Preludes to Ecstasy

Sten Lehtoja, a married, middle-aged businessman, picks up a young hitchhiker, Elsie, while driving to his summer home. Elsie spends the night and becomes his mistress. Later during the summer, Elsie also begins an affair with Reino, the teenage son of a local storekeeper. Sten offers to divorce his wife, and Elsie, attracted by the prospect of a secure social position, agrees to marry him when the divorce becomes final. One night when the couple are in bed, Reino climbs a ladder and attempts to force his way into their room; he falls and breaks his neck, and to avoid scandal Sten hides the body. But the strain of guilt ruins the romance, and Elsie contacts the police, who arrest her lover.

4.042

107 min

Cast

Liana Kaarina

as Elsi Pettinen

Esko Salminen

as Reino Tuomainen

Toivo Mäkelä

as Sten Lehtoja

Eero Roine

as Tuomainen

Rose-Marie Precht

as Maija

Åke Lindman

as Hermansson

Kaarlo Wilska

as Kokkonen

Severi Seppänen

as (uncredited)

Tauno Söder

as (uncredited)

Irja Rannikko

as (uncredited)

Laila Rihte

as (uncredited)

William Reunanen

as (uncredited)

Arvi Järvinen

as (uncredited)

Heimo Karppinen

as (uncredited)

Ellen Pyhälä

as (uncredited)

Timo Tennosmaa

as (uncredited)

Anita Saarikallio

as (uncredited)

Varma Lahtinen

as (uncredited)

Kaisu Puuska

as (voice) (uncredited)

Director

T.J. Särkkä