Media gallery for
Smiles of a Summer Night

Fredrik Egerman (Gunnar Björnstrand) finds it difficult to understand his theology studying son Henrik (Björn Bjelfvenstam) who is torned between the ideal of purity and intrusive desires.

Costume test for Fredrik (Gunnar Björnstrand) and Ann Egerman (Ulla Jacobsson).

Costume test for Count Malcolm (Jarl Kulle) and Petra (Harriet Andersson).

Count Malcolm (Jarl Kulle) challenges Fredrik Egerman (Gunnar Björnstrand) to a game of Russian roulette.

Smiles of a Summer Night became Bergman’s third and last comedy with duo Eva Dahlbeck (Desirée Armfeldt) and Gunnar Björnstrand (Fredrik Egerman).

”I thought it was a technical challenge to make a comedy with a mathematic relationship; man-woman, man-woman [...] there are four couples, and then mix them together and then sort out the equation."

Charlotte (Margit Carlqvist) makes a wager with her husband that she can seduce lawyer Egerman (Gunnar Björnstrand) in fifteen minutes.

Desirée Armfeldt (Eva Dahlbeck) and her mother (Naima Wistrand).

In the book Bergman about Bergman, the director recalls SF’s initial reaction to the film: ’ The film wasn’t funny, it was stylised, it was too lame, and too long. They’d also tumbled to the fact that it was in period costume, and just then costume films weren’t doing any box-office.’

Page from Bergman’s shooting script.

Handwritten script for Smiles of a Summer Night. Dated Rättvik, May 1955.

’This is a spring day in 1901.’ From the handwritten script for Smiles of a Summer Night.

Workbook no 16 includes script drafts for both Smiles of a Summer Night and Dreams.

’I might tolerate you seducing my wife, but you fiddling with my mistress, that is death!’ From workbook no 16.

Bergman and Naima Wistrand (Mrs. Armfeldt) during the filming of Smiles of a Summer Night.

Bergman and Ulla Jacobsson (Ann Egerman) during the filming of Smiles of a Summer Night.

Bergman together with Eva Dahlbeck (Desirée Armfeldt) and Jarl Kulle (Count Malcolm) during the filming of Smiles of a Summer Night. According to Bergman, it was a miserable shoot with all participants on the verge of nerv­ous breakdowns.