Come Back, Gabriel
Gabriel, tule takaisin (Gabriel, kom tillbaka)
Reviens, Gabriel (French title)
Komm zurück, Gabriel (German title)

Finland 1951 B/W 80min Suomi-Filmi Oy

*****

Drama, romance

cast: Tarmo Manni (Gabriel), Emma Väänänen (Kristiina Anger), Salli Karuna (Ulriika Anger), Ansa Ikonen (Rosa Pakkala), Ilmi Parkkari (Raili), Sakari Jurkka, Olga Tainio, Kaarlo Halttunen, Elli Ylimaa, Sirkka Sipilä, Holger Blommila
credits: dir. Valentin Vaala (also script with Mika Waltari), staging Roy, music George de Godzinsky, edit. Valentin Vaala, prod. Risto Orko, based on a play by Mika Waltari

Gabriel is a casanova. He is a smooth swindler. He speaks words of love and cheats old women to give him all their money. And still Gabriel is their darling. Yes, he is evil, but he speaks so amiable, that he must be every woman's honey. He must love also the watcher. By God, Tarmo Manni WAS Gabriel.

This heartless comedy (as Mika Waltari called it) is really art. The whole cast does their best and it's shame that mister Manni didn't win the Finnish Oscar "Jussi" from his role. But maybe he was too good to got that statuette. Emma Väänänen and Salli Karuna won prizes for their performances anyway.

TRIVIA: According to a rumour, both actor Tarmo Manni and director Valentin Vaala were gay.

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