EXHIBIT 27(c)(1)

                             DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT

     AGREEMENT made this 10th day of May 1995, between and among The Minnesota
Mutual Life Insurance Company, a Minnesota corporation ("Minnesota Mutual"), and
MIMLIC Sales Corporation, a Minnesota corporation ("Distributor").

                                   WITNESSETH:

     WHEREAS, Minnesota Mutual is the depositor of Minnesota Mutual Variable
Life Account, (the "Account"); and

     WHEREAS, Minnesota Mutual proposes to offer for sale certain variable life
insurance contracts (the "contracts") which may be deemed to be securities under
the Securities Act of 1933 ("1933 Act") and the laws of some states; and

     WHEREAS, the Distributor, a wholly-owned subsidiary of MIMLIC Corporation,
which is in turn a wholly-owned subsidiary of Minnesota Mutual, is registered as
a broker-dealer with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") under the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 ("1934 Act") and is a member of the National
Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. ("NASD"); and

     WHEREAS, the parties desire to have the Distributor act as principal
underwriter of the contracts and assume full responsibility for the securities
activities of each "person associated" (as that term is defined in Section
3(a)(18) of the 1934 Act) with the Distributor and engaged directly or
indirectly in the same of the contracts (the "associated persons"); and

     WHEREAS, the parties desire to have Minnesota Mutual perform certain
services in connection with the sale of the contracts;

     NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the convenants and mutual promises of
the parties made to each other, it is hereby covenanted and agreed as follows:

     1.   The Distributor will act as the exclusive principal underwriter of the
contracts and as such will assume full responsibility for the securities
activities of all the associated persons. The Distributor will train the
associated persons, use its best efforts to prepare them to complete
satisfactorily the applicable NASD and state examinations so that they may be
qualified, register the associated persons as its registered representatives
before they engage in securities activities, and supervise and control them in
the performance of such activities. Unless otherwise permitted by applicable
state law, all persons engaged in the sale of the Policies must also be agents
of Minnesota Mutual.

     2.   The Distributor will assume full responsibility for the continued
compliance by itself and the associated persons with the NASD Rules of Fair
Practice and Federal and state laws, to



the extent applicable, in connection with the sale of the contracts. The
Distributor will make timely filings with the SEC, NASD, and any other
regulatory authorities of all reports and any sales literature relating to the
contracts required by law to be filed by the Distributor. Minnesota Mutual will
make available to the Distributor copies of any agreements or plans intended for
use in connection with the sale of contracts in sufficient number and in
adequate time for clearance by the appropriate regulatory authorities before
they are used, and it is agreed that the parties will use their best efforts to
obtain such clearance as expeditiously as is reasonably possible.

     3.   With the consent of Minnesota Mutual Distributor may enter into
agreements with other broker-dealers duly licensed under applicable Federal and
state laws for the sale and distribution of the contracts and perform such
duties as may be provided for in such agreements.

     4.   Minnesota Mutual, with respect to the contracts, will prepare and file
all registration statements and prospectuses (including amendments) and all
reports required by law to be filed with Federal and state regulatory
authorities. Minnesota Mutual will bear the cost of printing and mailing all
notices, proxies, proxy statements, and periodic reports that are to be
transmitted to persons having voting rights under the contracts. Minnesota
Mutual will make prompt and reasonable efforts to effect and keep in effect, at
its expense, the registration or qualification of its contracts in such
jurisdictions as may be required by federal and state regulatory authorities.

     5.   Minnesota Mutual will (a) maintain and preserve in accordance with
Rules 17a-3 and 17a-4 under the 1934 Act all books and records required to be
maintained by it in connection with the offer and sale of the contracts, which
books and records shall be and remain the property of the Distributor and shall
at all times be subject to inspection by the SEC in accordance with Section
17(a) of the 1934 Act and by all other regulatory bodies having jurisdiction,
and (b) upon or prior to completion of each "transaction" as that term is used
in Rule 10B-10 of the 1934 Act, send a written confirmation for each such
transaction reflecting the facts of the transaction and showing that it is being
sent by Minnesota Mutual acting in the capacity of agent for the Distributor.

     6.   All purchase payments and any other monies payable upon the sale,
distribution, renewal or other transaction involving the contracts shall be paid
or remitted directly to, and all checks shall be drawn to the order of,
Minnesota Mutual, and the Distributor shall not have or be deemed to have any
interest in such payments or monies. All such payments and monies received by
the Distributor shall be remitted daily by the Distributor to Minnesota Mutual
for allocation to the Account in accordance with the contracts and any
prospectus with respect to the Policies.

     7.   Minnesota Mutual will, in connection with the sale of the contracts,
pay on behalf of the Distributor all amounts (including sales commissions) due
to the sales representatives of the Distributor or to broker-dealers who have
entered into sales agreements with the Distributor. The records in respect of
such payments shall be properly reflected on the books and records maintained by
Minnesota Mutual.



     8.   As compensation for the Distributor's assuming the expenses and
performing the services to be assumed and performed by it pursuant to this
Agreement, the Distributor shall receive from Minnesota Mutual the following
amounts:

     (a)  Upon receipt of proper evidence of expenditures, an amount sufficient
          to reimburse the Distributor for its expenses incurred in carrying out
          the terms of this Agreement, and

     (b)  such other amounts as may from time to time be agreed upon by the
          Distributor and Minnesota Mutual.

     9.   As compensation for its services performed and expenses incurred under
this Agreement, Minnesota Mutual will receive all amounts deducted as
administrative, sales, mortality and expense risk charges under the contracts,
as specified in the contracts and in the prospectus or prospectuses forming a
part of any registration statement with respect to the contracts filed with the
SEC under the 1933 Act. It is understood that Minnesota Mutual assumes the risk
that the above compensation for its services under the contracts may not prove
sufficient to cover its actual expenses in connection therewith and that its
compensation for assuming such risk shall be included in and limited to the
foregoing charges described in said prospectus(es).

     10.  Minnesota Mutual will, except as otherwise provided in this Agreement,
bear the cost of all services and expenses, including legal services and
expenses and registration, filing and other fees, in connection with (a)
registering and qualifying the contracts, and (to the extent requested by the
Distributor) the associated persons with Federal and state regulatory
authorities and the NASD and (b) printing and distributing all contracts and all
registration statements and prospectuses (including amendments), notices,
periodic reports, sales literature and advertising prepared, filed or
distributed with respect to the contracts.

     11.  Each party hereto shall advise the others promptly of (a) any action
of the SEC or any authorities of any state or territory, of which it has
knowledge, affecting registration or qualification of the contracts, or the
right to offer the contracts for sale, and (b) the happening of any event which
makes untrue any statement, or which requires the making of any change, in the
registration statement or prospectus in order to make the statements therein not
misleading.

     12.  The services of the Distributor and Minnesota Mutual under this
Agreement are not deemed to be exclusive and the Distributor and Minnesota
Mutual shall be free to render similar services to others, including, without
implied limitation, such other separate accounts as are now or hereafter
established by Minnesota Mutual, so long as the services of the Distributor and
Minnesota Mutual hereunder are not impaired or interfered with thereby.

     13.  This Agreement shall upon execution become effective as of the date
first above written, and shall continue in effect indefinitely unless terminated
by either party on 60 days' written notice to the other.

     14.  This Agreement may be amended at any time by mutual consent of the
parties.



     15.  This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with
the laws of Minnesota.

     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement on the
day and year first above written.

                                        THE MINNESOTA MUTUAL LIFE INSURANCE
                                        COMPANY


Witness:                                By:
        ---------------------------        -------------------------------------
            Dennis E. Prohofsky                      Robert L. Senkler
                 Secretary                 President and Chief Executive Officer


                                        MIMLIC SALES CORPORATION


Witness:                                By:
        ---------------------------        -------------------------------------
              Derick R. Black                        Bardea C. Huppert
              Vice President                            President