Film concert Tukkijoella (1928) April 2005 Turku Festival of Finnish Film, Sami Pirttilahti, Eerika Mylläri, Heikki Hämäläinen, 2005 SEA restoration

Erkki Karu: Tukkijoella (FI 1928). Urho Somersalmi as Turkka.

Stockflötarna. FI 1928. PC: Suomi-Filmi. P+SC: Erkki Karu – based on the musical comedy by Teuvo Pakkala (1899) with music by Oskar Merikanto. D: Axel Slangus, Wilho Ilmari. DP: Frans Ekebom. PD: Carl Fager. M for cinema orchestra arranged by Emil Kauppi. ED: Axel Slangus, Frans Ekebom. Starring Urho Somersalmi (Turkka), Ellen Sylvin (Pietolan Katri), Mary Spennert-Hannikainen (Anni), Litja Ilmari (Pahna-Maija), Olga Salo (Leena), Kirsti Suonio (Maija Rivakka), Eino Salmela (rättäri), Paavo Costiander (Huotari), Ossi Korhonen (Pölhö-Kustaa), Heikki Välisalmi (Tolari). 2852 m /24 fps/ 103 min. Finnish / Swedish intertitles.

Print with colour toning from the 2005 restoration by Suomen elokuva-arkisto. Mostly a very beautiful print, with some shots in low contrast. Screening with a sound gate at Domino, Turku Festival of Finnish Film, 9 April 2005.

THE FILM CONCERT with Sami Pirttilahti (accordeon), Eerika Mylläri (accordeon), Heikki Hämäläinen (cello). The selection of the instruments was inspired, but the erratic musical programme missed the point, ignoring Merikanto, who composed many great tunes for the play, lyrics of which are quoted in the intertitles.

THE FILM is the first of three cinema adaptations of Finlands most popular musical play (besides Jääkärin morsian). It was realized as a silent film, but one can safely assume that the live musical performances based on Emil Kauppi and Oskar Merikanto have been a large contribution to its success. This film is anyway the weakest of the three. The manuscript misses important points, the direction and the montage are clumsy, but as a showcase of major talents it is fascinating for Finnish viewers (only?).

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MY BLOG NOTES ON TUKKIJOELLA (1928)

Film concert Tukkijoella (1928) April 2005 in Turku Festival of Finnish Film (Sami Pirttilahti, Eerika Mylläri, Heikki Hämäläinen)

Film concert Tukkijoella (1928) September 2005 at Orion, Helsinki (original Oskar Merikanto, Emil Kauppi score arranged by Tuula Hällström)

Film concert Tukkijoella (1928) October 2013 at Helsinki Music Centre (new original Kimmo Hakola score played by the Radio Symphony Orchestra)