Did Ansa Ikose and Tauno Palo have a relationship? Such was the love life of iconic movie stars

The iconic couple of Finnish films: Ansa Ikonen and Tauno Palo. IL archive

The biggest movie stars of their time, Tauno Palo and Ansa Ikonen, were such a bright and fascinating couple on the big screen that many believed they were also dating in real life.

Initially, the director Valentin Vaala suddenly cast the blond Ikonen as the opposite actor of the dark Palo. First of all, Ikonen’s naturally blond hair was lightened more, because the black and white tones of the camera would not necessarily have brought the color to its rights in all exposures.

Oona-Emilia Enkelsaaren and Hilda Ivarsin Ansa Ikonen – memories of a movie star -book (Aviador) says that even after the first lightening, Ikonen thought it was startlingly pale, but only after the second lightening did the color get the approval of the cinematographer and the director.

Vaala had promised to make Ikose a star and afterwards it is easy to judge that he was a man of his word. For the first time, Ikonen and Palo were seen together Everyone loves in the movie in 1935.

Ikonen has said in his memoirs that at first he and Palo didn’t particularly even like each other. Palo was annoyed by Ikonen’s way of expressing his opinion on one thing or another. Palo also had features that Iko didn’t like. However, this aspect remained in the dark for the public.

“Many years in love”

Palo recalled Smile– magazine in 1972 relates to Ikoe:

– Of course, it goes without saying that I fell in love with Ansa. What man would not have done that, who could have been indifferent to Ansa’s charms? At a certain point, for many years, I was in love with him, Palo said in the magazine, according to Ikonen’s biography.

Forbidden love

Everyone loves -film was a turning point for Ikos in many ways: he worked with two important men. The film started the long collaboration between Ikonen and Palo, but in addition to that, his future spouse starred in the film Jalmari Rinne.

Ikonen and Rinne had fallen in love with each other just a moment before. However, Rinne was married to an actress Anni Aiton with. The couple also had children together.

Ikonen and Rinnee’s relationship was initially a public secret. The couple’s age difference of 20 years puzzled theater circles. Rinne officially broke up with Aito only when Ikonen started expecting a child for him.

Ikonen and Rinne were married with the special permission of the President of the Republic of Finland, Kallio, in July 1939. Without the permission, there would have been no marriage, because according to the law, Rinne had a grace period. Due to his divorce, he would not have been allowed to enter into a new union during the grace period.

When Tauno Palo turned 50 in 1958, the long association with Sylvi Palo drew to its end. A new life with Kirsti Ortola was officially about to begin. Tauno Palo and Kirsti Ortola already had a child together in 1954, Jukka-Pekka Palo, now known as an actress.

At the national dinners organized in honor of the Hero of the Day, however, Ansa Ikonen was the Lady of Fire, even though she was married to actress Jalmari Rinne. This is how it is told Lauri Meren writing Tauno Fire in the book (Otava).

But what about whether Ikos and Palo had mutual feelings outside the big screen?

– Mother and Tauno’s chemistry works well as actors, but in real life they didn’t spark romantically, Ikonen’s daughter, an actress herself Katrina Rinne told Iltalehte in 2008.

– They were good friends. Mother always said that a lifelong friendship is better than a short romance.

Sources: Ansa Ikonen – memories of a movie starwritten by Oona-Emilia Enkelsaari, Hilda Ivars (Aviador), Tauno Firewritten by Lauri Meri (Otava) and Iltalehti archive