Directing

William Markus

Born 1917-01-12 · Liverpool, England, UK

William Markus, born Karl William Marcus, was a Finnish-British film director, actor, screenwriter, and producer. Born in Liverpool to a Finnish father and an English mother, he held dual citizenship in Finland and the United Kingdom. Markus began his acting career in 1944 and later transitioned into directing. He directed 13 films between 1953 and 1965, with notable works including Miriam (1957), which was entered into the 8th Berlin International Film Festival. His films often explored complex social themes, contributing significantly to Finnish cinema during his active years.

Acting credits

Vain laulajapoikia poster
9.0

The story is set in Helsinki's revue theater Punainen Mylly, run by Jalmari Haapala with Erkki Pajula as its lead singer. Between performances, dancer Kaarina and doctor Kalle are offered the chance for romance, despite some misunderstandings.

Vain laulajapoikia

1951

All this - and Iceland too poster
8.0

1914. The monarchs of Sweden, Denmark and Norway meet to demonstrate unity. In the crowd is a beautiful noble woman from Finland. She is eagerly courted by the monarch's aides.

All this - and Iceland too

1951

Hornankoski poster
4.6

The brothers of Yli-Koskela farm fall for the same woman. Then Aarne believes he has killed a man. Artturi sees the case and saves the man from drowning to the rapids. He takes advantage of the situation and tells the woman, Lea, that his brother is a murderer.

Hornankoski

1949

Maaret – tunturien tyttö poster
8.0

Arvo Raitamo, a surgeon from Helsinki, is focused on his career. At home, his wife, who suffers from loneliness with their young son, is kept company by Rolf Brenner, an engineer known as a ladies' man. When the family's son dies in an accident, Arvo, broken with grief, flees to the wilderness of Lapland, where he collapses in the snow. Arvo is saved by the folk healer Aslak and his niece Maaret. Maaret falls in love with Arvo, but Arvo cannot escape his past for long.

Maaret – tunturien tyttö

1947

Suomalaistyttöjä Tukholmassa poster
3.4

Three Finnish girls travel to Stockholm to look for work. But soon they notice that the big city is not such a great place as they thought. Most of the foreign men who they meet there are crooks and liars.

Suomalaistyttöjä Tukholmassa

1952

No artwork available
NR

No synopsis available yet.

Matkailijan keitaita

1953

Rakas varkaani poster
5.3

Lissie is a pickpocket who escapes from the police by pretending to be the wife of the absent-minded Leopold. Leopold falls in love with the young woman, but Lissie is more interested in the valuables she finds in the wealthy professor's apartment.

Rakas varkaani

1957

Hormoonit valloillaan poster
7.0

Väinö Kehkonen, the head of a Helsinki-based construction company, takes his wife and the Ärmälä couple to Dr. Puosu for a rejuvenating hormone injection, which causes them to behave like children. The director, previously known for his lack of drive, gains energy and enthusiasm from the injection, both in his business and personal life.

Hormoonit valloillaan

1948

On lautalla pienoinen kahvila poster
4.5

Journalist Sanni visits the countryside to write about the timber industry. Looking for a room she is immediately thrust into the merry community of loggers, always up for a song, but one of them, Hurma-Jussi, is a little too persistent. Luckily, she is “saved” by the handsome lumberjack Eräs.

On lautalla pienoinen kahvila

1952

Dynamiittityttö poster
5.7

A smart set girl wants more excitement in her life and ends being mixed up in criminal activities.

Dynamiittityttö

1944

Kenraalin morsian poster
10.0

In a military camp, the arrival of a group of women causes admiration and confusion. In particular, Sofia, the captain's mother-in-law, turns the lives of the general and soldier Hurska upside down.

Kenraalin morsian

1951

The Log Drivers poster
7.2

The two sons of the Forsgården estate - Arne and Arthur - both fall for the same woman, the beautiful but poor Lea. She has on the other hand only eyes for Arne. After Arne during a fight thinks he has killed a log driver and flees, Lea finds herself in a difficult situation and is forced to marry Arthur.

The Log Drivers

1953

Behind the camera

Miriam poster
4.9

After her aunts death, young Miriam gets a position with the Allnes family. They have a son, Hans. Miriam and Hans fall in love. But the Hans mother is jealous and disapprove.

Miriam

1957

Miriam poster
4.9

After her aunts death, young Miriam gets a position with the Allnes family. They have a son, Hans. Miriam and Hans fall in love. But the Hans mother is jealous and disapprove.

Miriam

1957

Rakkaus kahleissa poster
9.0

A lock factory worker Pertti would like to marry his girlfriend Verna, but fears they don't have enough money. His brother Martti is a member of a youth gang that is planning a robbery with three other young men. When the boys have to flee at the time of the robbery, Pertti who secretly shadowed them sees an opportunity to solve his money problem.

Rakkaus kahleissa

1955

Lumisten metsien tyttö poster
8.0

Wintery forest and stubborn 16 year old girl dazzle the teacher from Helsinki.

Lumisten metsien tyttö

1960

No artwork available
NR

Finnish television adaptation of Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart”.

The Tell-Tale Heart

1963

No artwork available
NR

Finnish television adaptation of Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart”.

The Tell-Tale Heart

1963

No artwork available
NR

Deep beneath the streets of Italy lie the catacombs of the Montresors, filled with barrels of wine and the bones of the dead. One evening, friends Fortunado and Montresor venture below the city with promises of the rare vintage wine Amontillado. Based on the short story by Edgar Allen Poe, Fortunado and Montresor find themselves in a web of betray and revenge, changing their friendship forever.

A Barrel of Amontillado

1963

No artwork available
NR

Deep beneath the streets of Italy lie the catacombs of the Montresors, filled with barrels of wine and the bones of the dead. One evening, friends Fortunado and Montresor venture below the city with promises of the rare vintage wine Amontillado. Based on the short story by Edgar Allen Poe, Fortunado and Montresor find themselves in a web of betray and revenge, changing their friendship forever.

A Barrel of Amontillado

1963

Verta käsissämme poster
3.8

After returning home from being a prisoner of war Viktor gets a job from his friend Rolf with whom he had served. The men trust each other until Viktor meets Rolf’s wife Astrid.

Verta käsissämme

1958

Autuas eversti poster
8.0

Colonel Carolus von Haestman, presumed dead by his family, awakens from his deathbed and sets out to find his childhood sweetheart, Amelie. His children and grandchildren, in turn, set out to find the runaway lovers. In the end, the funeral turns into a wedding and honeymoon.

Autuas eversti

1958

Autuas eversti poster
8.0

Colonel Carolus von Haestman, presumed dead by his family, awakens from his deathbed and sets out to find his childhood sweetheart, Amelie. His children and grandchildren, in turn, set out to find the runaway lovers. In the end, the funeral turns into a wedding and honeymoon.

Autuas eversti

1958

No artwork available
NR

No synopsis available yet.

Matkailijan keitaita

1953

Neiti talonmies poster
4.3

After her mother's death, Irja, an evacuee girl, finds herself in a poor financial situation. Working as a housekeeper for her former teacher on a starvation wage, her situation improves when she is hired as a janitor at a secondary school. Despite the opposition of Principal Kuusi, she decides to take the matriculation examination and, in order to improve her writing skills, responds to a correspondence advertisement placed by the mysterious Master Ahtojää.

Neiti talonmies

1955

Neiti talonmies poster
4.3

After her mother's death, Irja, an evacuee girl, finds herself in a poor financial situation. Working as a housekeeper for her former teacher on a starvation wage, her situation improves when she is hired as a janitor at a secondary school. Despite the opposition of Principal Kuusi, she decides to take the matriculation examination and, in order to improve her writing skills, responds to a correspondence advertisement placed by the mysterious Master Ahtojää.

Neiti talonmies

1955

Rakas varkaani poster
5.3

Lissie is a pickpocket who escapes from the police by pretending to be the wife of the absent-minded Leopold. Leopold falls in love with the young woman, but Lissie is more interested in the valuables she finds in the wealthy professor's apartment.

Rakas varkaani

1957

Taikayö poster
7.5

Amanda and her cousin Eliisa run a food stall for the loggers, despite the crooked landowner Remander. Verneri, a street vendor from Karelia, and Olavi, who pretends to be a vagrant, turn the women's heads. When university student Oswald arrives in town, long-buried secrets begin to surface.

Taikayö

1954