Ritva Arvelo facts for kids
Ritva Helinä Arvelo (born March 11, 1921 – died October 26, 2013) was a talented Finnish woman. She was an actress, a director, and a writer for movies. She also helped start modern dance in Finland.
Ritva Arvelo was one of the first four women in Finland to direct films. She made a big impact on Finnish theater and movies.
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About Ritva Arvelo's Life and Work
Ritva Arvelo was born in Helsinki, Finland. She loved learning and studied at the Helsinki Theatre Academy in 1943. She also earned a master's degree from the University of Helsinki. There, she studied languages like French.
Early Career as a Dancer and Model
In the 1940s, Ritva was a dancer. She was part of Maggie Gripenberg's famous dance group. This group was known around the world. Ritva also worked as a model for fashion stores in Helsinki.
Working in Theater and Film
Ritva Arvelo worked at the Finnish National Theatre. She acted in many plays there. She also appeared in several films. Some of her movies include Radio tekee murron (1951) and Nothing but Love (1984).
She also directed plays at the Helsinki Folk Theater. In 1961, she helped start a modern dance group called Praesens. She led this group with Raija Riikkala. Ritva also translated French plays into Finnish.
Directing Films
In 1961, Ritva Arvelo became a film director. She directed the movie Kultainen vasikka. This film was based on a play by Maria Jotuni. It was a big success! The movie won a state film award. The actor Helge Herala also won a Jussi Award for his role. This was Ritva's only film as a director.
Writing for Movies
Ritva Arvelo also wrote screenplays for movies. She worked with director Matti Kassila. She wrote for his films Syntipukki (1957) and Kuriton sukupolvi (1957). She also wrote the story for her own film, Kultainen vasikka.
Later Years
In the 1980s, Ritva Arvelo continued acting. She was in films like Nothing but Love (1984). She also appeared in Farewell, Goodbye (1986). After the mid-1980s, she stopped working in entertainment.
Ritva Arvelo's Family Life
Ritva Arvelo was married two times. Her first husband was actor Matti Oravisto. They were married from 1948 to 1953. They had two children, Meri (born 1949) and Hannu (born 1951). Meri Oravisto acted in the film Pilvilinna. Hannu was in the film Kesäkapina.
Her second husband was actor Heikki Savolainen. They were married from 1955 to 1965. They had one daughter, Satu (born 1958).
Ritva's father was Armas Peter Arvelo. He was a judge and worked in prisons. Her mother, Lempi Arvelo, loved the theater and supported it.
Selected Films Ritva Arvelo Acted In
- Valkoisen neilikan velho (1945)
- Suopursu kukkii (1947)
- Kultamitalivaimo (1947)
- Kesäkapina (1970)
- Näkemiin, hyvästi (1986)
