Mika Toimi Waltari was a Finnish writer, best known for his best-selling novel The Egyptian. He was extremely productive. Besides his novels he also wrote poetry, short stories, crime novels, plays, essays, travel stories, film scripts, and rhymed texts for comic strips by Asmo Alho.
The Egyptian is a historical novel by Mika Waltari. It was first published in Finnish in 1945, and in an abridged English translation by Naomi Walford in 1949, from Swedish rather than Finnish. Regarded as "one of the greatest books in Finnish literary history", it is, so far, the only Finnish novel to be adapted into a Hollywood film, which happened in 1954.
The Unknown Soldier or Unknown Soldiers is a war novel by Finnish author Väinö Linna, considered his magnum opus. Published in 1954, The Unknown Soldier chronicles the 1941–1944 Continuation War between Finland and the Soviet Union from the viewpoint of ordinary Finnish soldiers. In 2000, the manuscript version of the novel was published with the title Sotaromaani and in 2015, the latest English translation as Unknown Soldiers. A fictional account based closely on Linna's own experiences during the war, the novel presented a more realistic outlook on the formerly romanticized image of a noble and obedient Finnish soldier. Linna gave his characters independent and critical thoughts, and presented them with human feelings, such as fear and rebellion.
Renny Harlin is a Finnish film director, producer, and screenwriter who has worked in Hollywood, Europe, and China. His best-known films include A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master, The Adventures of Ford Fairlane, Die Hard 2, Cliffhanger, The Long Kiss Goodnight, and Deep Blue Sea.
The Finnish cinema has a long history, with the first public screenings starting almost as early as modern motion picture technology was invented. It took over a decade before the first Finnish film was produced and screened in 1907. After these first steps of Finnish cinema, the progress was very slow. After 1907 there were two periods when no Finnish films were produced. This was partly caused by the political situation, as Finland held a status as an autonomous part of the Russian Empire and was thus influenced by the worldwide political situation.
Inspector Frans J. Palmu, depicted as "a gruff detective of the Helsinki Police Department", is one of the most popular characters created by Finnish writer Mika Waltari.
Gas, Inspector Palmu! is a 1961 Finnish crime movie directed by Matti Kassila. It is a sequel to Inspector Palmu's Mistake and is followed by The Stars Will Tell, Inspector Palmu. The main cast of actors is the same as that of the first though some actors such as Elina Salo, Pentti Siimes and Aino Mantsas play different characters,
Matti Kassila was a Finnish film director who achieved fame as one of the most prominent Finnish filmmakers in the 1950s and 1960s. He is most famous for the series of four Inspector Palmu movies, based on the character created by Mika Waltari. During his long career, he won seven Jussi Awards, including a concrete Jussi for lifetime achievement, and received numerous other commendations. His 1959 film Punainen viiva was entered into the 1st Moscow International Film Festival. He was also one of the screenwriters for the 1968 film Here, Beneath the North Star, directed by Edvin Laine.
Komisario Palmun erehdys is a 1960 Finnish crime comedy film directed by Matti Kassila for Suomen Filmiteollisuus. It is set in 1930s Helsinki and centers on Inspector Palmu's investigation of the murder of rich and decadent Bruno Rygseck. It is based on Mika Waltari's 1940 novel of the same name, and was the first film adaptation of his Inspector Palmu novels.
Toivo Joel Rinne was a prolific Finnish actor of stage and screen. Among his most memorable film parts was the title role in the Inspector Palmu movie series, which started in 1960's Komisario Palmun erehdys, and continued in three sequels. Another well-known role in Joel Rinne is in the 1970 film Päämaja, directed by Matti Kassila, in which Rinne interprets in the role of Marshal Mannerheim.
The Stars Will Tell, Inspector Palmu is a 1962 Finnish comedy-crime film directed by Matti Kassila. It is the third film in the Inspector Palmu series and the second one produced by Fennada-Filmi. The novel was written by Waltari through the explicit request by director Kassila. It is also the last film in the series to be shot in black and white. The fourth film was made without Waltari's involvement.
Vodkaa, komisario Palmu is a 1969 film directed by Matti Kassila. It is the fourth and final part of the Inspector Palmu series and the only part of the series to be filmed in color. The film is also the only one not to be based on a novel by Mika Waltari.
Matti Helge Ranin was a Finnish actor.
Hobitit is a nine-part Finnish live action fantasy television miniseries directed by Timo Torikka, originally broadcast in 1993 on Yle TV1.
Pentti Irjala was a Finnish actor.
Ismo Mikael Leikola, sometimes known professionally as ISMO, is a Finnish comedian, musician, author, screenwriter, and YouTuber. Leikola made his United States debut in 2014, when he won "The Funniest Person in the World" competition organized by the comedy club Laugh Factory. In 2015, he made comedy series ISMO for Finnish television and moved to the United States. He gained more recognition after his appearance on the Conan talk show in 2018 and has since toured internationally. He has a YouTube channel with over 389,000 subscribers.
Roba is a Finnish police drama television series. The series follows the daily life of Helsinki Police Department's uniformed police unit located on the Pieni Roobertinkatu ("Roba") street. The series stars Kari Hietalahti, Aku Hirviniemi, Aarni Kivinen, Leena Pöysti, Riku Nieminen, and Tiina Lymi. Many of its episodes are directed by Joona Tena and Aleksi Mäkelä.
Suuri illusioni is a 1928 novel by the Finnish writer Mika Waltari and also his debut novel. It is about bohemian and aimless urban life in the author's own generation. The novel became a breakthrough for Waltari, who previously had been a writer of religious poetry and horror short stories. It received positive reviews and was translated into several languages.
April's Coming is a 1953 Finnish comedy film directed by Valentin Vaala and starring Ossi Elstelä, Tuija Halonen and Kurt Ingvall.
