The Pippi Longstocking Collection
TV Movies About Astrid Lindgren’s Beloved Children's Book Character
Astrid Lindgren’s Pippi Longstocking is one of the most beloved children’s book characters. With her red braids and superhuman strength, this little girl has been charming readers since her creation in 1945. Her bravery and imagination encourage her to do things that all children wish they could do. She lives alone in Villa Villekulla with her horse, Little Old Man, and monkey, Mr. Nilsson, and is best friends with the children next door, Tommy and Annika. Her father is a ship’s captain who always brings her a suitcase of gold coins when he comes to visit.
The books were filmed for Swedish television in 1969, featuring the charming Inger Nilsson in the title role. The television shows were then edited into four ninety-minute films that were dubbed into English for American television. The Pippi Longstocking Collection contains all four films.
Pippi Longstocking (1969)
The first film shows Pippi moving in and getting into scrapes as she tries to get used to life in Villa Villekulla. She does things all children wish they could do, like skating with brushes to clean the floor and buying all the candy in the candy shop. The town cops and the children’s worker Miss Prysselius try to get her to go to the children’s home because she lives alone, but she soon proves that she can take care of herself. When the town robbers steal her gold coins, she flies in a hot air balloon to get them back. But she is also still a little girl, and ruins a coffee party at Tommy and Annika’s house because she doesn’t know how to behave. Finally, her father comes to visit, they have a huge party, and she thinks about going away with him.
Pippi Goes on Board (1969)
After Pippi Longstocking decides to stay, she, Tommy and Annika go on a picnic where Pippi tries to fly. They also fix up an old boat and go camping, and celebrate Pippi’s birthday. At a carnival, Pippi beats the strongman and charms a snake. When winter arrives, Pippi attends school for a day before deciding it’s not for her. She makes the biggest snowball in town, makes her own skates, rolls out cookies on the floor, and celebrates Christmas with all the kids in the neighborhood.
Pippi in the South Seas (1970)
Tommy and Annika are staying with Pippi while their parents are away, but when Pippi receives a message from her father that he has been captured in the South Seas, the children go to rescue him. They first make a hot air balloon out of a bed, and when that crashes they make a plane out of some boxes and an old bike. They fly through a volcano and get stuck on a deserted island where they’re able to outwit some pirates and steal their ship. They’re finally able to rescue Pippi’s papa and the treasure.
Pippi on the Run (1970)
Tommy and Annika are tired of being bossed around by their parents, so they decide to run away with Pippi. As they explore the Swedish countryside, they meet a traveling salesman with some very powerful glue, climb down a cliff, go over a waterfall in a barrel, travel on the top of a train, rescue a child from a bull, and build a flying car. Finally, they are locked up for vagrancy by a kindly policeman, but are able to escape prison and return home.
Pippi Longstocking Collection Features Four Movies
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