enda
Person

Robert Storm Petersen

(1882 – 1949)

Actor, illustrator, painter, poet. Born 19 September 1882, died aged 66 on 6 March 1949. Brother of cinematographer Karl Storm Petersen.

The son of a butcher, Storm P. started learning his father’s trade, but soon left the apprenticeship, driven by his great interest in drawing. He studied for a while, and was employed as an illustrator at Ekstrabladet 1902-1905. In 1909 he had his first exhibition as a painter. Pursuing a career as an illustrator and a painter, Storm P. also wanted to express his multi-faceted talent in other ways and got a traineeship at the Casino Theatre, where he made his debut in 1903. His stage talents developed most exuberantly in the cabaret genre, in which he formed a partnership with Chr. Arhoff. In 1930 he was invited to the Royal Danish Theatre where, together with Knud Aage Riisager, he composed the ballet Benzin (which translates as Petrol), which ran three times. Storm P. was a deeply original and imaginative artist who enjoyed an extensive and extremely productive career.

Robert Storm Petersen appeared in the earliest films at Nordisk Film in 1906 and 1907. In his reply to a letter to film historian Ove Brusendorff in 1939, he wrote about this pioneering work: “I was involved in the very first films that Nordisk Film made – none of them were ‘important’ and there was no ‘director’. My work on the film is of such a modest nature that I must be content with saying that I was born on 19 September 1882.” In addition to starring in the films, he also helped to make decorations and came up with ideas for action scenes.
In the early 1920s, Storm P. created a series of animated films and was a pioneer in that field, too.

Literature:
Harald H. Lund et al: Bogen om Storm P. – skrevet af hans venner (which translates as A book about Storm P. – written by his friends, published in 1949).
Arnold Hending: Den glemte Storm P. (which translates as The forgotten Storm P., published in 1964).
Poul Carit Andersen: Livet er en cirkus – en bog om Storm P. og hans tid (which translates as Life is a circus – a book about Storm P. and his time published in 1972).
Filmography
Title Year Function Category
Life Is a Circus 1969 Voiceover DK/Documentary
Berlingske Tidende 1749-1949 1949 Sig selv DK/Short fiction
The making of a portrait bust 1937 Appearance Non-fiction footage
Fange Nr. 1 1935 Fangevogter DK/Feature
Thi kendes for ret 1929 Appearance DK/Short fiction
Efter hemmelig ordre eller den er pingeling 1927 Direction, Appearance DK/Short fiction
Elsinore's 500 years anniversary 1926 Appearance DK/Documentary
Man drinking coffee 1925 Appearance, Direction DK/Commercial
En Nat i København 1923 Provisor Vind DK/Feature
Storm og stille 1923 Appearance DK/Short fiction
Den talende film 1923 Appearance Non-fiction footage
The Rejuvenation Treatment 1921 Direction, Appearance DK/Short fiction
Jernmixturen 1921 Direction, Animation DK/Short fiction
A Wonderful Dream 1921 Direction DK/Short fiction
A Duck Tale 1920 Direction, Production, Animation DK/Short fiction
Storm P Draws the Three Little Men 1920 Direction, Appearance DK/Short fiction
The Clarinet Player 1920 Direction DK/Short fiction
The motor-car mystery 1917 Appearance DK/Feature
Søstrene Corodi 1914 Appearance DK/Short fiction
Lille Klaus og store Klaus 1913 Kusk DK/Feature
Feltherrens Hævn 1908 Appearance DK/Short fiction
Lykkens Galoscher 1908 Appearance DK/Short fiction
Jeppe paa Bjerget 1908 Ridefogedens kone DK/Short fiction
La Tosca 1908 Appearance DK/Short fiction
Dansen paa Koldinghus 1908 Narren DK/Short fiction
Ridderen af Randers Bro 1908 Appearance DK/Short fiction
Trilby 1908 Appearance DK/Short fiction
Happy Bob paa Keglebane 1907 Happy Bob DK/Short fiction
Happy Bob paa Rottejagt 1907 Happy Bob DK/Short fiction
Happy Bob som Bokser 1907 Happy Bob DK/Short fiction
Happy Bob som Cyklist 1907 Happy Bob DK/Short fiction
Happy Bob som Frier 1907 Happy Bob DK/Short fiction
Happy Bob som Tjener 1907 Happy Bob DK/Short fiction
The Robber's Sweetheart 1907 Røveren DK/Short fiction
Vikingeblod 1907 Appearance DK/Short fiction
Mordet paa Fyn 1907 Morderen DK/Short fiction
The Lady With the Camelias 1907 Gustave DK/Short fiction
A modern naval hero 1907 Søofficer DK/Short fiction
Den sorte Maske 1907 Appearance DK/Short fiction
Once Upon a Time 1907 Kongen DK/Short fiction
The Tinderbox 1907 Tjener DK/Short fiction
Hævnet 1907 Forfører DK/Short fiction
From the Rococo-Times 1907 Appearance DK/Short fiction
Æren tabt alt tabt 1907 Appearance DK/Short fiction
Haanden 1907 Appearance DK/Short fiction
En Foræring til min Kone 1906 Den fulde mand DK/Short fiction
Caros Død 1906 Appearance DK/Short fiction
Peter and Ping in the departement store Appearance, Direction, Illustrator DK/Short fiction