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Spede Pasanen

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Spede Pasanen
File:SpedeTV.jpg
Spede from Näköradiomiehen ihmeelliset siekailut (1969)
Born
Pertti Olavi Pasanen

(1930-04-10)10 April 1930
Kuopio, Finland
Died7 September 2001(2001-09-07) (aged 71)
Kirkkonummi, Finland
Occupation(s)film director and producer, comedian, inventor

Pertti Olavi "Spede" Pasanen (10 April 1930, Kuopio – 7 September 2001, Kirkkonummi) was a Finnish film director and producer, comedian, humorist, inventor, TV personality and practitioner of gags.

During his career he directed, wrote, produced or acted in about 50 movies and participated in numerous TV productions, including the comedy Spede Show and the game-show Speden Spelit. Spede Pasanen named Bob Hope as one his biggest comedy influences. Much of his more commercial work was in collaboration with Vesa-Matti Loiri (whose most popular character created by Pasanen was called Uuno Turhapuro; first in TV sketches and then in a long-lasting series of motion pictures) and Simo Salminen. Pasanen's films and TV shows, often made fast and inexpensively in a conveyor-belt mode, usually didn't gain much recognition from the critics but were extremely popular among Finnish audiences from the 1960s onwards. Another actor Pasanen used in TV-comedy was Pentti Siimes. Together with Tarja Markus they performed as an excellent nervous and shy love-pair in a coffee-table chat.

Spede Pasanen is considered emblematic of Savonian humor with a slick ironic patter varying between the fullest extremes of understatement and hyperbole. As he himself explained: "A Savonian never tells a thing exactly like it is." Although Spede vociferously denounced elitism and explicitly sought to write and perform comedy for the largest possible audience, he was frequently the person who evinced greatest amusement at his own gags and bon mots.

Noted for his intelligence, financial success and ability to draw in ladies, he is the idol of many who make an attempt to break into the Finnish comedy scene. Despite his homely appearance, Pasanen was something of a womanizer: he had a long relationship with Miss Europe 1976, Riitta Väisänen, and was almost married in 1990 to a Finnish model and Miss Finland candidate. A classic serial monogamist, he valued loyalty and friendship to the hilt, and even after separation, kept employing and financially supporting previous companions. During and after relationships, he vouchsafed confidentiality and privacy for all involved in his private life. His good relations with the media might have helped with this, as outside his private sphere, he often dramatized his commercial and artistic ventures to the hilt.

Pasanen was also an inventor and jack-of-all-trades; he had over 50 patents in his names, and many of his films include Rube Goldberg-style gadgets. Besides gadgets involved with industrial production, his inventions include:

Spede Pasanen had a film production company named Filmituotanto Spede Pasanen Ky.

Filmography

Writer, director or producer

Actor

  • Laivan kannella (1954)
  • Sankarialokas (1955)
  • Säkkijärven polkka (1955)
  • Villi Pohjola (1955)
  • Tyttö tuli taloon (1956)
  • Tyttö lähtee kasarmiin (1956)
  • Rintamalotta (1956)
  • Anu ja Mikko (1956)
  • Pekka ja Pätkä ketjukolarissa (1957)
  • Vääpelin kauhu (1957)
  • Pekka ja Pätkä sammakkomiehinä (1957)
  • Asessorin naishuolet (1957)
  • Pekka ja Pätkä Suezilla (1958)
  • Ei ruumiita makuuhuoneeseen (1959)
  • Mullin mallin (1961)
  • Taape tähtenä (1962)
  • Hopeaa rajan takaa (1963)
  • Pohjan tähteet (1969)
  • Tup-akka-lakko (1980)
  • Koeputkiaikuinen ja Simon enkelit (1981)
  • (Hei kliffaa hei! (1985)
  • Pikkupojat (1986)
  • Naisen logiikka (1999)

In the Uuno Turhapuro series, Pasanen played the role of Härski-Hartikainen, a car repairman with a cunning and ribald character, who often participated in Uuno's farcical adventures. His sidekick was Sörsselssön - earlier known as Lörssön (played by Simo Salminen).

Television series

Spede is considered the father of modern Finnish television sketch-humour. Starting his career on Yleisradio he later jumped camps to the competing MTV3 network. However, his work on both has been extremely popular. Apart from starring in these series he was also the main producer for many of the popular shows on MTV3, such as the game-show Kymppitonni and the cult-hit show Pulttibois.

YLE

  • Spede Show (1964, 1971–1976, 1982 ja 1984-1987)
  • Speden saluuna (1965)
  • Spedevisio (1965–1967)
  • 50 pientä minuuttia (1967–1971)
  • Robin Hood ja hänen iloiset vekkulinsa Sherwoodin pusikoissa (1974)

MTV3

  • Kymppitonni (1985–2005)
  • Uuno Turhapuro armeijan leivissä (1986) (the film as a TV series)
  • Vesku Show (1988–1991)
  • Spede Special (1988–1990)
  • Pulttibois (1989–1991)
  • Spedestroikka (1990)
  • Junnutonni (1991)
  • Speden sallitut leikit (1990–1992)
  • Speden tee-se-itse TV (1991–1992)
  • Hynttyyt yhteen (1991–1995)
  • Speden spelit (1992–2002)
  • Tsa Tsa Tsaa (1993–1994)
  • Blondi tuli taloon (1994–1995)
  • Uuno Turhapuro (TV series) (1996)
  • Ihmeidentekijät (1996–1998)
  • Parhaat vuodet (2000–2002)
  • Kuumia aaltoja (2003)

Named after Spede Pasanen

  • SPEDE (Spacecraft Potential, Electron and Dust Experiment), an instrument attached to the SMART-1 lunar probe.

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