The Olsen Gang Sees Red () is a 1976 Danish comedy film directed by Erik Balling and starring Ove Sprogøe, Morten Grunwald and Poul Bundgaard. The film was the eighth in the Olsen Gang-series, and was selected as the Danish entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 49th Academy Awards, but was not accepted as a nominee.
Plot
Egon is released once again from the prison in Vridsløselille, where he is received by Kjeld and Benny, after which they drive home to Kjeld and Yvonne. However, Yvonne is not very fond of Egon as he is constantly being arrested. Also present is Fie, who is to marry Børge, who always smashes the porcelain of the house. The gang starts discussing their upcoming coup, which is about a Chinese vase worth DKK 1.5 million, which is to be sold to a Dutch buyer. The gang breaks in and steals the vase at Sankt Annæ Plads in Copenhagen but finds out that it is a Chinese copy from Hong Kong and that Egon has been cheated.
The gang then set off to steal the original vase, but Egon gets trapped and walled inside a basement, so Benny and Kjeld must free him. The vase is in turn handed over to the Dutch buyer. The band therefore continues the hunt for the Royal Theater, where the buyer is with the money and the vase. The gang breaks through four walls with various tools to reach an elevator and on to the Dutch buyer, where they steal the money and the vase. Fie and Børge get married and fly to Mallorca, but it turns out that Fie has changed the suitcase with the one with the money. The two newlyweds fly off with the money, while the gang at home are shocked to see that the suitcase is full of clothes and not the money they expected.
Cast
Ove Sprogøe as Egon Olsen
Morten Grunwald as Benny Frandsen
Poul Bundgaard as Kjeld Jensen
Kirsten Walther as Yvonne Jensen
Jes Holtsø as Børge Jensen
Lene Brøndum as Fie Jensen
Bjørn Watt-Boolsen as Lensbaron Ulrik Christian Frederik Løvenwold
Ove Verner Hansen as Frits
Ejner Federspiel as Joachim
Axel Strøbye as Crime Assistant Jensen
Ole Ernst as Police Assistant Holm
Buster Larsen as Master Chef
Bent Mejding as Conductor
Reception
The film received critical and audience praise, for its writing, acting, directing and music, and was selected as the Danish entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 49th Academy Awards, but was not accepted as a nominee. The film also became a box office success, selling about 1.3 million tickets, making it the highest-grossing Danish film of all time.