Katariina ja Munkkiniemen kreivi (Katariina and the Count of Munkkiniemi) is a 1943 Finnish film directed by Ossi Elstelä. It is based on a novel by Kaarina Viitainoja. The film stars Regina Linnanheimo, Leif Wager, Elsa Rantalainen, Ester Toivonen and Eino Kaipainen. This film was Wager's first major feature film, and as a result he became one of the most popular Finnish male actors of the 1940s.
The film is set in Helsinki in 1860. The plot is about the love between Katariina, a farmhand's daughter, and Count Mauritz Armborg of Munkkiniemi. The film's most famous scene features the "Romance", which Count Mauritz sings in a park by the pond to Katariina, with music by Nils-Eric Fougstedt and lyrics by Reino Hirviseppä.
The film was first shown on Finnish television on 1 October 1965, and attracted approximately half a million viewers. A screening in July of the next year attracted about 1.36 million viewers. The film has been issued on VHS and DVD.
Cast
Regina Linnanheimo - Katariina, a farmhand's daughter
Leif Wager - Count Mauritz Armborg
Elsa Rantalainen - Countess Yvonne Armborg
Ester Toivonen - Countess Margareta Armborg
Sirkka Sipilä - Ingeborg Liliecrona
Eino Kaipainen - Elias Jahnukainen, a fisherman
Sasu Haapanen - Hans, a driver
Irja Kuusla - Eriikka, a maid
Aku Käyhkö - Count Liliecrona
Kaisu Leppänen - Elisabeth Gerhard, wife of the governor
Hilly Lindqvist - Mrs. Jahnukaisen
Liisa Nevalainen - Arviida, the Gerhard's handmaiden
Verna Piponius - Countess Ebba Liliecrona
Jalmari Rinne - Count Fredrik Armborg
Yrjö Tuominen - Gerhard, the governor
Orvokki Lahtinen - Margareta's daughter
Veikko Linna - chef
Vilho Jägermalm - lackey
Jarl Malmstén - lackey
Bertil Holmström - lackey
Edvin Kajanne - lackey
Regina Heinonen - housemaid
Eva Hemming - guest at the dance
Laila Jokimo - guest at the dance
Onni Korhonen - guest at the dance
Aino Angerkoski - guest at the dance
Uuno Montonen - innkeeper
Vilho Kekkonen - handyman at the inn
Kaija Suonio - mistress of the inn
Eino Salmi - ships mate
Matti Lehtelä - ship's captain
Olavi Suominen - seaman
Eeva Savonen - nurse in Copenhagen
Jukka Feodorow - street singer
Varma Lahtinen - assistant's wife
Marjo Kuusla - young Mauritz
Aino Mattila - Ms Jansson
Plot
The story begins in the year 1860. The young Count of Munkkiniemi, Mauritz Armborg, and Katariina, the daughter of a farmhand on the estate of the Count's family, are attracted to each other. However, the count's grandmother, Yvonne Armborg, objects to the romance and tries to obstruct it. Elias Jahnukainen, a fisherman, is himself in love with Katariina and wants to marry her, but she has demurred at his marriage proposals to date. Count Mauritz dreams of making a career as a violinist and wants to study music abroad. To try to divert Katariina away from her grandson, Countess Yvonne offers to finance Katariina's dowry if she is willing to marry Elias. In addition, Countess Yvonne introduces the young count to Ingeborg Liliecrona. However, Mauritz is not attracted to Ingeborg.
Mauritz and Katariina plan to elope, and make their way to Copenhagen and Rome. The lovers meet at an inn, and spend the evening together. At dawn, Mauritz leaves Katariina an old family heirloom, a necklace. However, a servant to Yvonne informs her of the lovers' plans. The lovers are intercepted before they can travel together to Copenhagen. Katariina is escorted back, apart from Mauritz.
Unhappy at being separated from Mauritz, she tries to commit suicide by jumping off a cliff, but Elias saves her. She then accedes to a marriage with Elias. Separately, Mauritz has continued his journey to Copenhagen, where he is confined for several weeks because of a severe illness. Ingeborg travels to Copenhagen, meets Mauritz, and falsely tells him that Katariina will arrive in Rome in the company of Countess Yvonne. However, upon their arrival in Rome, Mauritz meets Countess Yvonne, who has traveled alone. She tells him that Katariina has married Elias, which leaves Mauritz distraught.
Katariina and Elias have moved into the lower-income Katajanokan district. She has given birth to a son, whom she names Mauritz. Even though the Count is the biological father, Elias promises to treat the son as his own.