Pippi on the Run (1970)

Fed up with their strict parents, Tommy and Annika run away from home, with their friend Pippi Longstocking to look after them in their long trek.

Director:

Olle Hellbom

Writers:

Astrid Lindgren (novel), Astrid Lindgren (screenplay)

Stars:

Inger Nilsson, Maria Persson, Pär Sundberg

Cast

Cast overview:
Inger Nilsson	...	Pippi Långstrump
Maria Persson	...	Annika
Pär Sundberg	...	Tommy
Hans Alfredson	...	Konrad
Benno Sterzenbach	...	Policeman
Öllegård Wellton	...	Annika's Mother
Walter Richter	...	Sulky Farmer
Fredrik Ohlsson	...	Annika's Father
Kurt Zips	...	Angry Man

Storyline

Siblings Tommy and Annika Settergren have fun with their friend Pippi Longstocking at her house Villa Villekulla, until they lose track of time and are greeted at home by their bossy parents, who address them before they angrily run off to bed. Pippi joins the family at breakfast the following morning, when Tommy and Annika, asked by their family to cut the weeds off their strawberry patch, are fed up with not having fun, so they bitterly decide to run away from home. Feeling that their two children might be serious about this, the Settergrens send Pippi to look after them. Pippi, Tommy, and Annika disembark on a long and rigorous trek away from home, during which they befriend an eccentric peddler named Konrad, travel from town to town, ride on top of a train, ride a flying car, and other fun adventures. But the harsher their journey gets, Tommy and Annika eventually learn that they had it a lot better back at home after all...

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Plot Keywords:

pippi | flying car | train | children | redheaded girl | 

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Taglines:

En sommarsaga i sol och regn för små och stora full av äventyr och överraskningar. (A summer tale of sun and rain for young and old full of adventure and surprises.)

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Genres:

Adventure | Comedy | Drama | Family

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Certificate:

G

Details

Country:

Sweden West Germany

Language:

Swedish

Release Date:

1977 (USA)

Also Known As:

Pippi on the Run

Filming Locations:

Klinttorget, Visby, Gotlands län, Sweden

Company Credits

Production Co:

Iduna Film Produktiongesellschaft, Nord Art, Svensk Filmindustri (SF)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

94 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The original Swedish title translates in English to "On the Run with Pippi Longstocking." The literal translations of some of this film's foreign language titles include "Pippi Out of Bounds" (Germany), "That Witch Pippi Longstocking" (Italy), "Pippi Longstocking" (Japan; see another trivia item here), "Pippi Longstocking at Large" (Finland), "Pippi Longstocking - On the Run" (Norway), "Pippi Longstocking - Pippi Ran Away" (Greece), and "Pippi Escapes" (Denmark).

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Crazy Credits

The original Swedish version opens with Pippi riding astride her horse, Lilla Gubben, against a beautiful sunset, in slow motion. (The film's title is seen here.) A Western-style instrumental arrangement of the film's theme song, "Sommarsången" ("Summer Song"), permeates this scene. There is then a brief scene of Tommy and Annika entering Pippi's home, Villa Villekulla, with Pippi's pet monkey, Mr. Nilsson, in a small bed. Tommy and Annika then attempt to bake bread. Then, the opening credits continue. The same arrangement of "Sommarsången" as before now bursts into full gentle rhythm with soft bongo drums into a montage of Pippi riding Lilla Gubben at full speed in the sunset, some in real-time speed, others in slow-motion. (And occasionally, even two boxed-in shots over black, with some of the credits filling in the black spaces.) The opening credits then conclude with Pippi reaching her destination, Villa Villekulla.

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Alternate Versions

In the German version, the ending scene was slightly changed. The two shots of Pippi riding on a flying broomstick were rearranged. Originally, there was a full shot first, then a closer shot second, with a shot, in between, of Tommy and Annika looking on in bewilderment (with Annika complaining to Pippi). Here, it's the closer shot of Pippi first, then said shot of Tommy and Annika, and then the first full shot of Pippi, which freezes briefly, and then fades to black (with no "The End" credit). The next to last shot of Tommy and Annika's more amused reactions, along with the original final shot of Pippi circling in the sky around Villa Villekulla (done with miniature effects) was omitted in the German version. (Possibly because the German distributors decided the last shot was none too convincing.)

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Connections

Follows Pippi Longstocking (1969)

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Soundtracks

I En Djup, Oändlig Skog
("In A Deep, Endless Forest")
(Folk Song)
Composed by Carl Olof Rosenius
Performed by Inger Nilsson, Maria Persson and Pär Sundberg

User Reviews

The first movie i've ever seen in the cinema

Pippi Longstocking was the heroine of my childhood. When i was a little girl I wanted to be so strong like her and I wanted to have such beautiful red plaits. Now I am a thirtysomething adult woman and it still fills my heart with joy when I watch the film. Astrid Lindgren has really written one of the most beautiful children's books in the literature history and all the Swedish Pippi Longstocking movies are absolutely awesome. Georg Riedel has also written a memorable and wonderful title song.