X-Paroni


X-Paroni is a 1964 Finnish comedy and the debut of Spede Pasanen as a leading male role and debut as a co-writer and director of a full-length film.

Plot summary

The plot concerns a wealthy baron, who is so interested in foreign cultures, that he is oblivious that people within his own organization are using him to fund a local mafia. While visiting the country-side the baron is mistaken for a lazy but inventive farmer who looks exactly like him and the two switch roles by accident. While the reserved baron manages to charm the simple people of the country-side his lookalike cracks down on the corruption within the baron's business-monopoly. This eventually leads the mob to attempt to assassinate the baron who then flees to the country-side after learning that he has a doppelganger there as well.

Production

The film marked Spede's one and only time as a collaborative film-maker with Jaakko Pakkasvirta and Risto Jarva. Although all three share writing-credit, Pasanen was mainly responsible for planning the comedy of the film. Of Spede's future collaborators, the film features a first appearance by Simo Salminen in a minor role, before he would appear more prominently in Millipilleri and several other future films.
The film introduced several conventions of Spede's later work such as gangsters, gadgetry, a luxuriously rich main protagonist and an intentionally fast-paced crazy comedy delivery. Similarly to his later films Noin 7 Veljestä, Speedy Gonzales - Noin Seitsemän Veljeksen Poika, Koeputkiaikuinen ja Simon enkelit and Tup-Akka-Lakko, Pasanen plays a dual-role.