Karl Gerhard

Karl Emil Georg Gerhard (born Karl Emil Georg Johnson; 14 April 1891 – 22 April 1964) was a Swedish theater director, revue writer and actor. In 1938 he changed his surname to Gerhard and used the pseudonym Karl-Gerhard. [1][2]

Karl Gerhard
Karl Gerhard in 1930.
Born
Karl Emil Georg Johnson

(1891-04-14)14 April 1891
Stockholm, Sweden
Died24 April 1964(1964-04-24) (aged 73)
Saltsjöbaden, Sweden
Occupation(s)Theater director, revue writer and actor
Spouses
​
​
(m. 1913; div. 1920)​
    Valborg Geyron
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1922; div. 1930)​
      Brita Werner
      ​
      ​
      (m. 1930; div. 1936)​
      ChildrenMaj-Catrine (1914–1964)
      Per Gerhard (1924–2011)
      Fatima Svendsen (1944–)

      Biography

      Karl Emil Georg Johnson was born in Hedvig Eleonora parish in Stockholm, Sweden. He was the son of Frans Emil Jonsson (1861–1917) and Jenny Augusta Jonsdotter (1863–1906). In 1916, he appeared as an actor under the direction of Hjalmar Selander at the Nya Teatern in Gothenburg. In 1919, he debuted as a couplet singer at the cabaret Fenixpalatset in Stockholm as successor to Ernst Rolf (1891–1932). For many years, he was an actor in various traveling theater companies.

      Through most of his career, he wrote songs and couplets as well as a large number of sketches, dialogues and monologues for performance on the stages of Stockholm and Gothenburg. Many of Karl Gerhard's plays and songs were politically to the left, and during the 1930s and World War II, they contained clear anti-fascist statements. He composed and sang a number of couplet text that sharply criticized the Swedish government's apathy towards Nazi Germany, among these Den ökända hästen från Troja (The Infamous Horse of Troy). [3] [4]

      He together with the Wallenberg family and the Swedish government arranged a deal to export critical metal alloys to Soviet union during the war. Sovjet needed the alloys for its airforce. Wallenberg tried to get Raoul Wallenberg released from Soviet incarceration while Karl Gerhart supported Soviet during the war. Wallenberg was not released by Soviet, reportedly he was killed by the Russians.


      He was married three times: to actresses Mary Johnson (1913 to 1920), Valborg Geyron (1922 to 1930) and Brita Werner (1930 to 1936). He was the father of actor Per Gerhard (1924–2011).[5][6]

      Bust of Karl Gerhard, Lorensberg Theatre, Gothenburg

      Selected filmography

      References
      1. "Karl E G Gerhard". Svenskt biografiskt lexikon. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
      2. "Om Karl Gerhard". jazzgossen.com. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
      3. Anna Micro Vikstrand. "Fenixpalatset − från nöjespalats till pingstkyrka" (PDF). bebyggelsehistoria.org. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
      4. "Karl Gerhard". Swedish Music Hall of Fame. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
      5. "Mary Johnson". queersilents.com. Archived from the original on October 8, 2007. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
      6. "Per Gerhard". NE Nationalencyklopedin AB. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
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