Haakon Haakonsen (1990)

Director:

Nils Gaup

Writers (WGA):

O.V. Falck-Ytter (book)
Nils Gaup (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

1 March 1991 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Family

Plot:

A young Norwegian boy in 1850's England goes to work as a cabin boy and discovers some of his shipmates are actually pirates.

Plot Keywords:

Ship | Island | Pirate | Treasure | Cabin Boy

Awards:

3 nominations

Cast

Stian Smestad	...	Haakon Haakonsen
Gabriel Byrne	...	Lt. John Merrick
Louisa Millwood-Haigh	...	Mary (as Louisa Haigh)
Trond Peter Stamsø Munch	...	Jens
Bjørn Sundquist	...	Mr. Håkonsen
Eva von Hanno	...	Mrs. Håkonsen
Kjell Stormoen	...	The Captain
Karl Sundby	...	Bosun
Knut Walle	...	Berg
Harald Brenna	...	Steine
John Sigurd Kristensen	...	Bakken
Geo von Krogh	...	Old Salt
Frank Krog	...	Wernes
Joachim Rafaelsen	...	Ole
Guy Fithen	...	Thatcher
Ian Mackenzie	...	Howell
William Ilkley	...	Pirate
Terry Duran	...	Pirate
Rannov Nilsen	...	Sheriff
Jannecke Øinæs	...	Rakel
Mariken Bowles Sörhus	...	Sara
Thomas Fjeld Heltne	...	Friend 1
Benjamin Dootsen	...	Friend 2

Directed by
Nils Gaup

Writing credits (WGA)
O.V. Falck-Ytter		(book "Haakon Haakonsen")
Nils Gaup		(screenplay) &
Bob Foss		(screenplay) &
Greg Dinner		(screenplay) and
Nick Thiel		(screenplay)

Produced by
Erik Disch	....	associate producer
John M. Jacobsen	....	producer
Selwyn Remington	....	associate producer
Nigel Wooll	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Patrick Doyle

Cinematography by
Erling Thurmann-Andersen

Film Editing by
Nils Pagh Andersen

Casting by
Torill Ek
Maria Sødahl
Jeremy Zimmerman

Production Design by
Roger Cain
Harald Egede-Nissen

Art Direction by
John Miles
Per Mørk

Set Decoration by
Jon Arvesen
Paul Delieu
Hroar Hesselberg
Dagfinn Kleppan

Costume Design by
Lotte Dandanell
Bente Winther-Larsen

Makeup Department
Amanda Breanscove	....	assistant makeup artist
Elisabeth Bukkehave	....	makeup artist (as Elizabeth Bukkehave)
Pedro Camacho	....	makeup artist
Kaj Grönberg	....	assistant makeup artist
Heather Jones	....	assistant makeup artist
Caroline Reedtz-Thott	....	makeup artist
Elle Stephenson	....	assistant makeup artist

Production Management
Peter Bøe	....	production manager
Michael Fuller	....	production manager (as Mike Fuller)
Gerry Gore	....	assistant production manager
Daniel J. Heffner	....	executive in charge of production
Christian Heian	....	production manager
Paul Moceiwai	....	assistant production manager
Juan Clemente Prosper	....	production manager
Kathy Sykes	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Manuel L. Cañizares	....	first assistant director: second unit
Deuel Droogan	....	first assistant director: second unit
Arve Fingenschow	....	first assistant director
Sølve Skagen	....	second unit director
Steve St. Peter	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Bruce Alexander	....	props
Arve Bergquist	....	carpenter
Gunnar Bøvollen	....	carpenter
Tom Gammelsrød	....	art department runner
Harald Gjelten	....	carpenter
Guri Graever	....	props
Pearly E. Grindvold	....	props
Øyvind Gulliksen	....	carpenter
Crispin Gurholt	....	carpenter
Cecilia Hersby	....	props
Knut Jacobsen	....	storyboard artist
Billy Johansson	....	scenic artist
Reginald Keywood	....	construction coordinator (as Reg Keywood)
Merewalesi Koroi	....	assistant props
Berth Martinsson	....	carpenter (as Bert Martinson)
Horst Molkenburg	....	construction coordinator
Bruce Parramore	....	storyboard artist
Torben Bækmark Pedersen	....	property master
Mark Reynolds	....	props
Svein Samuelssen	....	illustrator
Simon Wakefield	....	property master

Sound Department
Polly Aitken	....	assistant sound effects editor
Folke Beck-Remnes	....	boom operator
Peik Borud	....	boom operator
David E. Campbell	....	sound re-recording mixer
Michael A. Carter	....	sound mixer (as Michael Carter)
Norman Cole	....	assistant sound effects editor
Mary Dockwrey	....	assistant dialogue editor
John Foster	....	sound effects editor
Pål Gengenbach	....	assistant dialogue editor
Peter Lacey	....	sound effects recordist
Anders Larsson	....	sound recordist
Jan Lindvik	....	sound recordist
Jan Lindvik	....	sound supervisor
James Marsh	....	first assistant sound effects editor
Kate O'Neill	....	first assistant sound effects editor
John Payne	....	sound effects editor
John T. Reitz	....	sound re-recording mixer (as John Reitz)
John Richards	....	additional sound recordist
Gregg Rudloff	....	sound re-recording mixer
Richard Shorr	....	sound supervisor
Christine Simons	....	second assistant sound effects editor
Otto Snel	....	sound re-recording mixer
Ad Stoop	....	boom operator
Ad Stoop	....	sound recordist
Kevin Tayler	....	sound mixer
Sarah Vickers	....	dialogue editor
Ingrid Wiese	....	assistant dialogue editor
Sandy Buchanan	....	post-production sound assistant (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Stuart Artingstall	....	animatronics
Antonio Balandin	....	special effects technician
Antonio Bueno	....	special effects technician
Dave Eltham	....	special effects technician (as David Eltham)
Martin Gant	....	special effects floor supervisor
Steve Hamilton	....	special effects technician
Bob Hollow	....	special effects senior technician
Andrew Kelly	....	special effects technician
Tim Machin	....	special effects model builder
Tommi Nielsen	....	special effects model captain
Stephen Onions	....	special effects model builder (as Steve Onions)
Antonio Parra	....	special effects floor supervisor
Antonio Parra Jr.	....	special effects trainee
Peter Pickering	....	special effects technician
Matiu Qavu	....	special effects foreman: Vatulele, Fiji
Tony Richards	....	special effects rigger
Ray Scott	....	animatronics
Leslie Wheeler	....	special effects technician (as Les Wheeler)
Nick Williams	....	animatronics
Tim Willis	....	special effects technician

Visual Effects by
Richard Conway	....	special visual effects

Stunts
Pat Banta	....	stunts (as Pat Gale Banta)
Ellie Bertram	....	stunts
Andy Bradford	....	stunts
David Cronnelly	....	stunts
Gabe Cronnelly	....	stunts (as Gabriel Cronelly)
Elaine Ford	....	stunts
Martin Grace	....	stunt coordinator
Eddie Powell	....	stunts
Phil Thoroughgood	....	stunts
Lindsay Turner	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Jonas Anger	....	assistant grip
Paul Arbiter	....	underwater camera operator
Christian Berrum	....	gaffer
Gregory Dupré	....	focus puller: second unit
Rolv Haan	....	camera operator: second unit
Rolv Haan	....	still photographer
Wencke Hovet	....	clapper loader
Terry Jacklin	....	grip
Kant Klæbo	....	focus puller
John Lövseth	....	electrician
Erik Magnussen	....	grip (as Eric Magnussen)
Michael Mato	....	electrician
Morten Skallerud	....	camera operator: second unit
Frode Wik	....	focus puller: second unit
Preben Wik	....	clapper loader
Dan Young	....	still photographer

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Ole Glæsner	....	assistant costume designer
Devina Maxwell	....	assistant costume designer
Eirin Osen	....	seamstress
Maureen Sanders	....	assistant costume designer

Editorial Department
Nils Alveberg	....	first assistant editor
Barbara Dunning	....	assistant editor
Else Lodding Stein	....	assistant editor (as Else Lodding)
Yngve Refseth	....	assistant editor
Morten Solum	....	assistant editor
Steven Tabolsky	....	assistant editor
Michael Trent	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Lawrence Ashmore	....	orchestrator
Tonia Davall	....	orchestra contractor
Chris Dibble	....	music mixer
Chris Dibble	....	music recordist
Roy Prendergast	....	music editor
Maggie Rodford	....	music scoring coordinator
Tony Stanton	....	music copyist
Fiachra Trench	....	additional orchestrator
Mark Watters	....	additional orchestrator
Robert Ziegler	....	conductor

Other crew
Annemarie Aaes	....	script supervisor
Larrie Anderson	....	production accountant
Charlotte Arnø	....	runner
Maciu Babiyan	....	local assistant: Fiji
Jarle Blesvik	....	production assistant
Douglas Bogner	....	title designer
Francie Brown	....	dialogue coach (as Francie M. Brown)
Peter Elliott	....	primate choreographer
Madeleine Fant	....	continuity
Madeleine Fant	....	script supervisor
Penelope Gottlieb	....	title designer
Samantha Grange	....	production secretary
Charles Hendricks	....	studio teacher
Gudny Hummelvoll	....	production coordinator
Ellen Jacobsen	....	assistant to producer
Eva Beate Knap	....	studio teacher
Anders Leegaard	....	production assistant
Mieri Malele	....	production secretary
Burke Mattsson	....	title designer
Sireli N. Naciriyawa	....	local assistant: Fiji
Isabella Ottersen	....	assistant production accountant
Samisoni T. Sawailau	....	local assistant: Fiji
Erik Slettum	....	runner
Tom Slettum	....	runner
Bente Usterud-Svendsen	....	assistant to producer
Sireli Vakayatau	....	local assistant: Fiji
Joe Verebasaga	....	local assistant: Fiji
Asmena Vovavova	....	runner
Janet Willis	....	studio teacher
Mark Sheffield	....	cutting room engineer (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Filmkameratene A/S
• Svensk Filmindustri (SF)
• Walt Disney Pictures

Distributors

• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1992) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Abril Vídeo (199?) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Buena Vista Pictures (1991) (USA) (dubbed)

Other Companies

• Air-Edel Associates  music scoring
• Bayly, Martin & Fay International  insurance consultant
• Buena Vista Visual Effects  titles
• Eden Finans  financial consultants
• Evergreen Studios  music recording
• Film AB Rune Ericson  camera equipment provided by
• Gulli & Rokk A/S  insurance consultant
• Norsk Filmstudio  post-production
• Pinewood Studios  post-production
• Studios CTS  music recording

Also Known As:

Piratgrottans hemlighet (Sweden)
Shipwrecked (International: English title)

Runtime:

92 min

Country:

Norway | Sweden | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:L | Australia:G | Germany:12 | Norway:11 | Sweden:11 | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Fiji

Company:

Filmkameratene A/S

Trivia:

A dramatization by Norwegian author O. V. Falck-Ytter's "Haakon Haakonsen. En norsk Robinson" (Haakon Haakonsen. A Norwegian Robinson), an action-adventure story aimed at youths, it was inspired by Daniel Defoe's "Robinson Crusoe" and published in 1873.

Goofs:

Continuity: Haakon's footwear repairs itself as he spends time on the island. When he's washed ashore, he's barefoot, or nearly so, and when he falls into the pit he has just part of a shoe on his right foot. Then, as he builds the boobytraps, he has parts of shoes on both feet. He sees the flare from the other island, builds a boat and launches it barefoot - then wades out of the water on the other island wearing two completely intact shoes.

Quotes:

Håkon: What's Xanadu?
Mary: My Mother said it was the most beautiful place on Earth. Where everybody was happy. But it's only in a book it doesn't really exist.
Håkon: Yes it does.

Could have been better

This film could have and should have been better. The acting by the main characters is horrible. Hakon and Jens seem too self-conscious throughout the whole film. The girl is bad too. Unfortunately we don't see too much of her. Gabriel Byrne and the other supporting actors are ok. The plot points and action reek of Disney. The story is too wholesome for the subject matter. Oh well. I shouldn't expect too much from a Disney action/family adventure.