Ilmari Unho
Encyclopedia
Ilmari Unho was a Finnish
actor, film director
and screenwriter
. Unho was employed by Suomi-Filmi
for most of his filmmaking career.
Unho was born in Uusikaupunki
in 1906. He started his film career as an actor in the 1925 film Pohjalaisia and also played roles in Meren kasvojen edessä (1926) and Kajastus (1930) during his early career. He worked as a theatre manager and journalist until 1938 when he was hired by Suomi-Filmi, a company he would stay with for the remainder of his career.
Initially Unho worked as a screenwriter. He wrote the scripts for Jääkärin morsian (1938) and Aktivistit (1939), but quickly transitioned into the director's chair, with the comedies Punahousut (1939) and Kersantilleko Emma nauroi? (1940). During his career Unho directed 26 films. Among the most important of these were the biopics
of author Aleksis Kivi
and opera singer Abraham Ojanperä, Minä elän (1946) and Ruusu ja kulkuri (1948). The film historian Peter von Bagh
also lists Härmästä poikia kymmenen (1950), Pimeänpirtin hävitys (1947), Koskenkylän laulu (1947) and Kanavan laidalla (1949) among the director's most notable works. Unho usually wrote the screenplays for his own films and continued to write scripts for other directors throughout his career.
Unho was married to the actress Kaisu Leppänen from 1927 to 1930. Later on he married another actress, Salli Karuna. Unho died in Pori in 1961, aged 54.
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...
actor, 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:...
and 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:...
. Unho was employed by 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...
for most of his filmmaking career.
Unho was born in Uusikaupunki
Uusikaupunki
Uusikaupunki , is a town and municipality of Finland.It is located in the Finland Proper region. The municipality has a population of and covers an area of of which is inland water. The population density is .The municipality is unilingually Finnish...
in 1906. He started his film career as an actor in the 1925 film Pohjalaisia and also played roles in Meren kasvojen edessä (1926) and Kajastus (1930) during his early career. He worked as a theatre manager and journalist until 1938 when he was hired by Suomi-Filmi, a company he would stay with for the remainder of his career.
Initially Unho worked as a screenwriter. He wrote the scripts for Jääkärin morsian (1938) and Aktivistit (1939), but quickly transitioned into the director's chair, with the comedies Punahousut (1939) and Kersantilleko Emma nauroi? (1940). During his career Unho directed 26 films. Among the most important of these were the biopics
Biographical film
A biographical film, or biopic , is a film that dramatizes the life of an actual person or people. They differ from films “based on a true story” or “historical films” in that they attempt to comprehensively tell a person’s life story or at least the most historically important years of their...
of author 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 opera singer Abraham Ojanperä, Minä elän (1946) and Ruusu ja kulkuri (1948). The film historian Peter von Bagh
Peter von Bagh
Kari Peter Conrad von Bagh is a Finnish film historian and director. He currently works as a professor of film history in the University of Art and Design Helsinki. He has written around 20 books about film and worked as a presenter for numerous television and radio programs about film and other...
also lists Härmästä poikia kymmenen (1950), Pimeänpirtin hävitys (1947), Koskenkylän laulu (1947) and Kanavan laidalla (1949) among the director's most notable works. Unho usually wrote the screenplays for his own films and continued to write scripts for other directors throughout his career.
Unho was married to the actress Kaisu Leppänen from 1927 to 1930. Later on he married another actress, Salli Karuna. Unho died in Pori in 1961, aged 54.
Filmography
As a director:- Punahousut (1939)
- Kersantilleko Emma nauroi? (1940)
- Poikani pääkonsuli (1940)
- Poretta eli keisarin uudet pisteet (1941)
- Neljä naista (1942)
- Kuollut mies rakastuu (1942)
- Syntynyt terve tyttö (1943)
- Miehen kunnia (1943)
- Kirkastettu sydän (1943)
- Kuollut mies vihastuu (1944)
- Kartanon naiset (1944)
- Kolmastoista koputus (1945)
- Valkoisen neilikan velho (1945)
- Minä elän (1946)
- Pimeänpirtin hävitys (1947)
- Koskenkylän laulu (1947)
- Kilroy sen teki (1948)
- Ruusu ja kulkuri (1948)
- Kanavan laidalla Suomi (1949)
- Kalle-Kustaa Korkin seikkailut (1949)
- Härmästä poikia oli kymmenen (1950)
- Sadan miekan mies (1951)
- Kuisma ja Helinä (1951)
- "Jees, olympialaiset", sanoi Ryhmy (1952)
- Rengasmatka eli Peräkylän pikajuna (1952)
- Sillankorvan emäntä (1953)