ents , ▁before ▁moving ▁with ▁his ▁mother , ▁who ▁had ▁married ▁a ▁Finn , ▁to ▁Hels ink i . ▁ ▁At ▁age ▁four teen , ▁T ug ai ▁was ▁the ▁star ▁of ▁his ▁fellow ▁Russian ▁exp atri ate , ▁eigh teen - year s - old ▁Val entin ▁Va ala ' s ▁film ▁Must at ▁sil m ät ▁( Black ▁E yes ), ▁which ▁was ▁completed ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 9 . ▁Due ▁to ▁his ▁" ex otic " ▁appearance , ▁the ▁young ▁T ug ai ▁was ▁sometimes ▁referred ▁to ▁as ▁Finland ' s ▁answer ▁to ▁Rud olph ▁Valent ino . ▁▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 3 6 ▁he ▁changed ▁his ▁name ▁to ▁the ▁more ▁Finn ish ▁Te uvo ▁Tul io . ▁His ▁first ▁work ▁as ▁director ▁was ▁the ▁ 1 9 3 6 ▁film ▁Ta ist el u ▁He ik kil än ▁tal osta ▁( F ight ▁over ▁the ▁He ikk ila ▁M ansion ), ▁st arring ▁Regin a ▁L inn an he imo . ▁L inn an he imo ▁would ▁become ▁Tul io ' s ▁lif el ong ▁companion , ▁though ▁the ▁two ▁were ▁never ▁married . ▁She ▁acted ▁as ▁the ▁leading ▁lady ▁in ▁many ▁of ▁his ▁films ▁and ▁co - w rote ▁the ▁screen plays ▁for ▁six ▁of ▁his ▁features , ▁including ▁his ▁last ▁film , ▁ 1 9 7 3 ' s ▁S ens uela . ▁L inn an he imo ▁wrote ▁the ▁screen play ▁to ▁R ik ol lin en ▁n ain en ▁( The ▁Cro oked