Valentin Vaala
Encyclopedia
Valentin Vaala (October 13, 1909 in Saint Petersburg
– November 21, 1976 in Helsinki
) was a Russia
n-born Finnish
film director
, screenwriter
and edited
. His career spanned several decades, from 1929 to 1973, and has been called one of the most significant, in both quality and popularity, in the history of Finnish cinema.
– and the pair recognized their common interest in films. They decided to start making films together, but their first feature-length attempt, Mustat silmät in 1929, never received wide distribution. Vaala himself was reportedly so disappointed with the resulting film that he dumped the original camera negative
s into the sea. However, later in the same year, Vaala and Tulio partially remade the film as Mustalaishurmaaja for the Fennica-Filmi company. This film became a hit and earned the starring Tulio the nickname "Finland's Valentino
". The pair went on to make two other films, Laveaa tietä (1931) and Sininen varjo (1933) with Vaala directing and Tulio starring.
While Tulio moved on with his own acting and directing career, Vaala went on to direct his last film for Fennica-Filmi, Helsingin kuuluisin liikemies, in 1934. After the demise of Fennica, Vaala directed one film for Bio-Kuva, Kun isä tahtoo..., also in 1934. The next year Vaala was hired as the second director of the film production company, Suomi-Filmi
, following Risto Orko
. Vaala remained contracted to the company for the rest of his career.
. 38 of those films were made while he was employed by Suomi-Filmi. His first film with the company was the romantic comedy
Kaikki rakastavat (1935). It was also the first film that Ansa Ikonen
and Tauno Palo
starred in together. The film was followed by an urban comedy, Vaimoke in 1936, which starred the same leading pair, and ended up being a popular success and served as the breakthrough film for all involved. The film was an adaptation from a work by Hella Wuolijoki
, as was the sequel, Mieheke, which Vaala directed in the same year.
Many of Vaala's films were adaptations of popular classics of Finnish literature, by authors such as Mika Waltari
, Aleksis Kivi
and Maiju Lassila. Vaala also directed several adaptations on works by Frans Eemil Sillanpää
, one of which, Ihmiset Suviyössä (1948), has been called his best film, and is reported to have been one of the director's personal favorites. Another personal favorite of his, and also a popular success, was Loviisa, Niskavuoren nuori emäntä (1946), an adaptation from a Wuolijoki play.
During Vaala's career, his most popular films reached huge audiences in relation to the size of his home country. One of his most popular films, Juurakon Hulda (1937), was seen in cinemas by approximately a million viewers out of a population of 3,5 million. It was also remade in Hollywood as The Farmer's Daughter. Vaala's other popular films included Niskavuoren naiset in 1938 and his adaptations from Mika Waltari's books Gabriel, tule takaisin (1951) and Omena putoaa... (1952). Nummisuutarit in 1957 and Nuori Mylläri in 1958 were also among the most watched films in Finland during their release years.
Vaala's final feature film was Totuus on armoton in 1963, but his career still continued as a director of short films. His last credited work was a short documentary film about the Finlandia Hall
, created at the request of the city of Helsinki.
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
– November 21, 1976 in Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
) was a Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n-born Finnish
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
film director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
, screenwriter
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
and edited
Film editing
Film editing is part of the creative post-production process of filmmaking. It involves the selection and combining of shots into sequences, and ultimately creating a finished motion picture. It is an art of storytelling...
. His career spanned several decades, from 1929 to 1973, and has been called one of the most significant, in both quality and popularity, in the history of Finnish cinema.
Early career
As a teenager, Vaala befriended Theodor Tugai – who later became known as a film director and actor under the name Teuvo TulioTeuvo Tulio
Theodor Antonius Tugai , better known as Teuvo Tulio, was a Finnish film director and actor. Beginning his career as an actor at the end of the silent era, Tulio turned to directing and producing in the 1930s...
– and the pair recognized their common interest in films. They decided to start making films together, but their first feature-length attempt, Mustat silmät in 1929, never received wide distribution. Vaala himself was reportedly so disappointed with the resulting film that he dumped the original camera negative
Original camera negative
The original camera negative is the film in a motion picture camera which captures the original image. This is the film from which all other copies will be made. It is known as raw stock prior to exposure....
s into the sea. However, later in the same year, Vaala and Tulio partially remade the film as Mustalaishurmaaja for the Fennica-Filmi company. This film became a hit and earned the starring Tulio the nickname "Finland's Valentino
Rudolph Valentino
Rudolph Valentino was an Italian actor, and early pop icon. A sex symbol of the 1920s, Valentino was known as the "Latin Lover". He starred in several well-known silent films including The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, The Sheik, Blood and Sand, The Eagle and Son of the Sheik...
". The pair went on to make two other films, Laveaa tietä (1931) and Sininen varjo (1933) with Vaala directing and Tulio starring.
While Tulio moved on with his own acting and directing career, Vaala went on to direct his last film for Fennica-Filmi, Helsingin kuuluisin liikemies, in 1934. After the demise of Fennica, Vaala directed one film for Bio-Kuva, Kun isä tahtoo..., also in 1934. The next year Vaala was hired as the second director of the film production company, Suomi-Filmi
Suomi-Filmi
Suomi-Filmi, lit. Finland-Film, is a Finnish film production and distribution company established in 1919 by Erkki Karu. Suomi-Filmi produced around 160 feature length films and for most of its history was one of the two most important film companies in the country, along with Suomen Filmiteollisuus...
, following Risto Orko
Risto Orko
Risto Eliel William Orko was a Finnish film producer and director....
. Vaala remained contracted to the company for the rest of his career.
Career with Suomi-Filmi
During his career, Vaala directed 44 feature-length theatrical films, the second most among Finnish directors, behind only Toivo SärkkäToivo Särkkä
Toivo Jalmari Särkkä , born Toivo Hjalmar Silén, was a Finnish film producer and director. He was CEO of the production company Suomen Filmiteollisuus....
. 38 of those films were made while he was employed by Suomi-Filmi. His first film with the company was the romantic comedy
Romantic Comedy
Romantic Comedy can refer to* Romantic Comedy , a 1979 play written by Bernard Slade* Romantic Comedy , a 1983 film adapted from the play and starring Dudley Moore and Mary Steenburgen...
Kaikki rakastavat (1935). It was also the first film that Ansa Ikonen
Ansa Ikonen
Aili Ansa Inkeri Ikonen was an award-winning Finnish film and theater actress. In a film career spanning three decades, Ikonen appeared in dozens of films, and was one of the most popular actresses of her time. She frequently starred with actor Tauno Palo as her leading man...
and Tauno Palo
Tauno Palo
Tauno Valdemar Palo was a Finnish actor and singer in what some consider the golden age of Finnish cinema....
starred in together. The film was followed by an urban comedy, Vaimoke in 1936, which starred the same leading pair, and ended up being a popular success and served as the breakthrough film for all involved. The film was an adaptation from a work by Hella Wuolijoki
Hella Wuolijoki
Hella Wuolijoki was a Finnish writer of Estonian origin, known for her Niskavuori series.-Life & career:Wuolijoki was born in Helme, Estonia....
, as was the sequel, Mieheke, which Vaala directed in the same year.
Many of Vaala's films were adaptations of popular classics of Finnish literature, by authors such as Mika Waltari
Mika Waltari
Mika Toimi Waltari was a Finnish writer, best known for his best-selling novel The Egyptian .- Early life :...
, Aleksis Kivi
Aleksis Kivi
Aleksis Kivi , born Alexis Stenvall, was a Finnish author who wrote the first significant novel in the Finnish language, Seven Brothers...
and Maiju Lassila. Vaala also directed several adaptations on works by Frans Eemil Sillanpää
Frans Eemil Sillanpää
Frans Eemil Sillanpää was one of the most famous Finnish writers.He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1939 "for his deep understanding of his country's peasantry and the exquisite art with which he has portrayed their way of life and their relationship with Nature."Frans Eemil...
, one of which, Ihmiset Suviyössä (1948), has been called his best film, and is reported to have been one of the director's personal favorites. Another personal favorite of his, and also a popular success, was Loviisa, Niskavuoren nuori emäntä (1946), an adaptation from a Wuolijoki play.
During Vaala's career, his most popular films reached huge audiences in relation to the size of his home country. One of his most popular films, Juurakon Hulda (1937), was seen in cinemas by approximately a million viewers out of a population of 3,5 million. It was also remade in Hollywood as The Farmer's Daughter. Vaala's other popular films included Niskavuoren naiset in 1938 and his adaptations from Mika Waltari's books Gabriel, tule takaisin (1951) and Omena putoaa... (1952). Nummisuutarit in 1957 and Nuori Mylläri in 1958 were also among the most watched films in Finland during their release years.
Vaala's final feature film was Totuus on armoton in 1963, but his career still continued as a director of short films. His last credited work was a short documentary film about the Finlandia Hall
Finlandia Hall
Finlandia Hall is a concert hall with a congress wing in Helsinki, Finland, by Töölönlahti bay. The building was designed by Alvar Aalto. The work began in 1967 and was completed in 1971.-Design and building:...
, created at the request of the city of Helsinki.
Awards
Vaala won three Jussi Awards for directing and one for screenwriting. One of the directing awards was given jointly for Dynamiittityttö and Linnaisten vihreä kamari in 1945, the others were for Loviisa, Niskavuoren nuori emäntä (1946) and Omena Putoaa (1952). He earned the lone screenwriting award with Ihmiset suviyössä (1946).Filmography
- Mustat silmät, 1929
- Mustalaishurmaaja, 1929
- Laveata tietä, 1931
- Sininen varjo, 1933
- Helsingin kuuluisin liikemies, 1934
- Kun isä tahtoo, 1935
- Kaikki rakastavat, 1935
- Vaimoke, 1936
- Mieheke, 1936
- Koskenlaskijan morsian, 1937
- Juurakon Hulda, 1938
- Niskavuoren naiset, 1938
- Sysmäläinen, 1938
- Rikas tyttö, 1939
- Vihreä kulta, 1939
- Jumalan myrsky, 1940
- Antreas ja syntinen Jolanda, 1941
- Morsian yllättää, 1941
- Varaventtiili, 1942
- Keinumorsian, 1943
- Neiti Tuittupää, 1943
- Tositarkoituksella, 1943
- Dynamiittityttö, 1944
- Linnaisten vihreä kamari, 1945
- Vuokrasulhanen, 1945
- Viikon tyttö, 1946
- Loviisa – Niskavuoren nuori emäntä, 1946
- Maaret – tunturien tyttö, 1947
- Ihmiset suviyössä, 1948
- Jossain on railo, 1949
- Sinut minä tahdon, 1949
- Gabriel tule takaisin, 1951
- Kulkurin tyttö, 1952
- Omena putoaa, 1952
- Huhtikuu tulee, 1953
- Siltalan pehtoori, 1953
- Minäkö isä, 1954
- Minä ja mieheni morsian, 1955
- Yhteinen vaimomme, 1956
- Nummisuutarit, 1957
- Nuori Mylläri, 1958
- Niskavuoren naiset, 1958
- Nuoruus vauhdissa, 1961
- Totuus on armoton, 1963