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Ett hemligt giftermål
(A Secret Marriage)
Also known as Bekännelsen på Dösdbädden in Sweden; A Ruined Life in the USA
(1912) Sweden
B&W : [?] Three or Four? reels
Directed by Victor Sjöström Victor Sjostrom Victor Seastrom
Cast: Hilda Borgström [Helena], Einar Fröberg [Överste], Anna Norrie [Överstinnan], Richard Lund [Georg, deras son], Bergliot Husberg [Deras dotter], John Ekman [Hennes fästman], Greta Almroth [Barnflicka], Victor Arfvidson, Erland Colliander, Erik Lindholm
Svenska Biografteatern Aktiebolaget production; distributed by Svenska Biografteaterns Filmbyrå. / Scenario by Charles Magnusson [?] + [Victor Sjöström]? Cinematography by Henrik Jaenzon and Julius Jaenzon. / Released 14 October 1912. / Standard 35mm spherical 1.33:1 format. / Almroth’s and Borgström’s film debuts. The film was released in the USA as A Ruined Life in May 1913. The film was released in Norway on 1 November 1913.
Drama.
Synopsis: [?] [From The Moving Picture World]? Secretly-married Lieutenant Muller lives with his parents and his married sister, but chafes under the conditions and wishes they they could all live together, which is impossible because of his wife’s lack of social standing. Muller is fond of horses and rides his own horse in the steeplechase, a big society event. Muller is fatally injured when his horse falls. On his deathbed he tells his secret and implores his parents to look after his wife and little son. They are taken into the family, but incur the displeasure of Muller’s brother-in-law, who sees in the lad a possible claimant for his grandfather’s fortune, which the brother-in-law hopes to inherit. He offers Muller’s widow money to go away with the boy; she spurns this but leaves with her boy and tries to make a living for them by sewing. When she is unsuccessful, she finally yields to her son's grandmother's proposal to adopt the boy — but she cannot receive his mother. Some time afterward, the young mother sees her son in the park with his nurse; she seizes him and jumps into the lake, intending to end both their lives, but they are rescued by some men. For this act the mother is sentenced to a long prison term. When she gets out she is old, and her now-grown-up son is a military cadet who still lives with his grandparents, who are very proud of him. The mother gets employment as a scrubwoman but is soon discharged for incompetency and wanders around in search of work. Her son comes across her as she collapses in the road while some boys are ridiculing her. He drives them off and carries her home, where he finds out that she is his mother.
Survival status: (unknown)
Current rights holder: (unknown) [Sweden]; Public domain [USA].
Listing updated: 31 January 2025.
References: Forslund-Sjöström p. 273 : Website-IMDb.
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