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:

children's music | song | strong female | eastern europe | pippi | 

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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

Did You Know?

Trivia

Mr. Nilsson (Pippi's monkey) and Lilla Gubben (Pippi's horse) were supposed to appear throughout the film, but had to be written out of most of the plot, as the animals were reportedly hard to handle on set, and had to be drugged to keep them under control.

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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

There are two different versions of the opening credits in the US version:

• Just as in the original Swedish version, a shot of Pippi riding Lilla Gubben (her horse) against a beautiful sunset opens the film, accompanied by the sentimental cowboy-style instrumental arrangement of "Sommarsången" ("Summer Song," the film's theme song). We then cut to the scene of Tommy and Annika entering Villa Villekula, looking for Pippi, and only find Mr. Nilsson in bed. Tommy attempts to bake biscuits, while Annika helps him. Just then, the opening credits, over montage shots of Pippi riding on Lilla Gubben against the sunset, begin. In the Swedish version of the credits, the aforementioned arrangement of "Sommarsången" continues, in full rhythm with soft bongo percussions. In the US version, this track is replaced with an instrumental arrangement of the Pippi Longstocking theme song, "Här Kommer Pippi Långstrump" ("Here Comes Pippi Longstocking").
• The other version simply begins with the scene of Tommy and Annika entering Villa Villekula. The original credits are replaced with cute child-like drawings of Pippi Longstocking (the same drawings seen in the US version opening credits of Pippi Goes on Board), with the same instrumental arrangement of "Här Kommer Pippi Långstrump" as before.

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Connections

Follows Pippi in the South Seas (1970)

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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

One of the best series of all time!

All four of these films were really good. This one has Pippi and her two friends runaway from home because they are tired of parents rules. So Pippi takes them on a venture they will never forget. Inger Nilsson who plays Pippi did a fantasic job despite you can tell voices were dubbed. Watching Inger Nilsson was just great and that's why these are great films!

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:

1.55 : 1