The Racer

Lau Lauritzen Sr., 1920, 15 min
There are lots of fun scenes in this fast-paced little farce about the racing enthusiast Hurtigkarl and his sports-mad dream – to see his favourite runner hitched with his daughter Musse. Since Musse would rather be with hairdresser Svipp, Hurtigkarl has to think on his feet: A race between the two rivals must decide the matter – the winner gets to be with Musse until the end of days. The plan seems impeccable, but there’s something Hurtigkarl hasn’t thought of. In the race, your mind must be as quick as your legs!

The farce is directed by Lau Lauritzen, and the master runner is played by Carl Schenstrøm, who the following year (1921) took on the role of Fyrtaarnet for the first time in Lauritzen’s first film about Fy & Bi. The series of films about Fy & Bi, many of which can be seen on stumfilm.dk, became a trademark for Danish film during the 1920s and 1930s.