Inspector Palmu's Error
(1960) - 7.0
Aka - Inspector Palmu's Mistake
In Finnish with subs
A fine who-done-it is the first in the Inspector Palmu film series from Finland.
Based on a popular series of three books written by Mika Waltari in the 1940s.
I would guess that he like so many European crime writers was influenced
by Simenon and his Maigret. The three books were all made into films - and
then one later on was an original script. The main character is Inspector
Palmu (played by Joel Rinne is all four films) and he has by his side two
assistants, Virta and Kokki, who supply a bit of comedy but also the occasional
bright idea. They are also played by the same actors in all four films. These
were very popular in Finland and having seen two of the others, I can understand
why. Good mysteries and likable characters. Palmu from his bland exterior
seems as thick as a brick, never giving anything away or showing that he
gets it all till the end.
Bruno Rygseck has been found dead in his large tub which doubles as a pool
for bathing parties with attractive women. He also likes taking and keeping
nude photos of women. A surprising amount of nudity for a 1960 film. I guess
Finland led the way. The door was locked and a bar of soap lays on the floor.
His whole family which has gathered tell Palmu that it is clearly an accident
- poor guy slipped on the soap and banged his head and drowned. After five
minutes of looking around, he tells his two men, "it was a murder". Well
of course. We would not be here if it wasn't.
Lots of suspects and motives. Bruno was not a well boy - part of the aristocracy
- but clearly cracked up. They wanted to put him in an institution. Except
for one person of course. The film rambles around a bit as all the suspects
are questioned - secrets leak out - animosities revealed - love also. It
seems that Waltari had a soft spot for innocent love. Palmu is ordered off
the case, to declare it an accident - but then another murder takes place
and he is back. Two lovely blonde actresses (Elina Salo and Elina Pohjanpaa)
brighten up the canvass considerably whenever they show up - but one of them
may be a killer. Like any good mystery, I had no idea who the killer was.
All four films were directed by Matti Kassila.
Gas, Inspector Palmu (1961) - 7.0
I always get excited when I come across a new mystery series in book or film
form. I love trying to figure it out along with the protagonist. It doesn't
matter if it is of the cozy variety among the upper classes or as hard edged
as a sharpened steel razor. Or where it is from. Mysteries are universal
and great ones have come from everywhere. This one is from Finland, written
by Mika Waltari who has a reputation for his historical novels but also managed
to squeeze in three Inspector Palmu books - 1939, 1940, 1962 - and all three
were adapted to films in the 1960s'. This is the second one. Amazon
doesn't carry the books which is a shame if this film is to go by. It is
clever, complicated with doses of sharp absurd humor injected into it at
times. Palmu is a character - he looks a bit like Stalin with a horse laugh
and a grumpy attitude towards those above or below him. I would guess Maigret
influenced him as he did many European mystery writers once. Now I have to
track down the other two films.
The smell of gas is coming out of the apartment of Mrs. Skrof, an elderly
wealth widow that no one has a good word to say about. When they break in,
they find her dead, the dog dead and the gas on. Accident or suicide. Palmu
(Joel Rinne) shows up in his bulky jacket and hat and declares it murder
within a few minutes. The dog's neck is broken and the milk on the stove
has spilled over. There are only a few suspects - her granddaughter who hates
her, her playboy nephew who needs money, a pastor who seems a bit too friendly
around the young girls in his parish and the nephew's creepy friend who has
a Caesar haircut. Palmu and his mopey assistant Virta (Matti Ranin), who
throws out random theory after random theory like a pitcher, run around questioning
everyone. They all seem to have airtight alibis but somewhere one of them
has to crack down and fall apart. Or maybe not. And if you throw out enough
theories, one of them may be correct eventually. Good fun and a good mystery.
The Stars Will Tell, Inspector Palmu (1962) - 6.5
This is the third in the Finnish Inspector Palmu series; the earlier two
being Inspector's Palmu's Error (1960) and Gas, Inspector Palmu (1961). There
was another in 1969, Vodkaa, komisario Palmu. The only other one I have seen
is Gas, Inspector Palmu which was good fun. A murder mystery punctuated by
bits of comedy. All four star Joel Rinner as the bushy Stalinesque mustached,
cigar smoking, grouchy Inspector. And the director of all of them was
Matti Kaassila. Sometimes you have to think what a wonderful world it is
that you can easily watch a Finnish film from the 1960s. The next generation
will never give it a thought. Every film will be streamable.
A murdered man is found outside of an observatory but his telescope is missing.
Palmu and two other cops are given the case. The other two Matti Ranin and
Leo Jokela were in all four films as well. They are a team in this one with
all three throwing out ideas. Many of these ideas send them off in the wrong
direction but eventually it occurs to them that perhaps he saw something
with his telescope that he should not have seen. Good stuff as the plot jumps
around though the time is shared equally between all three and I would prefer
the focus be on Palmu who is quite lovable in his cantankerous way. When
he is not napping, giving a sympathetic shoulder to a blonde pretty relative
of the dead man or complaining, his brain is at work. Other aspects of Finnish
society float to the surface; abortion, teenage delinquency, govt incompetence,
high taxes. These are based on novels by Mika Waltari. He was a prolific
author but only wrote three Inspector Palmu novels. Waltari would get so
depressed after finishing a book that he would have to be hospitalized.
Vodka, Inspector Palmu (1969) - 6.0
Aka - Vodka, Inspector Palmu
Seven years after the third of the Finnish Inspector Palmu series, the director,
writer and three main actors gather for a fourth and so far, it is the last
in the series. In the works there is apparently another one being planned
to be directed by none other than, Renny Harlin. We will see. I tend to think
that most of the world has not been sitting around for over fifty years demanding
another Palmu film. But then who knows. Certainly not with the same actors
as I expect they are no longer with us. The first three films in the series
were direct adaptations of the three mystery novels by Mika Waltari. But
that is all he wrote about Palmu and so this is an original script by the
director Matti Kassila who directed and wrote the previous three. But he
goes askew here in many ways. Tries too hard to bring it up to date, adds
pizzazz, adds color, takes Palmu out of his comfort zone and the viewer as
well. It is still enjoyable but I miss the old gruff grumpy Palmu bossing
his two assistants around - sitting in his stuffy office noodling it through
- the swirl of people coming and going from his office - finally putting
it together and figuring out who the killer is. Those were very traditional
mysteries - this is not.
Now Palmu (Joel Rinne) is retired, living in the country, working on his
boat and married to a short plump Finnish women who dotes on him. He still
wears his bowler hat, enjoys a good cigar and maintains his bushy moustache.
Out to pasture but quite comfortable. Then a TV journalist is murdered while
covering a secret meeting between Finnish and Russian government and corporate
high officials. His photographer is arrested with blood on his hands but
the viewer knows he didn't kill him but who did is a mystery. Palmu's old
assistant Virta (Matti Ranin) is heading the case and wants Palmu nowhere
near it.
But the TV station wants him to investigate and he looks happy to leave the
wife home for a few days. He collects his other old assistant Kokki (Leo
Jokela) who now runs a restaurant to help him. It is all fairly straightforward
as they collect clues, interview witnesses and suspects and figure it out.
But then the director takes it totally off track by bringing in Nazis, a
female Russian agent, a long chase, a leap on a helicopter, a snazzy dance
routine - none involving Palmu. During the chase on foot, he throws in a
commercial. Have no idea what he was doing. I suspect this may not
have gone over with the audience as well because this was the end of the
line. For now.
