Spede Pasanen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Spede Pasanen
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Spede Pasanen, 1990.
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Pertti Olavi Pasanen
10 April 1930 Kuopio, Finland
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| Died | 7 September 2001 (aged 71) Kirkkonummi, Finland
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Pertti Olavi "Spede" Pasanen (born April 10, 1930 – died September 7, 2001) was a famous Finnish film director, producer, comedian, and inventor. He was a very creative person. During his career, he worked on about 50 movies. He also created many popular TV shows.
Some of his most famous works include the comedy show Spede Show and the game show Speden Spelit. Spede often worked with actors like Vesa-Matti Loiri and Simo Salminen. Together, they created the very popular character Uuno Turhapuro. This character first appeared in TV sketches. Later, Uuno Turhapuro starred in a long series of movies.
Spede Pasanen's films and TV shows were often made quickly. They usually had a small budget. Even though critics didn't always praise them, Finnish audiences loved them. His work was popular from the 1960s onwards. Spede also owned his own film company, Filmituotanto Spede Pasanen Ky.
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Early Life and School Days
Pertti Olavi Pasanen was born in April 1930. His hometown was Kuopio, Finland. He was the oldest child of Kusti and Helmi Pasanen. His father worked in forestry. The family was considered upper middle class in Kuopio.
Spede got his nickname from playing ice hockey. People called him "Speedy" because he was fast. This nickname came from the cartoon character Speedy Gonzales. That character was a speedy mouse from Looney Tunes.
When Spede was a student, he loved entertainment and sports. He also enjoyed playing games and inventing things. He was a star in school shows. He played ice hockey with great passion. He even did chemical experiments in his home's basement.
However, Spede didn't do well in school. In 1948, he failed several classes. He spent most of his time building a custom scooter. His parents sent him to another school. In 1952, he finished school. After that, he served in the military. He became a Sub-lieutenant. In the military, he also performed in entertainment shows for soldiers.
In 1953, Spede moved to Helsinki. He started studying at the University of Helsinki. But he focused more on social life. He often hosted parties and events. At the university, he met Jukka Virtanen and Matti Kuusla. These friends later became important partners in his career.
Radio Career
In the late 1950s and early 1960s, Spede became a well-known radio comedian. He joined Yleisradio, Finland's public broadcasting company. His most popular radio show was Ruljanssiriihi. This show combined funny sketches with music. It later became the program Hupiklubi.
Spede and actor Leo Jokela created a very popular character. This was G. Pula-Aho, a smart-talking parrot. The parrot would playfully insult Spede on the show. Spede also had other radio programs.
Film Career
Spede started acting in small roles in the 1950s. His first main role was in the 1964 film X-Paroni. He also wrote and co-directed this movie. The film was a success. This led to more movies, like Milli Pilleri. This movie introduced Simo Salminen, who often played Spede's sidekick.
Spede often worked with directors Jukka Virtanen and Ere Kokkonen. They took turns directing his films. Spede focused more on writing and producing. In 1967, he made Noin Seitsemän Veljestä. This was a funny parody of Robin Hood. It also introduced Vesa-Matti Loiri as an adult actor.
Spede produced many successful movies. He sometimes faced challenges getting funding. In 1971, he directed his first solo film, Kahdeksas Veljes. He also produced Saatanan Radikaalit. Even though these films didn't do as well, Spede won an award for them.
In 1973, Spede released the first Uuno Turhapuro movie. It was based on a popular TV sketch character. To save money, Spede filmed it on video. Then, it was transferred to film for cinemas. Uuno became a huge hit! Many more Uuno films followed in the 1970s and 1980s.
The Uuno series became incredibly popular. The 1984 film Uuno Turhapuro armeijan leivissä broke records. It became the most popular Finnish film ever. Spede made movies every year. He used his regular actors and popular sketch characters.
In the 1990s, Spede focused more on producing films. He spent more time on TV work. His last film as a director was Naisen Logiikka in 1999.
TV Career
Spede started making live TV sketch shows in 1964. These shows had different names, like Spedevisio and Spede Show. They helped create many of the characters and actors Spede used in his films. Many early live broadcasts were not recorded. Spede appeared on TV until 1976. Then, he focused more on movies.
In 1981, Spede started focusing on TV again. He, Simo Salminen, and Vesa-Matti Loiri began making new sketches for the Mainos-TV channel. Actress Hannele Lauri also joined the cast. The new Spede Show aired until 1987.
Spede also produced other popular TV shows. These included the comedy program Fakta Homma. He also created the competition show Kymppitonni with host Riitta Väisänen.
In the 1990s, Spede produced shows like Pulttibois and Tsa Tsa Tsaa. He also created the popular game show Speden Spelit. Spede also produced drama shows. These included Hynttyyt Yhteen and Blondi tuli taloon. Many of these shows aired for several seasons on MTV3.
Comedy Style and Influence
Spede Pasanen said that Bob Hope was one of his biggest comedy inspirations.
Spede Pasanen's comedy is known for its ironic humor. He liked to use both extreme understatement and exaggeration. He once explained, "A Savonian never tells a thing exactly like it is." Spede's comedy often made fun of snobbery. He wanted to create comedy that everyone could enjoy.
His early films had action scenes. They included fist-fights, car chases, and special effects. Many of his movies also had unusual settings. Later films often made fun of Finnish stereotypes.
His Uuno Turhapuro movies are like funny plays called farces. Uuno is an unemployed person. But with incredible luck and charm, he ends up in important roles. He might become a minister or a rich man. He usually causes a lot of funny trouble for his rich father-in-law.
Other Achievements
Spede Pasanen was also an inventor. He had over 50 patents for his inventions. Many of his films showed his clever gadgets. These were often like Rube Goldberg machines, which are complex devices that perform simple tasks.
Some of his inventions included:
- A sling for ski jumping.
- A Boat ski to make boat rides smoother.
- A candlestick that could put out its own flame.
For a while, Spede was very interested in inventing a perpetual motion device. This is a machine that could run forever without needing energy. He even showed his drawings of it in his shows. When he realized it was impossible, he made fun of himself. He did this through his character Härski Hartikainen in an Uuno Turhapuro movie.
Personal Life
Spede married Pirjo Vainimäki in 1965. She was the main actress in his first starring film, X-Paroni. Their daughter, Pirre Pasanen, was born later that year. Spede and Pirjo separated in the early 1980s and later divorced.
Spede was a private person. He didn't talk about his personal relationships in public. He had a long relationship with Riitta Väisänen, who was Miss Europe in 1976. Spede valued loyalty and friendship. He continued to support his former partners. He also made sure to keep his private life confidential.
Death
On September 7, 2001, Spede Pasanen was playing golf. He was at the Sarfvik golf course in Kirkkonummi, Finland. At the 9th hole, he started feeling unwell. He was taken to the club house. His condition quickly got worse. Doctors tried to help him, but Spede passed away. His death was caused by a heart condition. He is buried in Hietaniemi Cemetery in Helsinki.
Notable Collaborators
- Ere Kokkonen
- Jukka Virtanen
- Simo Salminen
- Vesa-Matti Loiri
- Leo Jokela
- Riitta Väisänen
- Hannele Lauri
Filmography Highlights
Spede Pasanen wrote, directed, or produced many films. Here are some of his most well-known works:
- X-Paroni (1964)
- Millipilleri (1966)
- Noin seitsemän veljestä (1968)
- Leikkikalugangsteri (1969)
- Speedy Gonzales – noin 7 veljeksen poika (1970)
- Uuno Turhapuro (1973) - The first film in the popular Uuno series.
- Koeputkiaikuinen ja Simon enkelit (1979)
- Uuno Turhapuro armeijan leivissä (1984) - The most popular Finnish film at the time.
- Uuno Turhapuro muuttaa maalle (1986)
- Uuno Turhapuro, Suomen tasavallan herra presidentti (1992)
- Naisen logiikka (1999) - His last directed film.
Spede also acted in many films. In the Uuno Turhapuro movies, he played Härski-Hartikainen. This was a clever car repairman. He often joined Uuno on his funny adventures. His friend was Sörsselssön, played by Simo Salminen.
Television Series Highlights
Spede is seen as the creator of modern Finnish TV sketch comedy. He worked for both Yleisradio and MTV3. His shows were very popular. Besides starring in them, he was also the main producer for many hits.
Yle
- Spede Show (1964, 1971–1976, 1982, 1984-1987)
- Spedevisio (1965–1967)
- 50 pientä minuuttia (1967–1971)
MTV3
- Kymppitonni (1985–2005) - A popular game show.
- Pulttibois (1989–1991) - A cult hit comedy show.
- Speden spelit (1992–2002) - A popular sports competition show.
- Hynttyyt yhteen (1991–1995)
- Blondi tuli taloon (1994–1995)
- Ihmeidentekijät (1996–1998)
Named After Spede Pasanen
- SPEDE (Spacecraft Potential, Electron and Dust Experiment) is an instrument. It was attached to the SMART-1 lunar probe.
See also
In Spanish: Spede Pasanen para niños
