- published: 18 Jul 2015
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Martti "Masa" Elis Niemi (20 July 1914 – 3 May 1960) was a Finnish actor. Niemi started his career as a drummer, but became popular as a comedian. He is most famous for his role as "Pätkä" (in English: Stub) in all thirteen original Pekka ja Pätkä movies.
Niemi was born in Viipuri. His films include Majuri maantieltä. Masa Niemi's signature phrase in his role as Pätkä was "I know it's none of my business, but..."
He committed suicide in Tampere, after frustration because of lack of roles. He took an overdose of sleeping pills and died of intoxication. He left a suicide note written in verse form saying: "Hyvä on olla, kun on nolla. Hyvästi. -T. Masa" ("Life is a lull / when you're a null. Good bye, Masa.") Some people suppose his death could have been an accident. Masa Niemi suffered from disturbance of mental health and alcoholism.
Masa Niemi was only 154 cm tall (about 5 feet ½ inch), but he is said to have drunk at least a bottle and a half of Koskenkorva hard liquor every day.[citation needed] By careful examination of the films, several scenes can be spotted where Niemi was drunk on set. For example, Niemi would never have agreed to do the scene where Pätkä is lifted up 10 metres with a crane up if he hadn't drunk a bottle of Koskenkorva just before.
Actors: Timo Koivusalo (writer), Jaakko Salo (composer), Martti Suosalo (actor), Tomi Salmela (actor), Timo Koivusalo (producer), Timo Koivusalo (composer), Heikki Nousiainen (actor), Esko Nikkari (actor), Kai Lehtinen (actor), Aarre Karén (actor), Risto Salmi (actor), Hannu Kivioja (actor), Tapio Liinoja (actor), Timo Koivusalo (editor), Timo Koivusalo (director),
Plot: The film tells the story of two very popular Finnish singer/songwriters: Tapio Rautavaara (Tapio Liinoja) and Repe Helismaa (Martti Suosalo), who worked together until their relationship got frictious for a long time. The film covers the years from 1949 to 1965 (Helismaa's death). Since the film is based on real-life persons it also tells much about the change in Finland during those years and of course much about Finnish popular music.
Keywords: 1950s, 1960s, alcohol, break-up, friend, friendship, pekka-ja-pätkä, post-war, songwriter, suicide