Vaimoke

Agronomist Esko Latva (Tauno Palo) makes a bet he will marry the first younger woman who encounters him.That woman happens to be Kirsti Leivo (Ansa Ikonen).She's reluctant at first to marry Esko but when she finds out about the bet she does marry him, but only to revenge.Valentin Vaala's Vaimoke (1936) is an entertaining movie from an old era.It's Tauno Palo and Ansa Ikonen that make this movie really memorable.They made a terrific couple that didn't fail-never.There are also Uuno Laakso as Julle, Kirsti Suonio as Sofia, Kunto Karapää as Tanu Miettinen and Sylvi Palo as Maija Pietarinen.In this movie Kirsti and Esko go to a honeymoon all around Finland.They stay for a little while in Kuopio, where I live.Those are the greatest moments in this movie, to watch Kuopio as it was.They go to old Puijo's tower, before it was ruined and a bigger one was built to replace it.It's a lot of fun to watch Ansa skiing through the Puijo forest.They stay for the night at Atlas Hotel when that place still had some style.Everything has changed in 70 years but this movie never will.

"Kaikki Rakastavat" (1935) was so successful with the leading couple Ansa Ikonen and Tauno Palo that when Valentin Vaala had a new script to direct - based on already popular novel by Hilja Valtonen - there was no lack of clarity who would be playing the leading parts.

"Vaimoke" is an excellent example of movie making at the time. As the hard times were just to come the main genre became romantic farce and it kept its position all along till our time. Even though this happy comedy isn't the most aggressive type like the clearest masterpieces it's really enjoyable to see the good work of the most celebrated movie figures ever in Finland. Even the smaller parts are full of stars to come!