Tulipunainen kyyhkynen (1961)

Doctor Aitamaa is spending holiday with his family at their summer villa. He accidentally reads a letter that was meant to his wife. The letter is from another man. Aitamaa fallows his wife... See full summary »

Director:

Matti Kassila

Writers:

Matti Kassila (story), Juha Nevalainen

Stars:

Tauno Palo, Gunvor Sandkvist, Helen Elde

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Tauno Palo	...	Dr. Olavi Aitamaa
Gunvor Sandkvist	...	Helena Aitamaa
Helen Elde	...	Irja Huurre / Ritva
Matti Oravisto	...	Judge Rantanen / Helena's Lover
Risto Mäkelä	...	Mankela
Uuno Montonen	...	Pastor Svanholm
Anton Soini	...	Man Laying by the Road / Shoe String Vendor / Laughing Man at the Street / Proferros Aitamaa
Arttu Suuntala	...	Detective Maurila
Pertti Palo	...	Young Man at the Kiosk
Liana Kaarina	...	Kiosk Vendor
Martta Kinnunen	...	Martta, House Maid
Tauno Söder	...	Optician
Paavo Hukkinen	...	Sailor
Unto Salminen	...	Doctor at the Murder Scene
Eila Pehkonen	...	Woman at the Customs Office

Storyline

Doctor Aitamaa is spending holiday with his family at their summer villa. He accidentally reads a letter that was meant to his wife. The letter is from another man. Aitamaa fallows his wife to the city and finds out that she has a lover. Later the wife is found killed and Aitamaa becomes the prime suspect.

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Plot Keywords:

doctor | city | suspect | suspect tailing | feelings of guilt | 

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Genres:

Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Details

Country:

Finland

Language:

Finnish

Release Date:

10 March 1961 (Finland)

Also Known As:

The Scarlet Dove

Filming Locations:

Helsinki, Finland

Company Credits

Production Co:

Suomen Filmiteollisuus

Technical Specs

Runtime:

86 min

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Tauno Palo's final feature film.

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Quotes

Mankela: [lecturing to Dr. Aitamaa] So you are saying, you were ready to go bed with that woman without even knowing her name?
Detective Maurila: You don't always have to know one's name to do so.

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Connections

Featured in Helsinki, Forever (2008)

User Reviews

The fine swan song of Tauno Palo

Tauno Palo plays middle aged doctor Olavi Aitamaa, who's at the summer cottage with his family spending the last day of the vacation.They are supposed to have a crayfish feast later.A letter arrives, that is meant for his wife Helena (Gunvor Sandkvist).Olavi gets to read it first.It is from her lover.Olavi goes following his wife to the place she and her lover are supposed to meet.The place is an empty stadium.There he sees his wife and the man wearing sunglasses (Matti Oravisto) having tender moments.When Olavi leaves the spot he meets a mysterious red headed woman (Helen Elde), who has no name but he calls her Ritva because he used to love a girl by that name when he was less than twenty.Later he returns to the spot and finds Helena murdered.Olavi becomes the prime suspect of the murder.Matti Kassila's Tulipunainen kyyhkynen (1961) takes some surreal turns in the nocturnal Helsinki.Kassila is a masterly director who you can very well compare to Alfred Hitchcock.This movie is also very well written by Juha Nevalainen.There is some wonderful dialogue between Olavi and the mysterious woman.Tauno Palo is just amazing in the lead.You can feel the anxiety he's feeling.This was his last film role.What a great way to end a career.His son Pertti Palo is seen in the movie.Gunvor Sandkvist is doing a wonderful job as Helena.Helen Elde is perfect as the mysterious woman.Matti Oravisto is marvelous.Risto Mäkelä does very fine work at the role of Mankela.There are all the right actors in the movie.Also Tommi Rinne makes a brief appearance as a Reporter.This is a true masterpiece of Finnish cinema, a very fine psychological thriller that will keep you nailed to your seats.There's a twist waiting in the end.I'm not going to tell you what it is because they asked me not to at the end of the movie.But I can tell you this; it explains everything that has happened in the movie.