- Olly Olly Oxen Free (film)
-
For the phrase used in the children's game, see Olly olly oxen free.
Olly Olly Oxen Free 
DVD CoverDirected by Richard A. Colla Produced by Richard A. Colla Written by Richard A. Colla
Maria L. De Ossio
Eugene PoincStarring Katharine Hepburn
Kevin McKenzie
Dennis DimsterMusic by Bob Alcivar Cinematography Gayne Rescher Editing by Lee Burch Distributed by Sanrio Release date(s) August 25, 1978 
United StatesRunning time 83 minutes Country United States Language English Olly, Olly, Oxen Free (a.k.a. The Great Balloon Adventure or The Great Balloon Race) is a 1978 American black comedy film directed by Richard A. Colla and starring Katharine Hepburn. The screenplay by Eugene Poinc is based on a story by Poinc, Colla, and Maria L. de Ossio. The title is derived from a phrase used in some children's games.
Contents
Plot summary
Elderly, eccentric Miss Pudd (Hepburn) is the owner of a store she considers an antique shop but most would call a junkyard. She frequently refuses to part with her merchandise because of its sentimental value, but she does agree to sell some items to two small boys, Alby (Kevin McKenzie) and Chris (Dennis Dimster), who are repairing a hot air balloon that belonged to the older boy's grandfather, a stunt man named The Great Sandusky. They plan to take the balloon aloft to celebrate the man's birthday.
When the balloon is accidentally launched, untethered, with the two boys and their English sheepdog in the basket, Miss Pudd chases after them in her antique car, and manages to wind up riding the anchor dangling from the bottom of the basket. After she is pulled up, the balloon continues to drift south to San Francisco, where a police helicopter shoots it down. The balloon lands on the stage at an outdoor concert where an orchestra is playing the 1812 Overture.
Production
The low-budget movie was filmed on location in Calistoga and St. Helena, California in the summer of 1976, but it failed to find a distributor until two years later, when it was given a limited release in the Midwest. In 1981, the film was released in New York City to indifferent reviews and vanished quickly from theaters.
References
- Edwards, Anne. A Remarkable Woman: A Biography of Katharine Hepburn, William Morrow, 1985, pp. 392–93. ISBN 0-688-04528-6
External links
- Olly Olly Oxen Free at the Internet Movie Database
- Olly Olly Oxen Free (film) at AllRovi
Katharine Hepburn Filmography 1930sA Bill of Divorcement (1932) • Christopher Strong (1933) • Morning Glory (1933) • Little Women (1933) • Spitfire (1934) • The Little Minister (1934) • Break of Hearts (1935) • Alice Adams (1935) • Sylvia Scarlett (1935) • Mary of Scotland (1936) • A Woman Rebels (1936) • Quality Street (1937) • Stage Door (1937) • Bringing Up Baby (1938) • Holiday (1938)1940sThe Philadelphia Story (1940) • Woman of the Year (1942) • Keeper of the Flame (1942) • Stage Door Canteen (1943) • Dragon Seed (1944) • Without Love (1945) • Undercurrent (1946) • The Sea of Grass (1947) • Song of Love (1947) • State of the Union (1948) • Adam's Rib (1949)1950sThe African Queen (1951) • Pat and Mike (1952) • Summertime (1955) • The Rainmaker (1956) • The Iron Petticoat (1956) • Desk Set (1957) • Suddenly, Last Summer (1959)1960sLong Day's Journey Into Night (1962) • Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967) • The Lion in Winter (1968) • The Madwoman of Chaillot (1969)1970sThe Trojan Women (1971) • A Delicate Balance (1973) • The Glass Menagerie (1973) • Love Among the Ruins (1975) • Rooster Cogburn (1975) • Olly, Olly, Oxen Free (1978) • The Corn Is Green (1979)1980sOn Golden Pond (1981) • Grace Quigley (1985) • Mrs. Delafield Wants to Marry (1986) • Laura Lansing Slept Here (1988)1990sThe Man Upstairs (1992) • This Can't Be Love (1994) • Love Affair (1994) • One Christmas (1994)
Related articles Awards and nominations • Coco • Houghton family • The Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center • Katharine Houghton • Katharine Martha Houghton Hepburn • The Lake • Spencer TracyCategories:- 1978 films
- American comedy films
- 1970s comedy films
- Black comedy films
- 1970s adventure films
- Films set in California
- English-language films
- Films shot in California
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
