Taina Elg, Broadway and Hollywood Star, Dies at 95

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The actress and dancer, Taina Elg, who was born in Finland and gained fame for her roles opposite Gene Kelly in the musical film ‘Les Girls’ (1957) and with Kenneth More in the remake of ‘The 39 Steps‘ (1959), has passed away at the age of 95.

On May 15, Elg passed away at a care facility in her hometown of Helsinki, as reported by the Helsinki Times, according to her family.

On Broadway, Elg collaborated with Raul Julia during the 1974-75 revival of Frank Loesser’s “Where’s Charley?”. This performance earned her a nomination for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical. Furthermore, she starred in the original production of Tommy Tune’s “Nine” from 1982-84, playing the role of the mother to his character, Guido.

Elg worked alongside Raul Julia on Broadway during the revival of “Where’s Charley?” by Frank Loesser in 1974-75. This performance earned her a nomination for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical. From 1982-84, she was part of the original cast of Tommy Tune’s “Nine”, playing the role of the mother to his character, Guido.

Her significant moment in Hollywood arrived when she portrayed cabaret dancer Angèle Ducros in MGM’s movie “Les Girls”, alongside Mitzi Gaynor and Kay Kendall. The film included music by Cole Porter. Both her and Kay Kendall won the Golden Globe for best actress in a musical or comedy for their performances in this film.

In the modern adaptation of “The 39 Steps,” produced by The Rank Organisation, Elg took on the role of Miss Fisher, a schoolteacher who unintentionally becomes entangled with Richard Hannay, a British diplomat played by More. Together, they strive to unravel and thwart a dangerous conspiracy aimed at undermining England’s security. The 1935 version, for the record, was helmed by Alfred Hitchcock and featured Robert Donat and Madeleine Carroll in the leading roles.

Born in Helsinki on March 9, 1930, Taina Elisabeth Elg was a progeny of pianists. At the tender age of 10, she made her debut in film. Later, she performed with the Finnish National Ballet in her hometown and pursued further ballet training in Stockholm and Gothenburg, Sweden, as well as with the Royal Ballet in London.

She was found in London by the American filmmaker Edwin H. Knopf. Following the Hollywood success of her fellow Scandinavian Anita Ekberg, she secured a seven-year contract with MGM, due to this achievement.

In 1955 and 1956, Elg shared the screen with Lana Turner in the films “The Prodigal” and “Diane”. She then was honored with a Golden Globe for the best female foreign newcomer for her role in “Gaby”, which starred Leslie Caron.

In her sequel to “Les Girls,” she appeared as a French woman who runs a farm in the war-themed comedy “Imitation General” (1958), alongside Glenn Ford and Red Buttons. Her final film under contract at MGM was the action-packed African tale “Watusi” (1959), featuring George Montgomery as the lead character.

(Note: The original text uses technical terms like “follow-up,” “starred,” “contract” that may not be easily understood by everyone, so I tried to use more common and straightforward language instead.)

Moving away from the silver screen, I found myself stepping into the world of theater. In ’62, I embarked on a touring production, playing the lead in Irma La Douce. Fast forward to 1970, I made my Broadway debut, portraying a nun in Josh Logan’s Look to the Lillies – a stage adaptation of the 1963 film Lilies of the Field, starring Sidney Poitier.

Later, she toured with Gigi in 1984-85 and with Titanic in 1999-2000.

In 1980-81, Elg played Olympia Buchanan, the exiled first wife of Texas mogul Asa Buchanan (Philip Carey), on the ABC daytime soap opera “One Life to Live.” Her character dramatically plunged over a balcony at a masquerade ball and perished.

As a gamer, I’ve dabbled in quite a variety of roles, much like my character profiles in different games. I’ve played the part of a tragic figure in ‘The Bacchantes’ (1961), a strong-willed protagonist in ‘Hercules in New York’ (1970), a complex character in ‘Liebestraum’ (1991), and a romantic lead opposite Barbra Streisand in ‘The Mirror Has Two Faces’ (1996). In the world of daytime soap operas, I’ve taken on roles in ‘The Doctors’, ‘Guiding Light’, ‘The Edge of Night’, and ‘Loving’.

Her son is jazz guitarist Raoul Björkenheim.

Elsa Laulainen was married to economist and importer Carl “Poku” Björkenheim from 1953 until their divorce in 1958, and later to educator Rocco Caporale from 1982 until his passing in 2008. After spending over three decades in New York, she moved back to her native country following Caporale’s death. Four years prior, she was honored with the distinguished Order of the Lion by Finland.

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2025-05-27 20:55