact that the names Myller and Mik actually 'joked' during the entire "Fyrtøjet" production process. But as far as we knew, Myller had stopped making cartoons and had instead thrown himself into drawing and painting illustrations, whereas Mik was still very active in producing cartoons, first and foremost his short film "Ferd'nand on a fishing trip" , at the same time as he diligently drew advertisements, advertisements and illustrations, and - not least - his now well-known and highly valued cartoon "Ferd'nand".
As mentioned in the section DANSK TEGNEFILM 1930 - 1942, Simon was one of the cartoonists and animators who was employed at VEPRO from 1939 to 1942, where according to what Lars Jakobsen has been able to find out, he was also a draftsman and animator at cartoon series "Fritz and Fratz". The series was intended for screening in the home cinema, and Simon has reportedly drawn four films in the series, namely "Uncle Steffen in Seenot", "Ein Hai greift an", "Onkel bei den Menschenfresser" and "Dem Tode entronnen". (Note 1)
With his approximately three years of daily work at VEPRO, it can therefore be rightly said that Simon knew Myller and Mik very well, both as personalities and in their capacity as managers. Simon had a special ability to intercept the peculiarities and character traits of the people he drew caricatures of for fun. He used this ability not least when he for "Fyrtøjet" drew and animated a couple of scenes with the organist and the bellows, respectively, which appear towards the end of the film, where the soldier and the princess are married to each other in Frue Kirke. Simon chose to draw the organist in the form of Mik, and Myller as organ blower. This ‘role distribution’ was presumably meant as a little sarcasm against his two former ‘bosses’, for in real life the two competed over which of them was most significant. As far as is known, the two never became real friends, but 'only' colleagues, who mutually respected - and gradually envied - each other. Objectively speaking, it must be said that Myller and Mik were both excellent cartoonists and animators, and both came to mean a great deal to their students, most of whom were to carry on the Myller-Mik's cartoon tradition in the next couple of decades.
In this scene from the feature film "Fyrtøjet" you see the organist in Frue Kirke, where the wedding between the soldier and his beloved princess takes place. To the great surprise and amusement of the film's staff, it could be stated that the organist was a caricature of the cartoonist and animator Mik. It was Simon's little private 'revenge' for the inconveniences Mik - and Myller - had subjected him and others of the staff at VEPRO. The scene is designed and animated by Simon, and the background painted by Finn Rosenberg .. - Photo from the film: © 1946 Palladium A/S
In this scene from "Fyrtøjet" Jørgen Myller is seen as the organist's organ blower, i.e. in a slightly subordinate position in relation to Mik. Whether there was any status assessment in this from Simon's side is unknown, but his colleagues from the VEPRO era apparently understood very well the 'division of roles' between the two cartoon pioneers. And in any case, the two scenes clearly aroused amusement among the former VEPRO employees. The background is painted by Finn Rosenberg. - Photo from the film: © 1946 Palladium A / S.
In the form of a not-too-friendly caricature portrait, the cartoonist and animator Simon put the above ‘memory’ in the feature-length film “Fyrtøjet” about one of his teachers, the Danish cartoon pioneer Jørgen Myller. - Photo from the film: © 1946 Palladium A/S.
However, there were still many scenes for Simon to draw and animate during the time that the circumstances allowed him to deal with "The Lighthouse". In addition to his work as a draftsman, Simon also participated in the resistance movement, and by the autumn of 1944 he learned that some of his friends had been arrested, tortured and executed by the Gestapo, and he therefore found it wisest to "go underground" until continue. This meant, among other things, that he had to leave his residence and take up residence in an unknown place, just as he naturally did not dare to appear in the drawing room, for fear of being shadowed and possibly subject to arrest.
We will later return to the final sequences on "Fyrtøjet", which Simon managed to complete before he had to stay in constant hiding from the Gestapo for a while.
Erik Rus:
After spending some years making cartoons with Hans Held at Bavaria Film in Berlin, he returned with his German wife, Erika, to Copenhagen in the autumn of 1944. He was one of the Danish cartoonists who had applied for around July 1942 to Germany to work, which had remained longest in enemy territory. After returning home, Erik Rus, thanks to his acquaintance with i.a. Børge Hamberg, working as a key animator on "Fyrtøjet", but his employment lasted only about a month. What was the reason for that, I have no clear memory of, but think it was due to the fact that for his safety he chose to 'go underground'. It was in the police-free time, and it soon became clear to him that there were people in the design studio who looked with strong disapproval at any form of direct cooperation with the Germans. It was also seen with some reluctance that he had married a German girl. In addition, the Danish resistance movement had at that time begun to make a serious mark, which could be read about in the illegal magazines in particular. In it, the Danes were also strongly warned against actions that could be characterized as treason, as such people would later be made responsible for their attitudes and deeds.
But regardless of Erik Rus' attitude for or against the Germans and the occupying power, he managed during the month when he was employed by Dansk Farve- og Tegnefilm A/S to animate a number of small scenes for "Fyrtøjet". These scenes were part of the sequence in which the soldier sits in the inn with one of his 'friends'. As part of their desire to defraud the soldier of some of his large sums of money, they make him raffle with them. However, the soldier is tired after a long day of events, so maybe that is the circumstance that causes him to constantly lose in the game until he has finally played his last gold coin away.
Close-up of the soldier's hands, shaking the raffle cup and in a cheerful voice saying to his opponents: "Now you have soon completely blunted me off!" …
… The dice are rolled and show that the soldier has lost again. …
… As a sign of his pleasant surprise, one of the soldier's opponents exclaims an elongated "Ooooh!"
Since the soldier has lost the round, he must dispose of a sum of money to the opponent, who immediately scrapes them to himself.
The soldier makes a new effort in the form of a handful of his gold coins.
The playmate sees with eager satisfaction the much money lying on the table. …
The soldier cannot stop his game and continues until he has only a single gold coin left of his much money: “Here you must see! That was my last! ”
The soldier has now been totally blanked off and does not own a penny more. This situation is, of course, fatal to him and initially has some consequences he has not foreseen. - The above scenes are drawn and animated by Erik Rus, and that is what he has contributed to "Fyrtøjet". - Photos from the film: © 1946 Palladium A/S.
Harry Rasmussen:
For my own part, during the fall of 1944, I got several scenes with the smallest dog to draw and animate. In addition, it was also left to me to draw and animate some scenes with the court lady, as well as various small scenes with other characters. But there were two scenes in particular, one with the dog and one with the crow, which were considered so successful that they each triggered a bonus of DKK 90 and DKK 125, respectively. although of course it did not happen so often that a bonus or premium was paid, it was a noticeable supplement to the weekly salary and also an encouragement and incentive to continue to provide its very best.
This image of the witch's crow, seen here sitting on the pole of the low sign outside the inn, is from a scene in the sequence in which the soldier arrives at the inn. Here he stays after first participating in the festivities that take place in the banquet hall. It will be late night before he goes to rest. - The crow is drawn and animated by Harry Rasmussen, and the background is painted by Finn Rosenberg. - Photo from the film: © 1946 Palladium A/S.
The day after his arrival in the city, the soldier goes to the clothing dealer on Nikolaj Plads, to exchange his used uniform with new, civilian clothes. Just opposite at the foot of Nikolaj tower sits the cake cone with her basket selling cumin pretzels. A group of children play and sing nearby. The soldier buys the whole basket and hands out pretzels to all the children. Below you see a horse-drawn carriage holding some distance away. The driver has sat down to rest on the footsteps of the taxi, while the horse apparently follows what the soldier and the children are doing, and he also throws a few pretzels at it. - The horse, carriage and driver are here drawn and animated by Harry Rasmussen. The background is painted by Finn Rosenberg. - Photo from the film: © 1946 Palladium A/S.
After the soldier has been drained of money by his so-called 'friends', he has to give up his fine clothes to the clothing dealer and exchange these with his old uniform. To emphasize the soldier's somewhat sad situation, the exchange has been allowed to take place on a rainy day. While he is inside the clothing store, the crow has sat in the gutter just above the store, where the drenched one follows what is going on. - The crow and the rain are drawn and animated by Harry Rasmussen. The background is painted by Finn Rosenberg. - Photo from the film: © 1946 Palladium A/S.
This scene is from the same sequence as the previous image. Here is a selection of the rain-soaked cobblestones in the square in front of the clothing store. The rain is drawn and animated by Harry Rasmussen, and the background is painted by Finn Rosenberg. - Photo from the film: © 1946 Palladium A/S.
After following the dog, which has brought the princess to the soldier's lodging at the inn, the court lady trots back and forth in the rain, waiting for what will happen next. However, she soon gets tired of waiting, and a seemingly bright whim therefore makes her knock on the door so she will be able to recognize the place again, after which she hurries back towards the castle. The court lady is here drawn and animated by Harry Rasmussen. The background is painted by Finn Rosenberg. - Photo from the film: © 1946 Palladium A/S.
Immediately after the court lady leaves the place, the dog returns to the inn, to pick up the princess and bring her back to the castle. …
… However, it reaches there before the court lady, who is now impatiently trotting around the castle bridge, waiting for the dog to return,…
… Which it does, but only to grab the annoying court lady round her life…
… And throw her in the moat.
Shortly after, her head appears above the water, immediately spitting a jet of water and a fish out of her mouth. The court Lady etc. is drawn and animated by Harry Rasmussen. The backgrounds are painted by Finn Rosenberg. - Photos from the film: © 1946 Palladium A/S.
Above are two scenes from the situation where the smallest of the three dogs arrives at the inn, on whose door the court lady has writen a large, white cross. In the upper picture the dog is seen slowing down, and in the lower picture it is sitting in front of the door pointing at the cross, laughing because it has obviously got a good idea. Both scenes are drawn and animated by me, Harry Rasmussen. The latter scene brought in a bonus of $ 90. Backgrounds painted by Finn Rosenberg. - Photos from the film: © 1946 Palladium A / S.
In these two scenes, the dog is seen wandering around and hitting all the doors and gates of the place. This, of course, happens to fool the court lady so she will not be able to pinpoint the place where the soldier lives. - The dog is drawn and animated by Harry Rasmussen. The backgrounds are painted by Finn Rosenberg. - Photos from the film: © 1946 Palladium A/S.
Back to the court lady, who has now recovered from the fright and is therefore crawling ashore. - The court lady drawn and animated by Harry Rasmussen. The background painted by Finn Rosenberg. - Photos from the film: © 1946 Palladium A/S.
At the time in the film, where the three dogs have been present out by the gallows hill and are helping to prevent the soldier from being hanged, the crow has been sitting waiting on the gallows itself and watching everything that happens. Now, however, its ‘mission’ as a symbol of death has been played out, and therefore it leaves the place. - The crow is here drawn and animated by Harry Rasmussen. The background is painted by Finn Rosenberg. - Photos from the film: © Palladium A/S.
But just as exciting was the day my teacher Børge Hamberg, who since the middle of 1944 had given me relatively many independent animation tasks, one day gave me the task of animating the last scene with the crow, namely the one where it has hung in the shattered tree of the witch. It took me about three to four days to animate the scene because I myself undertook to intermediate draw it.
As was the case with so many of the scenes I animated, my pencil drawings of the hung crow were recorded as so-called line tests, to check if the animation were in order and could be approved or possibly had to be corrected or maybe completely redone. The latter, by the way, had never been the case with the scenes I had animated so far. The result of the line test I was told in the way that Johnsen a few days later came over to the drawing room and immediately went to me while I was sitting behind the drawing desk and working. Here he stood on my right side, leaned down towards me and said in a low voice: “There is a check for DKK 125 for you in the office! It's for your scene with the hung crow! ” Then Johnsen straightened up and went to talk to Børge Hamberg, and shortly after he left the drawing room again, where he had come less and less often lately. This was in all probability due to the fact that the relationship between him and the staff had been quite strained for the past six months, and he therefore did not want to provoke the hard-pressed staff with his presence more than absolutely necessary.
I myself had no problem associating with Johnsen, perhaps because he always treated me with something resembling paternal care, and moreover, there was no doubt that he, despite my young age, respected my professional prowess. Admittedly, he himself did not have much sense of it, but partly he could directly see if the animation seemed as intended, and partly he knew that the other and somewhat older animators recognized my relatively great abilities as an artist and animator.
After his failed 'mission', the crow flies home to the witch's tree, which has meanwhile been shattered when the three dogs burst forth from below the hollow tree, to the soldier's rescue. The top picture shows the crow flying away. In the next picture the crow is seen near the splintered tree, and in the third picture it has settled in the tree. Then there is a glare to the crow, which has hung in the tree and now hangs and swings lifelessly back and forth. - The crow is designed and animated by Harry Rasmussen. The latter scene was rewarded with a bonus of DKK 125, a considerable amount at the time. The backgrounds are painted by Finn Rosenberg. - Photos from the film: © 1946 Palladium A/S.
However, the above sections of scenes are not complete for the many scenes that I, Harry Rasmussen, drew and animated for "Fyrtøjet" during the autumn of 1944 and until June 1945. I will therefore return to these later.
It should be added here that it has unfortunately not been possible for me to remember the names of all the many interpreters who were employees of "Fyrtøjet", nor who interjected what and when. Therefore, I have had to confine myself to mentioning only the relatively few cartoonists that I have personally known, and which have been mentioned from the first episodes of this relatively long account of the feature film "Fyrtøjet" and until now.
The situation in Denmark in the autumn of 1944
After the People's Strike, some time had passed before everyday life had become just about normal again for the Danes, not least because the Germans and their Danish henchmen in the following time took revenge in different ways. On the night between July 17 and 18, K.B. The hall, where sports and entertainment events were usually held, was exposed to schalburgtage. The hall was so destroyed that it could not be reopened until September 14, 1945.
The scarcity of goods and the rationing schemes were also a daily nuisance for most people, and from August 1, the purchase of footwear was to be noted on a so-called purchase card, which only applied to a limited number of purchases. So you could not just go to a shoe store and buy a pair of shoes, boots or sandals, not even if e.g. leather soles had been replaced by soles of a hard pressed cardboard material. The latter, moreover, more or less went into dissolution if the footwear was exposed to prolonged exposure to wet weather. I myself had in the autumn of 1944 bought a pair of semi-expensive ski boots with cardboard soles, and after being diligently used during the winter, the sole material softened more and more, and in the end the bottom simply went out of the boots. It was virtually impossible to renew the soles due to lack of suitable material. Leather was partly rationed and partly in short supply, primarily due to forced deliveries to the Germans.
As mentioned before, the rationing marks themselves became a commodity, but of course only on the black market, where the marks were sold at prices that many people with ordinary incomes simply could not afford to pay. Besides, it did not help to have rationing labels if there were no items to buy in the stores. But it happened from time to time that there were burglaries and ration stamps were stolen at the municipal offices, from where the stamps were usually handed out to the population. It was usually the stolen brands that were offered on the black market, which in some cases were even found at legal traders, who did not take it very seriously whether the brands were stolen, or whether the sale of these was legal or illegal. Occasionally, fake rationing marks were even sold, which had been made and printed by some shady person in possession of a printing press. However, there were severe penalties for both black market trading and counterfeiting, and it happened regularly that one or more people were exposed, arrested and brought before a court. Offenders generally escaped with fines and confiscation of the profits, but in particularly serious cases where there was theft or forgery, severe prison sentences prevailed for the culprits.
On September 16, a 48-hour strike broke out as a result of an announcement by the hated German "senior SS and police chief", Pancke, that 200 prisoners in the Frøslev Camp had been taken to Germany due to the recent increase in numbers of political killings and killings of members of the German Armed Forces. The so-called higher Pancke, whom the Danes man and man between daily called this brutal man, resided at Dagmarhus, which at that time had been totally seized by the Germans, who had also declared Dagmar Bio a military cinema. On the corner of Vestre Boulevard and Jernbanegade, the Germans had set up a barricade, which was guarded around the clock by heavily armed German soldiers. Therefore, tram lines 2, 8 and 19 were rerouted so that they did not pass Dagmarhus, as they had otherwise done on a daily basis for years.
There was also the special thing about Dagmarhus, that anti-aircraft guns were mounted on top of the roof, and that these worked, we noticed in the drawing studio about half a year later, when English bombers attacked the Shell House. But about that later.
The fatal September 19, 1944.
When I cycled this gray and rainy day in the morning along my usual route from home and into the drawing room, where I used to turn off at Larslejsstræde and drive around Larsbjørnsstræde and Kattesundet to Frederiksberggade, I got a big and unpleasant surprise. When I was about to pass Vestergade, a young, machine-gun-armed German soldier, wearing a camouflage-colored raincoat, was standing in the middle of the street, driving the traffic down Vestergade towards Gl. Square. It surprised me, because when I got there, I could drive unhindered and into Frederiksberggade. But along the way, I noticed that it was full of soldiers in black SS uniforms over at the police station just opposite the Courthouse, and that a number of German so-called prairie wagons were parked on Nytorv, ie. military trucks with covered canvas roofs. However, I did not dare to stop to take a closer look at what was going on, but hurried to No. 28, where, as usual, I parked my bike inside the yard.
In the drawing studio, there was talk of what the Germans were up to, but since no one really knew anything, we of course resumed our work as usual. To everyone's great surprise, the sirens sounded at. 11, as a sign that there may be Allied aircraft in the air. However, nothing happened other than that the air alarm was blown off an hour later. But now one of the cartoonists came and told that the Germans had arrested the Danish police, who rumor had it had been transported with the mentioned prairie wagons down to the harbor, where a German cargo ship was ready to take the unfortunate Danish policemen to German concentration camps. Later, I learned that the policemen were simply crammed together in the ship's hold, where they had to sit on the floor.
What really happened was that all the country's police stations that day were occupied by German SS troops, who at the same time had arrested a total of 1700 men of the country's police force. At Amalienborg, where the Danish police acted as the royal family's bodyguard, there was a firefight between these and German marines, and there were losses on both sides. But the German soldiers surprisingly withdrew and left the place to the Danish police. When it was rumored around the city that Amalienborg, where the royal family was staying, had been subjected to a German attack, a major strike immediately broke out, which lasted until September 21. The state radio broadcasts ceased, but were resumed at 12.30 with a new speaker who read out a call - the Germans loved calls - from the ‘Higher’ Pancke, who proclaimed a state of police emergency throughout the country. It came to last until October 15th. In practice, this meant that there were no longer any Danish police, and that the German police and their Danish accomplices, the so-called Hippos - an abbreviation for Hilf Polizei = Assistant Police, in Danish: Hjælpe-politi - had taken over the police's previous functions and areas of responsibility.
On September 23, the Higher Pancke issued an executive order authorizing the establishment of municipal security guards to carry out police duties. Such guards came into operation after only a few days, but its members were quite ordinary Danes with no experience in such tasks, and therefore illegalities such as. black market trading continued, even often quite openly on streets and alleys, without the guards being able to set anything up. Later, the police's civil law and administrative functions in Copenhagen were for the most part transferred to the magistrate at City Hall.
The action against the police resulted in, among other things, that the police officers who managed to avoid arrest were forced to go underground, which as previously mentioned would mean that the persons in question changed identity papers and possibly also appearance, in some cases in addition, residence where you often did not dare to spend more than a few days at a time before changing accommodation. It was connected with a knowledge that the Germans usually chose to surprise and apprehend suspects in the earliest morning hours, when most people were still asleep. (Note 2)
In the days after the action against the Danish police, it happened, among other things, that we at the design studio in Frederiksberggade 28 got several new employees, namely 4-5 not very young men, who had allegedly previously been employed in "other professions". No one spoke loudly about it, but it was clearly police officers who had 'gone underground'. Unfortunately, I no longer remember the names of these good men, except that one of them was called "Jacob" on a daily basis, despite the fact that we already had 'our' own Jacob. The 'new' Jakob was an approximately 40-year-old and slightly corpulent gentleman, who, under heavy pressure, said that in his younger days he had worked as an advertising designer, but later he had switched to another profession, allegedly as an "office man". We were content with this explanation, all the more so as the same Jacob was a warm and cheerful gentleman, who, incidentally, was put to the do in-between drawings.
Another of the newly arrived employees was named Lerche by last name or was at least called that. He was a tall, thin man with a sharp-edged profile, and since he had apparently not previously been involved in drawing, he was put to various incidental work. Unfortunately, I do not remember the names of the three other newly arrived men, who were a little younger than the two mentioned, nor what they did in the drawing room, as they actually did everything not to get noticed. At that time, there were far too many people employed at 'our' drawing studio, and most of them were soon after moved out to the department in Stengade in Nørrebro. Here there was room for even more cartoonists after the sewing had ceased as a result of the sabotage against it during the people's strike.
Above are two photos of the same enjoyable situation, namely the one during which the king in "Fyrtøjet" is shaved in the morning by his barber. In both cases, it is the "Jakob" mentioned in the text - not to be confused with "Jacob" alias Otto Jacobsen - who 'plays' the king's role, and Harry Rasmussen who gives it as a royal barber. - Photo: © 1944 Arne ”Jømme” Jørgensen.
After the Danish police and thus the Danish law enforcement had been put out of the game, lawlessness quickly spread in Danish society, especially in the big cities and of course not least in the capital. In the hope of combating or at least curbing lawlessness, the heads of ministries asked the German authorities for permission to set up municipal security guards. Permission for this was granted on September 23 by the Higher Pancke, and in the case of Copenhagen, the municipality's security guard came into operation on October 25, 1944.
But, of course, the guards could not prevent the pervasive lawlessness, and certainly not the saboteurs and the Schalburgs. On December 6, Bohnstedt-Petersen's Automobilfabrik was destroyed by sabotage, allegedly because the company collaborated with the Germans. On December 19, as expected, a counter-sabotage followed, which in this case affected Ø.K.’s building by Holmen’s Canal. The property was Schalburgtaged so thoroughly that the large building burned out completely, leaving only a sooty ruin.
BBC: "Here is London!"
As described during the previous mention of the design studio in Frederiksberggade 28, a radio was hidden inside the covered bookcase closest to the door to the kitchen. Incidentally, the device was never used during the day, and it was kept hidden so that the German police soldiers, who regularly came on unannounced visits in the evening, would not have a strengthened suspicion that something illegal and illegal might be going on at the site. The Danish broadcast from the BBC always took place at 20 Danish time, and it was listened to in many homes in Denmark during the occupation. The same was the case at the drawing studio when we worked overtime, and as mentioned, we did so for a long period between September 1944 and April 1945. It was especially us key artists and some of the in-between artists, among others Erling Bentsen and Bodil Rønnow, who initially listened when, shortly before kl. 20 was opened up to the radio, whose volume was of course set low, so that one had to be close to be able to hear what the speaker was saying.
The Danish broadcasts began with twice repeated four rhythmic timpani beats followed by the notes to St. Jørgens March. Then the Danish speaker Johannes G. Sørensen's gradually familiar voice was heard, which said: "Here is London with news for Danish listeners!" The speaker now read out the news that was relevant to the Danes, and it was about both domestic and foreign news, the last ones were not least about what was going on on the fronts. These news - together with the illegal Danish magazines - contributed greatly to correcting the one-sided and ‘beautified’ propaganda picture that the German-controlled Danish press drew of the events on Europe's battlefields. The radio broadcast always ended with the speaker saying: "We bring a special message!", After which this e.g. could read: "Greetings to Hans, Viktor, Marie, Kurt, Alice, Anders, etc." These names and their order were in fact a code message to the Danish resistance movement, which in this way received a message from the Danish Freedom Council in London, e.g. orders to initiate sabotage actions against one or more Danish companies that cooperated with the occupying forces. It could also be a message about what the Allies had in mind about e.g. impending actions in Denmark, as was the case with the attack on the Shell House in Copenhagen on March 21, 1945.
Part of what helped heighten the somewhat nervous and tense situation in the studio when we listened to the BBC was the fact that the technical side of the transmission was so-so, with the buzz and noise of the speaker and fluctuating volume. Furthermore, during the entire broadcast, which lasted about a quarter of an hour, we were aware of whether and if there was anyone at the front door who was admittedly locked. It happened occasionally when we were working over that late in the evening a pair of boot-trampling German police soldiers with submachine guns showed up at the drawing room, where they walked around the studio and looked around. Then the nervousness of some of us increased, who feared that the two snuff taps would find themselves looking in behind the covered shelves where the secret radio was hidden. But luckily they did not discover it, and usually left the place with a remark that the blackout curtains out to the street did not cover as they should. Several in the drawing studio understood and spoke German so that they could answer that something should be done about it immediately.
Four unlucky - or lucky - cartoonists
In October 1944, an episode occurred in which several of the artists from the design studio at Frederiksberggade 28 were involuntarily involved, and which could possibly have had some serious consequences if the course had not been as will be described below. It happened shortly after the Germans on September 19 the same year had interned and sent the majority of the Danish police to concentration camps in Germany. The relatively few police officers who escaped went underground. It was then German police, zealously assisted and helped by Danish, so-called Hipo people, who had taken over the police stations, and who from here were to ensure peace and order in the country. The Hipo people, however, quickly became known and infamous for their brutal and terrorist-like conduct towards their countrymen.
One day around noon, four of "Fyrtøjet"'s cartoonists, Børge Hamberg, Arne "Jømme" Jørgensen, Torben Strandgaard and Mogens Mogensen, had allegedly gone to a trial lesson in boxing and self-defense. The training rooms were located near the police station, where German police and Hipo people were stationed. After the rehearsal, the four cartoonists went back along the same route that they had used on the outing, and that meant that they came through Niels Brocks Gade. As they had passed the Police Station and were between Anker Heegaards Gade and Puggaardsgade, a pair of low black cars, Citroëns, came speeding up the side of them and braked hard, after which four of the cars' six Hipo people jumped at lightning speed out on the sidewalk and grabbed each man, while the fourth, Arne "Jømme" Jørgensen, managed to escape and fled along Puggaardsgade in the direction of Rysensteensgade. Here he turned off and continued over Vester Voldgade and on along Ny Kongensgade to Frederiksholm’s Kanal, and via several alleys he reached back to the drawing studio in Frederiksberggade.
Immediately upon arrival at the design studio, the terrified and greatly breathless "Jømme" told what had happened and that Hipo had arrested Børge Hamberg, Torben Strandgaard and Mogens Mogensen. A clearly nervous Finn Rosenberg immediately picked up the phone and called Johnsen, who arrived at the design studio about five minutes later, where he was put into the situation. His face expressed great seriousness, especially after "Jømme" had told him what had happened, but immediately afterwards he grabbed the phone and demanded a number over the exchange - at that time, the phone calls were still made by telephone operator. When the telephone connection had reached Dagmarhus and a voice appeared at the other end of the tube, Johnsen asked in flawless German to speak to Günther Pancke himself (b. 1899), also called "the higher Pancke", because this 1943-45 was the chief SS and police chief in Denmark.
During the conversation, as the surrounding staff, i.a. me, could not help but hear, Johnsen asserted and guaranteed to Pancke that the three arrested and named persons were merely some harmless young people who went to boxing training to stay in physical shape. He also explained that the three young people were employed in his company as cartoonists, and that they were busy completing the first Danish feature film, which was to some extent made in collaboration with UFA. Johnsen's conversation with Pancke lasted about five minutes, and when he had hung up the phone, it was clear that he felt relieved. But since he was always a man of few words, he simply said, "Everything is fine! Call me when the three show up!", After which he left the drawing studio.
About a little over an hour later, the three unfortunate, at the same time shaken, swallowed, and relieved cartoonists returned to the drawing room, and here they could tell what had happened to them after they had been taken by the Hipo people. They had been forcibly driven into one of the two black cars, and then driven at breakneck speed to Dagmarhus, which at the time was a heavily guarded headquarters of the German administration in Denmark. Here they first came for a very short interrogation, after which they were led down to the parking basement and locked inside their respective dog cages. In some of the other cages there were also some prisoners, and all were kept under the supervision of a couple of German-armed German soldiers. The dog cages were originally intended as a service to the house's guests who could "park" their brought dog here, while they themselves e.g. went to Dagmar Bio or had another relatively short-term errand in the large business and office building. The cages were so low that a human had to squat or on the floor to be in there, and that was exactly what the three poor cartoonists had had to do.
It was reportedly strongly mixed feelings and thoughts that went through the heads of Børge Hamberg, Torben Strandgaard and Mogens Mogensen, while they sat in their respective cages and waited for what was to happen next. The three were or had been involved in illegal work or in the resistance movement, but it was obviously not something that was talked about loudly or signposted at the time. But it does not take much imagination to imagine that the three young men must in any case have had it terrible in the good hour and a half time they were in the custody of the Germans and the Hipo people.
It had further happened that after an unbearable wait, which seemed to them like an eternity, but which really only lasted about an hour, the three cartoonists were readily shut out of the cages and escorted to the exit, and from here they were free to leave the Germans. hated "stronghold". Johnsen's conversation with Pancke had not been in vain. After the liberation in May 1945, Günther Pancke was arrested and remanded in custody, and in 1948 he was sentenced to 20 years in prison for the terrorist acts he had led during the occupation. In 1953 he was pardoned and deported by Denmark. This is life and so are the people, at least in the tornado country of Denmark.
After the shock of what could actually have happened to the three unfortunate heroes if the SS people had found them more 'interesting' than was obviously the case, and if Johnsen had not so resolutely and fearlessly 'interfered', fell all to rest and the work could continue roughly as before.
It was now more important than before that everything in the power of the responsible management was done to promote the production of "Fyrtøjet" as much as possible. The hope of being able to hold a premiere around Christmas time 1944 had long since broken, but now it was probably hoped that the premiere could take place no later than the autumn of 1945. Therefore, the intense overtime continued, which for the employees meant that they only saw the light of day from the studio windows. It was dark when we met in the morning at. 8, and it was dark when we left the drawing room in the evening at. 23. At the latter time, the streets were usually in quiet, pitch black darkness, only in places dimly lit by screened street lights along the sidewalks. Business windows, like private windows, were darkened, and the neon billboards on the rooftops were not to be lit. In peacetime, the otherwise well-lit and lively City Hall Square lay in darkness and silence. There were only a few trams and taxis in operation at this late hour of the day, and these were also darkened, as all traffic had been required to be. Cyclists also had to ride with dazzled lights, so they were difficult to spot in the night darkness. As previously mentioned, there were practically none of the private cars, partly because there were not many people at the time who owned a car, and partly because there was no petrol to buy.
But we all came home individually, either per. S-trains, regional trains, trams, bicycles or walking, and whether we lived in Copenhagen itself or in one of the surrounding municipalities. However, it did not turn into many hours of sleep, because most of us had to get up already around noon. 6 the next morning, to be able to get back to work on time. For my own part, as mentioned, I mostly cycled to and from work, but occasionally I used the tram, especially when the weather was very windy, cold and rainy or snowy. At that time, the snow was not allowed to lie much longer than absolutely necessary in the streets, because the unemployed members of the unions were simply sent out to "shovel snow", as it was called. It involved a full working day - or several such - shoveling and sweeping the snow away from the carriageways and sidewalks, and the piles of snow left behind were not allowed to lie long before being shoveled onto trucks (with gas generator) or horse-drawn carriages and driven to central storage sites around the city, or simply dumped in the harbor basins. All this work was done by hand alone, which may be difficult for modern humans to understand. There were enough tractors with snow plows and brooms, but when there was no petrol to be had, the work had to be done by hand. There were also no Bobcats or excavators, as seen with snow removal nowadays or within earth and concrete work or new construction. Such machines were not put into general use until several years after the end of the war.
But in the following section we will of course return to the main topic, namely how Dansk Farve- og Tegnefilm A/S coped with the problems and difficulties of getting the feature film "Fyrtøjet" finished within a reasonable time horizon.
To start: Danish Cartoon History
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