Sagan om Karl-Bertil Jonssons julafton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sagan om Karl-Bertil Jonssons julafton |
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poster
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| Written by | Tage Danielsson |
| Directed by | Per Åhlin |
| Starring | Tage Danielsson Per Andrén Toivo Pawlo Marianne Stjernqvist Åke Fridell Catrin Westerlund |
| Narrated by | Tage Danielsson |
| Country of origin | Sweden |
| Original language(s) | Swedish |
| Production | |
| Producer(s) | Lance H. Robbins Cheryl Saban |
| Cinematography | Thomas L. Callaway |
| Running time | 23 minutes |
| Distributor | Pennfilm Studio |
| Release | |
| Original network | TV1 |
| Original release | 24 December 1975 (Sweden) |
Sagan om Karl-Bertil Jonssons julafton (which means "The Tale of Karl-Bertil Jonsson's Christmas Eve") is a popular animated short film from Sweden. It was made in 1975 by Per Åhlin. The film is based on a short story by Tage Danielsson.
The story is about a boy who works at a post office on Christmas Eve. He decides to take Christmas gifts meant for rich people and give them to poor people in Stockholm. This film is very well-liked in Sweden. It is shown on TV every Christmas Eve in Sweden and Norway. It is also often shown in Finland by FST.
In 1987, the film was made into English. The famous actor Bernard Cribbins did the voice-over for this version.
What Happens in the Story
Karl-Bertil Jonsson is 14 years old. He lives with his father, Tyko, and his mother, Mrs. Jonsson. Karl-Bertil has a job at the Swedish postal service. His work is to sort and deliver mail and packages.
One Christmas Eve, Karl-Bertil thinks about Robin Hood. He secretly decides to do something similar. He sorts Christmas presents that are for rich people into a special bag. Then, he delivers these gifts to many different poor people instead.
Later, his mother, Mrs. Jonsson, asks about a porcelain plate. It was meant for Tyko but went to another family. Karl-Bertil then decides to be honest with his parents. He tells them what he has done.
His mother starts to cry when she hears this. His father, Tyko, gets very upset with him. He calls Karl-Bertil's actions wrong and sends him to bed early.
The next day, Tyko makes Karl-Bertil go with him. They visit all the people whose presents were delivered to the wrong place. Karl-Bertil has to apologize to them. But when they visit these rich people, everyone reacts in a positive way.
In the end, Karl-Bertil is seen as a hero by many people. They even toss him into the air, shouting "hip hip hooray!" The film finishes with Tyko saying that Karl-Bertil is a good person.
Who Are the Voices
- Tage Danielsson as the narrator
- Per Andrén as Karl-Bertil Jonsson
- Toivo Pawlo as Tyko Jonsson, Karl-Bertil's father
- Marianne Stjernqvist as Mrs. Jonsson, Karl-Bertil's mother
- Åke Fridell as H.K. Bergdahl
- Catrin Westerlund as Mrs. Bergdahl
Discussions About the Film
Every few years, people in Sweden talk about the message of this story. This happens especially since SVT started showing it every Christmas. Some people say that the film's message is too strong about society and that taking things without permission does not fit the Christmas spirit. Others defend the film. They say it teaches about helping others. Tage Danielsson himself felt a bit shy when people analyzed his story too seriously.
