Pekka Puupää

Pekka Puupää

Year: 1953

Runtime: 77 mins

Language: Finnish

Director: Ville Salminen

Comedy

Pete and Runt set up a kindergarten at their home, and unknowingly end up taking care of a kidnapped baby.

Warning: spoilers below!

Haven’t seen Pekka Puupää yet? This summary contains major spoilers. Bookmark the page, watch the movie, and come back for the full breakdown. If you're ready, scroll on and relive the story!

Timeline – Pekka Puupää (1953)

Trace every key event in Pekka Puupää (1953) with our detailed, chronological timeline. Perfect for unpacking nonlinear stories, spotting hidden connections, and understanding how each scene builds toward the film’s climax. Whether you're revisiting or decoding for the first time, this timeline gives you the full picture.

1

Justiina leaves Pekka to visit relatives

Justiina Puupää leaves Pekka to visit relatives, leaving him to run the household in Helsinki. With no money and a large grocery shopping bill to manage, Pekka and his friend Pätkä start plotting ways to earn cash. Their precarious finances set the stage for the comic schemes that follow.

Helsinki
2

Pekka and Pätkä decide to earn money door-to-door

Pekka and Pätkä decide to earn money quickly by selling all the groceries door-to-door. They hope this hustle will cover expenses and spark more opportunities. The plan marks the first step in their improvisational method of making a living.

Helsinki
3

Advertisement for Pekka Puupää's kindergarten appears

Using money from the sales, they post a newspaper advertisement for 'Pekka Puupää's kindergarten'. They fantasize about a thriving childcare business despite lacking real experience. The ad sets up the running gag of their dubious childcare venture.

4

Petteri steals the millionaire's baby

A petty criminal named Petteri steals a millionaire's baby. He escapes in a taxi, while the driver Erkki Saarikivi remains unaware of the crime. The kidnapping trigger kicks off a chain of chaotic complications.

City streets / taxi
5

Baby hidden in Pekka's apartment; taxi driver hidden next door

Petteri hides the baby in Pekka's apartment after fleeing the scene. Saarikivi follows because Petteri didn’t pay for the trip, and Petteri knocks the taxi driver unconscious and hides him in the neighboring apartment. The two apartments become the setup for the misdirection and comedy.

Pekka Puupää's apartment; neighboring apartment
6

Pekka and Pätkä discover the baby

Pekka and Pätkä come home to find the baby and eagerly assume it is their first customer of the imagined kindergarten. They celebrate the 'find' without realizing the baby was placed there by someone else. The situation spirals as misunderstandings accumulate.

Pekka's apartment
7

Miss Ritva Ranta discovers Saarikivi; they go on a date

Neighbor Miss Ritva Ranta discovers the unconscious taxi driver in her apartment and is horrified by the confusion. After clearing up the misunderstandings, she ends up on a date with Saarikivi. The encounter adds a romantic aside to the chaotic day.

Miss Ritva Ranta's apartment
8

Miss Ranta teaches proper childcare; eccentric methods are exposed

Pekka and Pätkä's childcare methods are wildly eccentric, including feeding the baby läskisoosi and rocking him to sleep in a ceiling lamp. Miss Ritva Ranta confronts their incompetence and teaches them proper childcare techniques. The lesson is practical but does little to salvage their kindergarten plan.

Pekka's home
9

Kindergarten venture fails to attract customers

The idea of Pekka Puupää's Kindergarten attracts no customers, leaving the two men frustrated and desperate for money. Their dream of a childcare business collapses in the face of reality. They must pivot to a new scheme to raise funds.

Helsinki
10

Boxing match planned to raise funds

To salvage their finances, Pekka and Pätkä organize a boxing match against champion Hermanni Ronski. The setup promises spectacle and a potential cash windfall. The event marks a new, more physical avenue for their schemes.

Boxing ring
11

Pätkä enters the ring; potion-induced sleep halts the match

A mix-up sends Pätkä into the boxing match instead of Pekka. Ronski takes a sip from Pätkä's camphor bottle—mistaken to contain medicine but actually sleeping potion due to a messy cabinet—and falls asleep mid-fight. The match ends abruptly amid comic chaos.

Boxing ring
12

Baby is left outside; Petteri is caught in the taxi

Meanwhile, the baby has been left outside to sleep in a carriage by Pekka and Pätkä. Petteri returns, steals the child again, but is caught in the same taxi driven by Saarikivi, who recognizes him and takes him to the police. The staged kidnapping creates a momentum toward resolution.

City streets / taxi
13

Justiina returns; truth cleared at the police station

Justiina returns home and, seeing the mess, prepares to punish Pekka. Saarikivi clarifies the situation at the police station, revealing that Pekka and Pätkä were caring for the millionaire's kidnapped child. The misunderstanding is resolved through the officer's explanation.

Police station
14

Millionaire rewards Pekka and Pätkä

Impressed by their handling of the situation, the millionaire rewards Pekka and Pätkä with a handsome sum. The payoff validates their effort and brings a tidy ending to the unraveling day. The reward marks the comic duo's unexpected success.

Millionaire's residence
15

Resolution and wrap-up

With the case resolved and the reward secured, Pekka and Pätkä's misadventures conclude on a light, triumphant note. Justiina's concerns are eased, and the day closes with the pair having learned a few lessons, albeit through chaos. The film ends on a cheerful, comedic high.

Helsinki

Last Updated: October 09, 2025 at 10:53

Mobile App Preview

Coming soon on iOS and Android

The Plot Explained Mobile App

From blockbusters to hidden gems — dive into movie stories anytime, anywhere. Save your favorites, discover plots faster, and never miss a twist again.

Sign up to be the first to know when we launch. Your email stays private — always.

Unlock the Full Story of Pekka Puupää

Don't stop at just watching — explore Pekka Puupää in full detail. From the complete plot summary and scene-by-scene timeline to character breakdowns, thematic analysis, and a deep dive into the ending — every page helps you truly understand what Pekka Puupää is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.

Pekka Puupää Summary

Read a complete plot summary of Pekka Puupää, including all key story points, character arcs, and turning points. This in-depth recap is ideal for understanding the narrative structure or reviewing what happened in the movie.

Pekka Puupää Summary

Characters, Settings & Themes in Pekka Puupää

Discover the characters, locations, and core themes that shape Pekka Puupää. Get insights into symbolic elements, setting significance, and deeper narrative meaning — ideal for thematic analysis and movie breakdowns.

Characters, Settings & Themes in Pekka Puupää

More About Pekka Puupää

Visit What's After the Movie to explore more about Pekka Puupää: box office results, cast and crew info, production details, post-credit scenes, and external links — all in one place for movie fans and researchers.

More About Pekka Puupää