Nainen on valttia (1944)

User Rating:

4.8/10   

Director:

Ansa Ikonen

Writer:

Mika Waltari (writer)

Release Date:

13 August 1944 (Finland)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Plot Keywords:

Fiancee | Male Servant | Love | Popularity | Staged Death

Cast

Ansa Ikonen	...	Kirsti Kalpa
Aku Korhonen	...	Professor
Uuno Laakso	...	Kalle
Unto Salminen	...	Rantamaa
Ture Junttu	...	Baron Heimonheimo
Laina Laine	...	Actress
Veikko Linna	...	Theatre director
Ensio Jouko	...	Police inspector
Pentti Saares	...	Levä
Eino Salmi	...	Theatre treasurer
Toppo Elonperä	...	Janitor
Arvo Kuusla	...	Eikka
Jalmari Rinne	...	Head of music department
Lauri Kyöstilä	...	Customs official
Kyösti Käyhkö	...	Janitor

Also Known As:

Woman Is the Wild Card (International: English title)

Runtime:

99 min

Country:

Finland

Language:

Finnish

Color:

Black and White

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-3 (uncut) (2006) (DVD) | Finland:S (cut) (1944) (theatrical release) | Finland:S (cut) (1994) (VHS)

Company:

Suomen Filmiteollisuus

All those men under Ansa's direction

Kirsti Kalpa, a famous opera singer comes back to Finland from her tour abroad.She has a fiancé, Baron Heimonheimo, she doesn't love.She gets fed up, so she fakes her suicide, writing a note and runs away.She end's up being a maid for Professor, who also has a drunken servant called Kalle and a tenant, composer Rautamaa.They have a strict no-women policy in their house, but eventually they're all crazy for her.Even though they're mistaken to believe she's a runaway burglar.Rautamaa even becomes romantically linked to Kirsti. Nainen on valttia (1944) was the only movie Ansa Ikonen ever directed.And she did a nice job.That she also does in the lead, playing Kirsti Kalpa.Aku Korhonen is fantastic as the Professor, who collects old objects.Uuno Laakso makes a likable drunk as Kalle.Unto Salminen is great as Rautamaa.Ture Juntunen, not the most likable character but he does a brilliant job portraying the Baron.Veikko Linna plays Theatre director.Pentti Saares is Levä.Toppo Elonperä is Janitor.And so is Kyösti Käyhkö.Arvo Kuusla is Eikka.Ansa's husband, Jalmari Rinne, plays Head of music department.This is a mighty good romantic comedy.It plays well with the gender roles.It's great fun to look the first meeting of the professor and Kirsti, when she climbs in through the window.And the drunken fools, Kalle and the professor, putting the Baron inside a sack and hitting him in the head with a rolling pin.And the kick in the butt, for good luck, is pretty funny.An enjoyable movie from the old times.