'Pete Woodhead'/'Pete Blockhead'
Pekka Puupää (Kalle Träskalle)
Pierrot Tête de Pioche (French title)

Available at YLE

Finland 1953 B/W 71min Oy Suomen Filmiteollisuus

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Comedy

cast: Esa Pakarinen (Pekka or Pete), Masa Niemi ("Shorty"/Runt/ Pätkä), Siiri Angerkoski (Justiina), Tapio Rautavaara (Erkki Saarikivi), Åke Lindman (Petteri), Thure Bahne, Uljas Kandolin, Tuija Halonen (Ritva), Kullervo Kalske
credits: dir. Ville Salminen (also staging), music Toivo Kärki, script Reino Helismaa, prod. T.J. Särkkä

Based on the comic book under the very same name. Pekka or Pete is a tall stupid man. Shorty (Pätkä) is his short and fat friend. He also is not very bright. Well, isn't that nice? Two stupid guys doing things. That's something new?

Kids have always loved these films. I must say, that I loved especially Shorty when I was a kid. The song writer Reino Helismaa has done good work for kids, although it was not always his idea that made people laugh: many times his scripts were so full of holes that the director had to complete them. Pekka got many new adventures after this.

Other parts of the serie:
(All directed by Armand Lohikoski except the last one)
2. Pekka Puupää kesälaitumilla, 1953 (Kalle Träskalles pensionat) [Pete Blockhead Takes a Vacation]
3. Pekka ja Pätkä lumimiehen jäljillä, 1954 (Kalle Träskalle och Stumpen i snömannens spår) [Pete and Runt on the Trail of the Abominable Snowman]
4. Pekka ja Pätkä puistotäteinä, 1955 (Kalle Träskalle och Stumpen som parktanter) [Pete and Runt as Park Nannies]
5. Kiinni on ja pysyy - Pekan ja Pätkän uusia seikkailuja, 1955 (Sitter fast som... Träskalle och Stumpen på nya äventyr) [Caught and Held Fast...]
6. Pekka ja Pätkä pahassa pulassa, 1955 (Träskalle och Stumpen i knipa) [Pete och Runt in Hot Water]
7. Pekka ja Pätkä ketjukolarissa, 1957 (Träskalle och Stumpen kedjekrockar) [Pete and Runt in a Chain Collision]
8. Pekka ja Pätkä salapoliiseina, 1957 (Träskalle och Stumpen som deckare) [Pete and Runt, Detectives]
9. Pekka ja Pätkä sammakkomiehinä, 1957 (Träskalle och Stumpen som grodmän) [Pete and Runt, Frogmen]
10. Pekka ja Pätkä Suez'illa, 1958 (Träskalle och Stumpen i Suez) [Pete and Runt in Suez]
11. Pekka ja Pätkä miljonääreinä, 1958 (Täskalle och Stumpen som miljonärer) [Pete and Runt, Millionaires]
12. Pekka ja Pätkä mestarimaalareina, 1959 (Träskalle och Stumpen jobbar för fullt) [Pete & Runt, Master Painters]
13. Pekka ja Pätkä neekereinä, 1960 (Träskalle och Stumpen som negrer) [Pete & Runt, Negroes]

In mid 1980's B-movie director Visa Mäkinen produced and directed two "modern" Pekka Puupää movies. In the first one of his films Mauri Kuosmanen played Pekka and Jaakko Kallio his short friend. Ilmari Saarelainen was seen in the role of Mr. Pikkarainen and Kristiina Elstelä as Justiina. The first of these movies was titled Pekka & Pätkä ja tuplajättipotti (1985, 'Pekka and Pätkä and the Giant Lottery Caper') and the second Pekka Puupää poliisina (1986, Pekka som polis, 'Pekka as a Policeman') In the second movie the casting changed a bit and Esko Roine got the main role. Both of the movies were shot in colour.

TRIVIA: The player of the shorty's role killed himself when this comedy serie was still very popular (1960). His last message was a little poem: "It's good to be, when my head is empty like zero" (On niin hyvä olla, kun pää on tyhjä nolla). Sad. He was such a good man.

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