Albert Ranft facts for kids
Albert Adam Ranft (born November 23, 1858 – died October 5, 1938) was a famous Swedish theatre director and actor. He played a huge role in Swedish theatre during his time, especially in Stockholm.
A Life in Theatre
Albert Adam Ranft was born in Stockholm, Sweden. His father was Adolf Fredrik Ranft, and his mother was Katarina Amalia Reijhell. Albert wasn't the only actor in the family; his brother, Gustaf Adolf Ranft, was also an actor.
Albert Ranft started his acting career early. He made his first appearance in 1876. This was with a theatre group led by a Danish actress named Magda von Dolcke in a city called Örebro.
For several years, Albert worked with different theatre groups. Then, in 1884, he decided to start his very own travelling theatre company. This meant his group would travel around, performing plays in different towns.
From 1886 to 1890, he worked as both a director and an actor at the Stora Teatern (which means "The Grand Theatre") in Gothenburg. He also worked with another theatre person, Hjalmar Selander, from 1890 to 1892. Albert Ranft continued to run his travelling theatre company from 1892 to 1893.
In 1892, he took a big step and became the owner of the Stora Teatern. A few years later, in 1895, he also took over the Vasateatern in Stockholm.
The Theatre Emperor
In the early 1900s, Albert Ranft became known as the "theatre emperor of Stockholm." This was because he owned and managed almost all the main private theatres in the city! His theatre empire included famous places like the Vasateatern, the Swedish Theatre, Södra Teatern, and Oscarsteatern. At the same time, he even managed the Royal Swedish Opera.
The most important theatre in his collection was the Swedish Theatre. Many important plays were performed there for the very first time. One of the most famous was A Dream Play by the well-known writer August Strindberg, which premiered in 1907.
Family Life
Albert Ranft was married twice. In 1878, he married actress Alma Helin. After her passing, he married another actress, Lisa Ranft, in 1893. Albert and Lisa had two children who also became involved in the arts: their daughter, Kajsa Ranft, became an operetta singer, and their son, Nils Ranft, became an actor.
Albert Ranft passed away in Stockholm and was buried at a place called Norra begravningsplatsen.
Films He Appeared In
Albert Ranft also acted in a few films:
- A Perfect Gentleman (1927)
- For Her Sake (1930)
