Masa Niemi

Martti "Masa" Elis Niemi (20 July 1914 – 3 May 1960) was a Finnish actor, comedian, musician and entertainer. He is best known from his role as Pätkä in the Pekka and Pätkä films.

Niemi also played bandy in the team Sudet, Vyborg despite his short stature (he was only 152 cm tall, about 5 feet ½ inch) and worked as the goalkeeper and captain of the team. In the late 1930s Niemi joined the band Sointupojat as a drummer, where was the lead singer. Niemi's main profession was a car driver at the Viipurin Makkara Oy sausage factory up to the war. He is most famous for his role as "Pätkä" (in English: Stub) in all thirteen original Pekka and Pätkä movies, with Esa Pakarinen as Pekka Puupää, Pätkä's best friend.

Niemi had made his first film role in the Fenno-Filmi film (1945) but at the time, this had been a one-off experiment. Niemi since made frequent appearances in selection castings for seven years, but never got a part. Auvo Nuotio got a selection casting for Niemi at Suomen Filmiteollisuus, which got him a small part in the film Kipparikvartetti. In the next year Niemi got a bigger part as "Läski-Leevi" in the film Esa "Flies" to Kuopio, starring Esa Pakarinen. The film was part of the contemporary proliferation of the style of entertainment, which the critics thought was worthless but which the public loved.

The Niemis had to sell their apartment in downtown Helsinki and move into a rental apartment. Niemi also suffered from severe stage fright and self-criticism. His use of alcohol worsened over time and he had to undergo drug rehabilitation. He died a couple of days later in hospital. Toivo Särkkä, the director of SF had announced that there would be no more Pekka and Pätkä films. This caused Niemi to go into depression and he felt his career was over.

Filmography

Suviyön salaisuus (1945) Kipparikvartetti (1952) Lentävä kalakukko (Esa "Flies" to Kuopio) (1953) Pekka Puupää (1953) We're Coming Back (1953) Pekka Puupää kesälaitumilla (1953) (1954) Pekka ja Pätkä lumimiehen jäljillä (1954) Taikayö (1954) Majuri maantieltä (1954) Pekka ja Pätkä puistotäteinä (1955) Kiinni on ja pysyy eli Pekan ja Pätkän uudet seikkailut (1955) Pekka ja Pätkä pahassa pulassa (1955) Pekka ja Pätkä ketjukolarissa (1957) Pekka ja Pätkä salapoliiseina (1957) Pekka ja Pätkä sammakkomiehinä (1957) Pekka ja Pätkä Suezilla (1958) Pekka ja Pätkä miljonääreinä (1958) Ei ruumiita makuuhuoneeseen (1959) (1959) Pekka ja Pätkä mestarimaalareina (1959) Isaskar Keturin ihmeelliset seikkailut (1960) Pekka ja Pätkä neekereinä (1960) Kaks' tavallista Lahtista (1960)