Finn Film Entertainment features the latest international entertainment news, as well as biographies and photo galleries of Finnish and Finnish-American actors, directors and producers.

On the side, please find links to biographies of a few known Finnish Hollywood actors.

For more biographies of film actors, directors and producers and for photo galleries and entertainment news, please visit our links listed on the bottom of this page.

Actress and dancer Taina Elg was born in Impilahti, in Southeastern Finland, on March 9, 1931. At young age, she began her training in dancing and acting.

As Taina Elg's home province, Karelia, was located near the Finnish-Soviet border, her home became part of a battle stage during the Finnish-Soviet wars between 1939 and 1944.

Eventually, Finland agreed to cede an eastern part of the Finnish Karelia to the Soviet Union - now Russia -, and the Elg family had to move.

Helsinki became the new home of Taina Elg. There, Elg continued her performing arts training, and landed into the ranks of the Finnish National Ballet.

Elg's earliest appearances in movies were in Finland, first as a child actress in 1941 in "Suomisen perhe" ("The Family Suominen"), where she appeared among the children in Olli's party - uncredited -; and in 1946 she appeared as a dancer in another Finnish movie, "Naimisiin päiväksi" ("Married for a day") - also uncredited.

Next, Taina Elg moved on to dance with the famed Sadler's Wells ballet dance company in London - a.k.a. The Royal Ballet (in mid-1950s); and the Grand Ballet du Marquis de Cuevas, in Paris.

In 1954, Taina Elg was discovered in London by the American film producer Edwin Knopf, and she was signed up by MGM Studios for a seven-year contract in Hollywood, to begin in 1955.

As an injury prevented Elg from continuing her career as a full time ballet dancer, she welcomed the Hollywood offer, in the wake of the success of a fellow Scandinavian, Anita Ekberg.

In 1955, Taina Elg played the role of "Elissa" in the MGM Hollywood film The Prodigal. In 1956, she played roles in the MGM movies Diane - as "Alys"; and Gaby - as "Elsa".

In her first three Hollywood films, Taina Elg had a chance to play next to many talented and noted actors, such as Lana Turner, Roger Moore, Leslie Caron and John Kerr - to name just a few.

Taina Elg's own skills and charm did not go unnoticed in Hollywood, either. Accordingly, in 1956 she won the Golden Gloge Award for New Foreign Star Of The Year.

The next year, 1957, Taina Elg received an opportunity to display her superb dancing skills in a great set up, when she played the role of "Angèle Ducros" in the Cole Porter's MGM musical Les Girls, playing against the superstar Gene Kelly, and along with Mitzi Gaynor and Kay Kendall.

The distinguished Cuban-born movie historian Carlos Clarens (1930-1987) stated about Les Girls: "fortunately, we have Taina Elg - funny; sexy; and a good dancer". Taina Elg's memoirs about the movie are published in the film's DVD extra (2003).

Elg's efforts in Les Girls earned her another well deserved Golden Globe nomination, this time as Best Motion Picture Actress in Musical/Comedy category. The award was won by another charmer, however, the always funny and likeable Kay Kendall, for her role in the same film. Unfortunately, Kendall's well started career came to an early end, when she departed her earthly life only shortly after, on September 6, 1959, due to leukemia.

Les Girls won total of six major awards - and six additional nominations. It won the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture - in the Musical/Comedy category -, and it won an Oscar for Best Costume Design.

In 1958, Taina Elg went on to play the role of "Simone" in the MGM movie Imitation General, starring along with Glenn Ford and Red Buttons. That year she was nominated for the Laurel Award, in the Golden Laurel Top New Female Personality category.

In 1959, Elg starred in more MGM films, "The 39 Steps", "Watusi" and "Mission of Danger". 1959 also marked the beginning of Elg's appearances on television.

In 1961, Taina Elg stared in the role of "Dirce" in the movie The Bacchantes (Le Baccanti), a beautiful historical tale directed by the Italian Giorgio Ferroni.

Elg's more recent appearances include the movie Hercules in New York (1970), in which she played the role of "Nemesis" - against Arnold Schwarzenegger -; Liebestraum (1991), in which she portrayed "Old Mother Ralston"; Don't Drink the Water (1994), where she played "Anna Gruber"; and, The Mirror Has Two Faces (1996), where she played the role of "Female professor".

Taina Elg has also appeared on Broadway in Look to the Lilies, (1970); Uncle Vanya (1973); the musical Nine (1982-1984); and the 2004 revival of Cabaret. She was also performed in the American national tour of Titanic - the musical - in 1998 and 1999.

In 1975, Taina Elg was nominated for Broadway's Tony Award - as Best Supporting or Feature Actress (Musical) - for a revival of "Where's Charley".

Beginning in 1941, Taina Elg's film acting career has continued active up to date, with continuous appearances also on television and on stage.

In 2004, Taina Elg was granted a special honor from her native country Finland, when she became a Knight, First Class, of the Order of the Lion of Finland.

Today, Taina Elg is a naturalized citizen of USA. Since 1985, she has been married to Rocco Caporale, a Professor of Sociology. The two recide in New York City.

The musician Raoul Björkenheim is the son of Taina Elg from her first and only other marriage, 1953-1958, with - the now departed - Carl "Poku" Björkenheim. Raoul is a well known guitarist and composer. He has his own family, and they have recently moved back to the USA from Finland.

Taina Elg used to visit Finland every summer, but not as often in recent years. In 2007, Taina Elg is planning to visit her old home country again, however.

- New York City is my home, but every now and then I do feel nostalgic about the Finnish summers. I also miss cross country skiing in winter.

~ Finn Film Entertainment, 2007

TOP 30 MOVIES BY AMERICAN FILM INSTITUTE

01. "Citizen Kane", 1941 02. "Casablanca", 1942 03. "The Godfather", 1972 04. "Gone With the Wind", 1939 05. "Lawrence of Arabia", 1962

06. "The Wizard of Oz", 1939 07. "The Graduate", 1967 08. "On the Waterfront", 1954 09. "Schindler's List", 1993 10. "Singin' in the Rain", 1952

11. "It's a Wonderful Life", 1946 12. "Sunset Boulevard", 1950 13. "The Bridge on the River Kwai", 1957 14. "Some Like it Hot", 1959 15. "Star Wars", 1977

16. "All About Eve", 1950 17. "The African Queen", 1951 18. "Psycho", 1960 19. "Chinatown", 1974 20. "One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest", 1975

21. "The Grapes of Wrath", 1940 22. "2001: A Space Odyssey", 1968 23. "The Maltese Falcon", 1941 24. "Raging Bull", 1980 25. "E.T. - The Extra-Terrestrial", 1982 26. "Dr. Strangelove", 1964 27. "Bonnie and Clyde", 1967 28. "Apocalypse Now", 1979 29. "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington", 1939 30. "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre", 1948

'09 ACADEMY AWARD DATES ANNOUNCED






FINN FILM LINKS






BIOGRAPHIES OF FINNISH-AMERICAN DIRECTORS

BIOGRAPHIES OF FINNISH-AMERICAN ACTORS

IMAGES OF FINNISH-AMERICAN DIRECTORS

IMAGES OF FINNISH-AMERICAN ACTORS

FINN FILM ENTERTAINMENT HOMEPAGE

FINN FILM ENTERTAINMENT UPDATES

RECENTLY IN FINN FILM HEADLINES

FINN FILM ENTERTAINMENT LINKS




HOME      NEWS