ABBA - the Movie (1977)

Media (2)

Kajsa Hedström
+46 8 665 11 22
kajsa.hedstrom@filminstitutet.se

Read more about this film in our article "Svenska artister på afrikanska äventyr" (in Swedish)

Read more about this film in our article "Vi har vår egen sång – en alternativ mediahändelse" (in Swedish)

Read more about this film in our article "Yrke: reporter" (in Swedish)

Watch this film in the Mini Cinema in our Stockholm library

Original title	ABBA - the Movie
Swedish release title	ABBA - the Movie
Co-production title	ABBA - the Movie (Australien)
Distribution title	ABBA - der Film (Västtyskland) ABBA (Polen) ABBA (Danmark) ABBA - elokuva (Finland) ABBA - filmen (Finland) ABBA - filmen (Norge) ABBA - the Movie (Storbritannien) ABBA, de film (Holland) ABBA, filmen (Norge) ABBA, el gran espectáculo (Spanien)
Title alternative spelling	Abba the Movie

Director	Lasse Hallström
Screenplay	Lasse Hallström Bob Caswell
Producer	Stig Anderson Reg Grundy
Production Manager	Waldemar Bergendahl Ray Newell
Director of Photography	Jack Churchill Paul Onorato
Music	Benny Andersson Stig Anderson Björn Ulvaeus (originalmusik) Clive Hicks Pierre Nymar Robert Ryberg Gaston René Wahlberg
Production Designer	Åke Nordwall
Film Editor	Lasse Hallström Malou Hallström Ulf Neidemar
Production Mixer	Tommy Persson Lars Lundberg Göran Carmback Berry von Bronkhorst
Script Supervisor	Margareta Feldt Malou Hallström
Unit Manager	Peter Appleton Sven-Gösta Holst
Production Secretary	Anne Blaker Görel Johnsen
Camera Operator	Gary Hansen Peter Hopwood
Assistant Camera Operator	James Allen Björn Blixt Peter Moss Dan Myhrman John Swaffield
Special Photographic Effects	Per-Olof Ohlsson Bengt Schöldström Björn Selander
Gaffer	Ulf Björck Derek Jones
Color Timer	Sten Lindberg
Music Recording Engineer	Michael B. Tretow Weston Baker Claes af Geijerstam
Propman	Gösta Engström Hans Harnesk (as Hasse Harnesk)
Costume Designer	Ingmarie Halling (as Ing-Marie Nilsson)
Make-up Supervisor	Kjell Gustavsson Josy Knowland
Sound Editor	Lars Lundberg Göran Carmback
Re-recording Mixer	Berndt Frithiof Lars Lundberg
Titles	Rune Söderqvist
Other Crew	Shelley Bamford (produktionskoordinator) Jimmy Barnett (scenelektriker) Thomas Johansson (turnéledare Europa) Paul Dainty (turnéledare Australien)

ABBA
Benny Andersson	Benny
Agnetha Fältskog	Agnetha
Anni-Frid Lyngstad	Anni-Frid
Björn Ulvaeus	Björn
Robert Hughes	Ashley
Bruce Barry	studiochef
Tom Oliver	livvakt/bartender/taxichaufför
Stig Anderson	ABBA:s manager
Lena Andersson Hubbard (as Lena Andersson)	kör
Lena Maria Gårdenäs-Lawton	kör
Maritza Horn	kör
Ulf Andersson	musiker
Ola Brunkert	musiker
Lars Carlson	musiker
Anders Eljas	musiker
Wojciech Ernest	musiker
Malando Gassama	musiker
Rutger Gunnarsson	musiker
Finn Sjöberg	musiker
Lasse Wellander (as Lars Wellander)	musiker
Calvin Cross
Ivar Dahlbom
Claes af Geijerstam
Harry Lawrence
Michael Mansson
Ray Marshall
Frances Mathews
Thomas Minor
Åke Olsson
Karlene Rogerson	Övriga roller

Production Company	Polar Music International AB
	Reg Grundy Productions Pty
Distributor in Sweden (35 mm)	AB Svensk Filmindustri
Laboratory	Colorfilm Pty
	FilmTeknik AB
Costume Designer	Artist-Dressing Ovelars		(scenkläder)
Animation Photography	Animagica Film & Video AB

The pop group ABBA arrives in Australia for their first big international tour. Ashley Wallace, an unfortunate radio DJ, tries in vain to land an interview with the massively popular Swedish pop stars. He follows them across Australia and has to settle for attending their concerts – where they perform songs such as "Waterloo," ”Money, Money, Money,” ”Thank You for the Music,” ”Mamma Mia,” ”Ring, Ring”, ”SOS” and "Dancing Queen" – and interviewing the fans, as well as those that are not so fond of the quartet. In the end he meets ABBA by chance in a hotel elevator and manages to record his interview shortly before the Swedes’ departure from the country, and just in time for his assignment deadline.

Censorship number	118574
Date	1977-12-06
Classification	Suitable for all audiences
Original length	2650 meters
Notes	Aktlängder: 515-500-425-550-365-295 = 2650 meter.

Aspect ratio	2.35:1 (Panavision)
Sound type	Sound
Sound system	Magnetic stereo
Colour type	Colour
Colour system	Eastman Color
Carrier type	35 mm
Frames per second	24
Length in metres	2650 meter
Length in minutes	97 min
Reels	6 reels

				1977-03	1977-06
	Stockholm	Sweden
		Australia	(konsertbilder)

First showing	1977-12-15	Palace	Melbourne	Australia
	1977-12-15	Astra	Parramatta	Australia
	1977-12-15	Regent Theatre	Sydney	Australia
Release in Sweden	1977-12-26	China	Stockholm	Sweden	97 min
	1977-12-26	Fanfaren	Stockholm	Sweden	97 min
Other showing	1978		Warsaw	Poland
TV showing	1980-12-27	TV2		Sweden
	1992-06-03	TV3		Sweden
Cinematheque screening, archive copy	2004-02-26
TV showing	2005-12-25	TV4		Sweden
Cinematheque screening, archive copy	2006-06-11
TV showing	2006-12-25	TV4		Sweden
Cinematheque screening, archive copy	2008-11-19
	2008-11-28
	2013-10-19
Festival showing	2017-02-03	Draken	Gothenburg	Sweden	97 min	Göteborg Film Festival 2017

Original title	Musik i urval (kontakta redaktionen för detaljer om enskilda filmer)

The information given here refers to film material in the Swedish Film Institute’s archive. Access to the archive’s stock is given on request, for research, other film archives and rights’ holders. For enquiries please contact filmarkivet@filminstitutet.se

Element type	Print
Item base	Acetate
Carrier type	35 mm
Length	2637

Element type	Print
Carrier type	35 mm

Element type	Print
Carrier type	35 mm

Element type	Print
Item base	Polyester
Carrier type	35 mm
Length	2642

Element type	Print
Item base	Polyester
Carrier type	35 mm
Length	2644

Element type	Print
Item base	Polyester
Carrier type	35 mm
Length	2642

Element type	Duplicate positive
Carrier type	35 mm

Element type	Duplicate positive
Carrier type	35 mm
Length	2642

Element type	Original picture negative
Carrier type	35 mm

Element type	Original picture negative
Carrier type	35 mm

Element type	Sound negative
Item base	Polyester
Carrier type	35 mm

Element type	Final mix

Size	About 70 x 100 cm
Quantity	2
Poster title	ABBA THE MOVIE
Designed by	Rune Söderqvist
	Björn Andersson

Size	About 70 x 100 cm
Quantity	2
Poster title	ABBA
Designed by	Pagowski

Size	Smaller than 40 x 75 cm
Quantity	2
Poster title	ABBA THE MOVIE
Tryckeri	Narva-Tryckeriet
Designed by	Rune Söderqvist
	Björn Andersson

Type	Press Cuttings

Script type	Synopsis
Extent	10 s.
Language	Swedish

Script type	Dialoglista
Script title	ABBA the movie. Dialoguelist.
Extent	47 s. + 4 s.trailer
Language	English

Script type	Peripheral material
Extent	7 s.

Script type	Dialoglista
Language	English

Script type	Dialoglista
Language	Swedish

Black and white print	SET
Colour prints	SET
Behind the scenes prints	9
Slides	3
Album	No

Type	Program/Reklamtryck
Language	Swedish

Type	Program/Reklamtryck
Language	English

Type	Program/Reklamtryck
Language	Swedish

Type	Program/Reklamtryck

Type	Program folio
Language	Swedish

Sound type	Sound
Colour type	Colour
Length in minutes	97 min
Dialogue	English
Textad	Swedish

Element type	Digitalt visningsmaterial
Carrier type	ProRes

Element type	Digitalt arkivmaterial
Carrier type	MAP

Element type	Digitalt arkivmaterial
Carrier type	MAP

Element type	Digitalt visningsmaterial
Carrier type	DCP

Element type	Digital audio
Carrier type	WAV

Element type	Digital audio
Carrier type	WAV

Element type	Digitalt visningsmaterial
Carrier type	H264