Martha

Martha is a movie you can see again and again. It shows the Danish culture very well. Danish actor really knows how to play drunk.

This movie is one of the best danish movies ever, matching; I Kina spiser de hunde, and Blinkende lygter. The movie gives a view into the relation between Sweden and Denmark, saying, that the danes will newer pass against the swedes, and always give all that we can muster. I have used this movie to make friends, with many danes throughout Denmark; whenever I have mentioned it, there has always been someone who knew, this masterpiece in danish movie history. And i have newer met anyone, that did not like this movie.

This as an excellent film. In this film you see Ove Sprogøe, Poul Bundgaard and Morten Grundwald together for the first time. Later on the three of them would go on to create the biggest success ever in danish movie-history: "Olsen-banden". The scenes where the dead-drunk danish sailors return to the ship and find their boss there are excellent.

Martha is probably the best, the funniest, and most lovable comedy ever to come out of Denmark. At the time of its release it was a financial flop, but time has made it a classic. Many lovers of old classic danish comedies consider Martha to be the finest of its kind. Even for people who have seen it numerous times, little fine details can still be found. The team is excellent, the cast counts the most loved danish actors of that era, and Balling shows why is by many considered to be the master of popular comedy.

It should be noted though, that while the finished screenplay was written by director Erik Balling and production designer Henning Bahs in collaboration, the original story was conceived by Bahs and the actor Preben Kaas, who plays the cookie on board the ship.

This is stated in the credits on the home video/DVD cassette.

"Their heavenly life comes a halt on the evening when they go out to celebrate Halfdan's birthday, a prostitute (Anousaki) is duly purveyed for his rite of passage. The ship company owner O. P. Andersen (Kjærulff-Schmidt) blows in with his spoiled daughter Lone (Borchsenius) and his omniscient secretary (Weiding). An overhaul is grudgingly implemented and most of them are prove incompetent and summarily fired by Andersen, although Lone needs to be rough-housed by a macho man like Knud to be meek and smitten (a glaring mismatch to propagate homegrown masculine prowess)."

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