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Hans Christian Andersen(1805-1875)

  • Writer
  • Music Department
  • Additional Crew
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
Hans Christian Andersen
'The Red Shoes' is a tale of greed and morality of a young orphan drawn to steal a pair of red dancing shoes only to  tragic consequence.
Play trailer2:02
The Red Shoes (2009)
1 Video
1 Photo
Andersen experienced an unhappy childhood marked by deep poverty. When he was 14 years old, he left his parents' home and fled alone to Copenhagen. Here the director of the Royal Theater, Jonas Collin, took care of the child and gave him shelter and work. With his help, the young Hans Christian Andersen was also able to attend school. Inspired by his theater work, he began to write his first plays, which he later wanted to expand into stage plays. The first stories, stories and poems were created at this time. In 1822, Andersen's first plots were published with great success. He became a recognized writer in 1829 with his fantastic stories, which were entirely based on the example of the German writer Ernst Theodor Amadeus Hoffmann.

Andersen's debut novel, "The Improviser", was written in 1835 and received extremely positive reviews from critics. The Danish philosopher and writer Sören Kierkegaard was critical of him in his 1837 work "Only a Violinist". From 1839 Andersen was provided with a state poet's salary. As a result, financially secure, he traveled to Europe, Asia and Africa. However, he spent most of his time in Germany. He recorded his adventures and experiences in dramas, novels and travel books. Anderson became a literary figure with worldwide recognition through his precise portrayal of individual characters, which the writer wrote in everyday language that was atypical at the time. The secret fears and longings of the characters were portrayed, and their exemplary behavior also represented an educational goal.

During his literary work, Andersen wrote some of the most popular children's stories of modern times. Andersen's collected fairy tales and poems were published between 1835 and 1848 under the Danish title "Eventyr, fortalte for børn". His most successful stories include "The Ugly Duckling", "The Emperor's New Clothes", "The Snow Queen" and "The Princess and the Pea". Andersen's extensive legacy includes over 150 fairy tales, including "The Little Mermaid", which gave rise to the sculpture of the same name in memory of him in the harbor of Copenhagen. Andersen's stories have been translated into over 80 languages and served as plays, ballets, picture books and later as successful films.

Hans Christian Andersen died on August 4, 1875 in Copenhagen.
BornApril 2, 1805
DiedAugust 4, 1875(70)
BornApril 2, 1805
DiedAugust 4, 1875(70)
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
  • Awards
    • 1 win total

Known for

Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Josh Gad, Jonathan Groff, and Santino Fontana in Frozen 'Let It Go' in 25 Languages - Behind the Mic (2014)
Frozen
7.4
  • Writer
  • 2013
Javier Bardem, Melissa McCarthy, Halle Bailey, Daveed Diggs, Jacob Tremblay, Awkwafina, and Jonah Hauer-King in The Little Mermaid (2023)
The Little Mermaid
7.2
  • Writer
  • 2023
Moira Shearer in The Red Shoes (1948)
The Red Shoes
8.1
  • Writer
  • 1948
Buddy Hackett, Christopher Daniel Barnes, Jodi Benson, Pat Carroll, Paddi Edwards, Jason Marin, Kenneth Mars, and Samuel E. Wright in The Little Mermaid (1989)
The Little Mermaid
7.6
  • Writer
  • 1989

Credits

IMDbPro

Writer



  • Unser Sandmännchen
    • creator
    • Released
    • TV Series
    • 1959
  • Will and Nerd
    • fairy tale
    • Filming
  • The Little Mermaid
    • fairytale
    • Development Unknown



  • Anna Sadivska in Among People (2026)
    Among People
    Short
    • adaptation
    • 2026
  • The Galoshes of Fortune (2026)
    The Galoshes of Fortune
    Short
    • adaptation
    • 2026
  • Fyrstikkpiken (2026)
    Fyrstikkpiken
    Short
    • based on a story by
    • 2026
  • Anna Bystrytska in The Blind Spot (2025)
    The Blind Spot
    Short
    • story
    • 2025
  • Einschlafen mit Märchen (2025)
    Einschlafen mit Märchen
    Podcast Series
    • Writer
    • 2025
  • North (2025)
    North
    5.8
    • inspired by
    • 2025
  • Adorable Humans (2025)
    Adorable Humans
    5.6
    • adaptation
    • 2025
  • Théâtre et Compagnie (2005)
    Théâtre et Compagnie
    Podcast Series
    • based on the fairytale by
    • 2025
  • Snezhnaya koroleva (2025)
    Snezhnaya koroleva
    • fairy tale by
    • 2025
  • VHS Christmas Carols (2024)
    VHS Christmas Carols
    8.3
    Video
    • story: "The Little Match Girl"
    • 2024
  • Cozy Corner Bedtime Stories (2024)
    Cozy Corner Bedtime Stories
    Podcast Series
    • Writer
    • 2024
  • The Tinderbox
    Short
    • based on the fairytale by
    • 2024
  • VHS Christmas Carols (2023)
    VHS Christmas Carols
    9.3
    Video
    • story: "The Little Match Girl"
    • 2023
  • The Little Mermaid (2023)
    The Little Mermaid
    3.2
    • story (uncredited)
    • 2023
  • Javier Bardem, Melissa McCarthy, Halle Bailey, Daveed Diggs, Jacob Tremblay, Awkwafina, and Jonah Hauer-King in The Little Mermaid (2023)
    The Little Mermaid
    7.2
    • based on the story by
    • 2023

Music Department



  • En sommernatt ved fjorden
    TV Special
    • songwriter: jeg elsker deg (as H.C. Andersen, credit only)
    • 1991

Additional Crew



  • Chris Sanders in Lilo & Stitch (2002)
    Lilo & Stitch
    7.4
    • excerpt from: "The Ugly Duckling" (uncredited)
    • 2002

  • In-development projects at IMDbPro

Videos1

The Red Shoes
Trailer 2:02
The Red Shoes

Personal details

  • Official sites
    • Celebration of the 200 year birthday of Hans Christian Andersen
    • University of Southern Denmark official site about H. C. Andersen.
  • Alternative names
    • H. C. Andersen
  • Height
    • 6′ 0¾″ (1.85 m)
  • Born
    • April 2, 1805
    • Odense, Denmark
  • Died
    • August 4, 1875
    • Copenhagen, Denmark(liver cancer)
  • Other works
    Story: "The Princess and the Swineherd". NOTE: Filmed as Die Prinzessin und der Schweinehirt (1953), _"Andersenovy pohádky" (1968) {O princezne na hrásku (#1.1)})_, Die Prinzessin auf der Erbse - Qual der Wahl royal (2007)
  • Publicity listings
    • 6 Biographical Movies
    • 1 Print Biography
    • 13 Portrayals
    • 7 Articles

Did you know

  • Trivia
    Contrary to the movie versions, Andersen's stories usually came to sad or unfortunate conclusions. "The Little Mermaid" committed suicide; "The Little Match Girl" froze to death; "The Steadfast Tin Soldier" melted; and although the heroine triumphed, "The Snow Queen" survives too!.
  • Quotes
    Being born in a duck yard does not matter, if only you are hatched from a swan's egg.

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