MovieChat Forums > El Dorado (1967) Discussion > 'The Swede' is famous western artist Ola...

'The Swede' is famous western artist Olaf Wieghorst


I was curious about the man who played "the Swede" the gunsmith that sells the double barreled sawed off shotgun to "Mississippi". His telling of the shooting of the piano player story about the previous owner of the gun is one of the best and funniest scenes in the movie:

"He couldn't see too good. He yust shoot where he hear somebody talk. One night, he get into a fight in the saloon. And, the piano player, he made so much noise, he couldn't hear the other fella speak. So, he yust shoot the piano player...and they hung him!"

Turns out that all the paintings at the opening credits of the movie are by the same man that played the Swede character...Olaf Wieghorst (1899-1988.) Search his name on the internet and you will find the facinating story of this Danish born great American western artist.

Director Hawks made a nice recognition of the man and his paintings by putting him in the movie as "The Swede". His delivery of the gun story was perfect!

Did anyone else appreciate the paintings and enjoy "the Swede" scene?

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Indeed I do appreciate the Wieghorst art -- and the guy, too. In fact, I have the Arizona Highways vintage issue interviewing him decades ago.

They did an in-depth feature on him and his work. If I run across it again while perusing my collection, I can tell you which issue.

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I JUST WATCHED Eldorado FOR THE FIRST TIME, AND HAVING TAKEN NOTICE OF THE EXCELLENT PAINTINGS IN THE OPENING, I WATCHED FOR THE CREDIT FOR THE ARTIST. I DID NOT, HOWEVER, REALIZE THAT THE Swede WAS THE ARTIST. tHANKS FOR POINTING THAT OUT. OK, didn't know my Cap Lock was on....not retyping all that....

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In a deleted scene, after Cole tells Mississippi "Pay the man," the Swede says, "You don't haff to pay me, yust let me paint you." "Paint me?" "Ya, I tink you be great model!" The scene dissolves to a candlelit room in the Swede's home, where Mississippi reclines on a couch, wearing nothing but his hat, while the Swede paints an oil painting of him.

"Py Yimini, you got great pecs!" the Swede exults.

Some film scholars believe this scene may have inspired a similar scene in Titanic.

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