The film takes place in a small Norwegian coastal town and follows the life of Katinka Stordal (Rønnaug Alten). The film depicts her loneliness and longing for love. The only man she has ever loved has left her without saying goodbye. From her children she receives neither tenderness nor kindness—only hard, cold demands. Katinka fights to keep her home together. One day she meets the Swedish sailor Stivhatten (Erik Hell) at Krane's Café. Their meeting fuels gossip in the sleepy town, and Katinka's behavior arouses outrage among many: Is she thinking of leaving her home and children?[6]
Reception
The newspaper Verdens Gang praised the solid acting in the film, but complained about stiff camera work. The newspaper wrote: "The drama was intended to be presented firmly and tightly, with completely natural realism. Rønnaug Alten and Erik Hell maintain this style. But the situation and a number of secondary characters are drawn in strokes that are too thick. The film is solid, but it is also heavy. This simply makes it less entertaining. Astrid Henning-Jensen was not able to overcome this weakness, which has characterized so many Norwegian films."[7]
^Kuhn, Annette; Radstone, Susannah (1994). The Women's Companion to International Film. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. p. 196.
^Foster, Gwendolyn Audrey (1995). Women Film Directors: An International Bio-Critical Dictionary. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press. p. 182.
^Krawc, Alfred (1986). International Directory of Cinematographers, Set- and Costume Designers in Film: Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden (from the Beginnings to 1984). Munich: Saur. p. 279.
^Øverland, Janneken (1983). Cora Sandel om seg selv. Stabekk: Den norske bokklubben. p. 208.
^Piil, Morten (2008). Gyldendals danske filmguide. Copenhagen: Gyldendal.
^"Kranes konditori". Norsk filmografi. Nasjonalbiblioteket. Retrieved July 25, 2022.
^"[Review of Kranes konditori]". Verdens Gang. February 16, 1951. p. 3. Retrieved July 26, 2022. Dramaet skulle framstilles fast og stramt, med helt naturlig realisme. Rønnaug Alten og Erik Hell holder denne stilen. Men miljøet og en flerhet av bipersonene er trukket opp med for tykke streker. Filmen er solid, men den er også tung. Dermed blir den ganske enkelt mindre underholdende. Denne svakheten, som har preget så mange norske filmer, har ikke Astrid Henning-Jensen klart å rydde av veien.
