Pippi Longsticking films (1973-1977)

Pippi Longstocking Movies

Adapted from original Swedish TV series, Pippi Langstrumpf starring Inger Nilsson as the spunky and rambunctious redhead

Watched these on KTLA on Family Film Festival, hosted by Tom Hatten and on Movie for a Saturday/Sunday Evening in the 1980s as seen here below:

Pippi Longstocking (1973)-We're introduced to Pippi and her friends as well as her crazy antics such as a disruption of tea-party, among other things. 

Pippi Goes on Board (1975)-Best to watch the winter scenes during Christmas time.  Adventures include evading the nosy busybody Miss Prysselius, two thieves who want Pippi’s gold as well as a crazy birthday party for Pippi.

The first two movies were edited from episodes from the TV series

Pippi in the South Seas (1975)-A makeshift plane to fly and rescue Pippi’s father from an island.

Pippi on the Run (1977)-My favorite of the series

Tommy and Anika are scolded constantly by parents and elect to run away.  The mother asks Pippi to go along and keep them out of trouble and danger.

A man named Conrad and his glue as well as Pippi performing a bizarre dance on the ceiling.

Rock climbing to which Pippi save Tommy and Anika

Pippi splits up with her friends and rides in a barrel that floats in the water and down a waterfall and later a bike with NO wheels.

The kids ride atop a train and later hop on a wagon going to a farm with a grouchy farmer and his 

Pippi plays matador to save farmer’s son

Pippi drives an old car that runs by Conrad’s Super glue and flies before falling apart in mid-air.

Kids get thrown in jail for staging a high wire act for money to get clothes when a cow eats them

My perspective of the movies as an adult:

Dubbing wasn’t noticeable as a kid and.  Now viewing as an adult, the dubbing makes the movies laughable and a guilty pleasure for nostalgia. Visually, it’s an escape for scenic views of Sweden.

Anika’s voice is annoying at times in the last two movies.

Inger Nilsson and her costars DO speak English but were dubbed, anyway.

Inger recorded songs during and after her Pippi run.

In 1987, The New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking was released with Tami Erin in the title role. IMO, while it had some elements from the books, the film had NO spunk like the Inger Nilsson films plus, the characters sounded more American than Swedish.  It wasn’t bad but it just needed that magic from the earlier films

I wouldn’t mind seeing the original TV series as a curiosity. 

At present, all four Inger Nilsson films are on DVD and on BluRay by Hen's Tooth video.  In addition, the TV series is also on DVD (English Dubbed).

The Return of The Main Street Electrical Parade at Disneyland Park

Disneyland, October 1996

On October 8 (my birthday) and 15, 1996, I bid farewell to the original Disneyland Main Street Electrical Parade, not knowing that it would have an extended run until November 25.  I thought this was the end of an era for Disneyland. The Main Street Electrical Parade would have a run from 1972-1996 with two 2-year hiatuses 1975-1976 for America on Parade and 1983-1984 for Flights of Fantasy and have over 3,000 performances.

Disneyland 1995 

Disneyland 1996, MSEP Farewell Season

Fast forward to 2001, I was a Disneyland Cast Member at Disneyland when I got the best news ever, the MSEP was returning but to the new Disney California Adventure Park as Disney’s Electrical Parade, minus a few units which were shipped to Disneyland Paris.  I was thrilled and when it premiered on July 4, the void that left in 1996 was filled with its original floats and sensational Moog/Synclavier soundtrack performed by Don Dorsey with a few 1972-74 tracks by Jim Christensen and the late Paul Beaver.  The parade looked and sounded great and I can’t tell you how many nights I spent after work at DCA having dinner/dessert and a showing of Disney’s Electrical Parade. 

All photos, Disney California Adventure 2004 and 2005
as Disney's Electrical Parad

Disney California Adventure 2004

Then in 2008, word got around that the Parade would have a new addition or shall I say a new lead float as the Blue Fairy would be replaced by Tinker Bell’s Pixie Hollow unit and original floats from the Disneyland version would be reinstated.  In addition, the music would be updated to a version similar to Tokyo Disneyland Electrical Parade Dreamlights (a sensational updated version) and new pixie dust effects to select units were to be added.  

Disney California Adventure 2009

This premiered in the Summer of 2009 and by Spring of 2010, the parade would leave DCA and move to Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom to replace SpectroMagic (another spinoff that is equally dazzling).  The reason being was the premiere of a new water and light spectacle, World of Color on the new Paradise Bay.

Disneyland 2015

The nights of the Disneyland Resort were dominated by Fantasmic! And World of Color in the meantime but the streets of Disneyland would dazzle again as part of Disneyland’s 60^th Anniversary would premiere a new parade titled Paint The Night Electrical Parade, a clone of the Hong Kong Disneyland parade sans the show stop.  Disneyland’s version would feature tributes to the long-running successor MSEP such as a Bass Drum pulled by Tinker Bell and exclusive units such as a float based on the new hit, FROZEN.  

The musical soundtrack featured songs from Wreck-It Ralph, Tangled, Frozen, Cars, Monsters Inc. and a familiar melody that graced the MSEP, Baroque Hoedown and the Electric Fanfare.

Which comes to the present with the news that the 1-year old Paint the Night would end its run with the Diamond Celebration on September 5 while at Magic Kingdom, The Main Street Electrical Parade would end on October 9.  And then, MSEP would return home to Disneyland in early-

2017 for what is called a “limited engagement”.  Meanwhile, Paint the Night will perform on selected nights during the holiday season in the meantime and where it may go is a who knows?

All photos were taken by me during my many visits to Disneyland and Disney California Adventure.

Mommie Dearest, Joan Craword and I

I never knew about Joan Crawford until I saw the movie, Mommie Dearest starring Faye Dunaway from start to finish.  Before that, whenever I thought of the movie, one line would stand out and that was “No wire hangers, ever!”  After seeing the movie on cable, I immediately wanted to read the book to make a comparison.    Upon reading the book, it made me want to REALLY venture Joan’s career and movies including “What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?” and her comeback movie, “Mildred Pierce”.

Getting back to Mommie Dearest, there were details that Christina Crawford wrote that I could personally relate to.  However, while tell-all books tend to turn people against the subject, this book made me a huge fan of Joan Crawford.  Since then, I’ve devoured her films Queen Bee, The Women, Rain, Harriet Craig, Berserk, Strait-Jacket, Dancing Lady, The Damned Don’t Cry, Autumn Leaves and Possessed (1931 with Clark Gable/1947 with Van Heflin).  I’m a bit partial to what has been written about her but I will say this: unlike many actors/actresses today, she LOVED and appreciated her fans throughout her entire career.

There are still movies that I am starving to see such as The Best of Everything, Della (TV pilot), Flamingo Road, Sudden Fear as well as a huge bulk of her MGM films such as Our Dancing Daughters. Since I don’t have cable TV to watch Turner Classic Movies, a great outlet for classic films and they play a lot of Joan’s movies. In addition, I am curious to hear more of her performances on radio programs after hearing her on Suspense-The Ten Years in A Doll’s House.  These titles are inspired by the TCM documentary “Joan Crawford: The Ultimate Movie Star” narrated by Anjelica Huston.

In addition to her film roles, I've seen her TV guest appearance on "Zane Grey Theatre" in One Must Die is worth seeing as she plays two sisters, Sarah and Melanie Hobbs as well as her appearance on The Lucy Show in "The Lost Star".