Gabriel Axel

Biography

Axel Gabriel Erik Mørch, better known as Gabriel Axel was a Danish director, actor and writer. He spent most of his childhood and youth in Paris. In 1942 Axel was admitted to the acting school at the Royal Danish Theatre in Copenhagen. After a short period of theatre in Paris, he returned to Denmark and began in 1951 to direct television drama. Following a series of more or less erotic films and broadly popular comedies, Axel in 1977 launched a prolific career as a director of French TV films, culminating in 1985 with a historical five-episode series, "Les colonnes du ciel/Heaven's Pillars". In 1987, Axel returned to Denmark to direct what had been his dream project for over 15 years, an adaptation of Karen Blixen's "Babette's Feast." After screening at the Cannes film festival, the film became a worldwide success and won the 1988 Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film. Gabriel Axel directed some 25 feature films and 50 tv-movies. He appeared in about 25 films.

Directed

1. Babette's Feast (1987) — Director
2. Lumière & Company (1995) — Director
3. Prince of Jutland (1994) — Director
4. The Red Mantle (1967) — Director
5. Paradise and Back (1964) — Director
6. Going for Broke (1977) — Director
7. Crazy Paradise (1962) — Director
8. The Girls Are Willing (1958) — Director
9. Sex and the Law (1968) — Director
10. The Goldcabbage Family (1975) — Director
11. The Goldcabbage Family Breaks the Bank (1976) — Director
12. Vi har det jo dejligt (1963) — Director
13. Oskar (1962) — Director
14. Three Girls in Paris (1963) — Director
15. Flemming and Kvik (1960) — Director
16. Amour (1970) — Director
17. Med kærlig hilsen (1971) — Director
18. Always Trouble (1955) — Director
19. En kvinde er overflødig (1957) — Director
20. Helle for Helene (1959) — Director
21. Soft Shoulders, Sharp Curves (1972) — Director
22. Leïla (2001) — Director
23. Christian (1989) — Director
24. A Crime of Our Times (1977) — Director
25. Le Curé de Tours (1980) — Director
26. Le Coq de Bruyère (1980) — Director
27. Les Colonnes du ciel (1985) — Director
28. Henrik and Pernille (1957) — Director
29. Skærmydsler (1961) — Director
30. Dannevirkenatten (1964) — Director
31. Møde ved midnat (1958) — Director

Also appeared in

1. Han, hun, Dirch og Dario (1962) — Modedesigneren Monsieur Baptiste
2. Styrmand Karlsen (1958)
3. Going for Broke (1977)
4. Peter's baby (1961) — Lompard - Brigader
5. The Reluctant Sadist (1967) — Marcel de Sade
6. Dyden går amok (1966)
7. Der kom en dag (1955) — Stenert
8. The Goldcabbage Family Breaks the Bank (1976)
9. En ven i bolignøden (1965) — von Bengeldorff
10. Three Girls in Paris (1963) — French teacher
11. Kispus (1956) — Tailor
12. The bride from Dragstrup (1955) — Taxichauffør
13. Med kærlig hilsen (1971) — Mr. X
14. Himlen er blaa (1954) — Receptionist
15. Karen, Maren og Mette (1954)
16. Us Petty Sinners (1952) — Værtshusgæst
17. Kongeligt besøg (1954)
18. Nu går den på Dagmar (1972)
19. Det er så yndigt at følges ad (1954)
20. Skatteøens hemmelighed (1953) — Knud Asmussen
21. Vi som går køkkenvejen (1953)
22. Jan går til filmen (1954) — Instruktøren
23. Fra "Harlekin" til "Krøniken": 60 års TV-drama (2011) — Sig selv