Praesten i Vejlby (1922 film)

Infobox Film
name = Praesten i Vejlby


image_size = 250px
caption = 1922 Movie Poster by Palle Wennerwald
director = August Blom
producer =
writer = Valdemar Andersen
Steen Steensen Blicker
narrator =
starring = Gunnar Tolnæs
Søren Quist
Ingeborg Spangsfeldt
music =
cinematography = Louis Larsen
editing =
distributor =
released = 1922
runtime =
country = DEN
language = Silent Film
Danish Intertitles
budget =
preceded_by =
followed_by =
website =
amg_id =
imdb_id = 0011608

"Praesten i Vejlby" (English Title: "The Vicar of Vejlby", and released in England as "The Hand of Fate") is a 1922 crime mystery filmed by Danish film director August Blom. The silent film is based upon a novella by Steen Steensen Blicher about a true murder case from 1626. The story was adapted later by George Schnéevoigt (see Praesten i Vejlby (1931 film), and again by Claus Ørsted (see Praesten i Vejlby (1972 film)). Blom's version remains the most faithful to the original literature. In addition, Blom filmed on location in the village of Vejlby, using the Vejlby Church.

Plot

Søren Qvist, a village minister with a short-temper, is accused of murdering his unlikeable servant when the man disappears after an argument. Erik Sørensen, the local judge, reluctantly investigates but he is conflicted because he is happily betrothed to the minister's daughter, Mette. The judge becomes distraught as more and more witnesses offer evidence against the minister. The minister, although he doesn't remember any murder, believes the evidence is undeniable and decides to confess -- condemning himself to death. The judge is forced to pass sentence -- the pastor is beheaded -- and Judge Sørensen's relationship with the woman he loves is destroyed. Twenty years later, the murder victim returns to the village. He reveals his alleged murder was a cruel hoax constructed by his brother as revenge for his rejection as a suitor for Mette.

Cast

External Links

* [http://dnfx.dfi.dk/pls/dnf/pwt.page_setup?p_pagename=dnffuldvis&p_parmlist=filmid=16025 Danish Film Institute] (In Danish)
* [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0011608 IMDb]