History Trivia / OlsenBanden

* LifeImitatesArt: In the Swedish comedy film "''Ogifta par – en film som skiljer sig''" there is a character played by Johan Ulveson who runs into Gösta Ekman (playing himself) and pitches that he could play Sickan's brother Sven-Ingvar Jönsson. A few years later Ulveson did indeed play the character in the final film of the original"''Jönssonligan''" - "''Jönssonligan spelar högt''". [[PopCultureUrbanLegends Unlike what some sources claim]] the producers of ''''Jönssonligan spelar högt'''' did not use that idea whole cloth from "''Ogifta par – en film som skiljer sig''". Sven-Ingvar Jönsson was introduced in the first "''Lilla-Jönssonligan''" which came out one year earlier which probably inspired the joke.

* LifeImitatesArt: In the Swedish comedy film "''Ogifta par – en film som skiljer sig''" there is a character played by Johan Ulveson who runs into Gösta Ekman (playing himself) and pitches that he could play Sickan's brother Sven-Ingvar Jönsson. A few years later Ulveson did indeed play the character in the final film of the original "''Jönssonligan''" - ''''Jönssonligan spelar högt''''. [[PopCultureUrbanLegends Unlike what some sources claim]] the producers of ''''Jönssonligan spelar högt'''' did not use that idea whole cloth from "''Ogifta par – en film som skiljer sig''". Sven-Ingvar Jönsson was introduced in the first "''Lilla-Jönssonligan''" which came out one year earlier which probably inspired the joke.

** Yvonne's actress had passed away before the 14th film of the Danish series started production, and thus she is absent from the film proper. Meanwhile, Kjeld's actor died partway through production, leading to his
living partner joining the heist instead of him.

** In the 14th Danish movie, Yvonne's absence as well as Kjeld's living partner joining the heist instead of him are both due to his death.

** In the 14th Danish movie, Yvonne's absence as well as Kjeld's living partner joining the heist instead of him are both due to ActorExistenceFailure.

* RealLifeRelative: One of the films had Benny romantically involved with the daughter of an old grocer, hoping to take over the business. The two were played by real life daughter and father, Birgitte and Einar Federspiel.

* SeriesFauxnale: As the title indicates, ''Olsen-bandens Sidste Bedrifter'' (''The Last Exploits of the Olsen Gang''), was originally supposed to be the final film in the series. But due to the series' enduring popularity (and profitability), another eight installments were put together, and the actual last film would be ''Olsen-Bandens Sidste Stik'' (''The Olsen Gang's Last Trick'').

** Examples from ''Jönssonligan'':
*** Biffen was played by Weiron Holmberg in most movies and both of the games, but played by Lars Dejert instead in the fourth (possibly related to Holmberg having to reduce his theatre and film roles due a then-recent back injury).

** One of the safe models from VideoGame/PAYDAY2 is named Frank Yeager (inspired by Franz Jäger from this series). The Alesso Heist mission also revolves around timing the detonation of C4 to a concert performed by

* TroubledProduction: ''Olsen-Bandens Sidste Stik'' (''The Olsen Gang's Last Trick'') was considered somewhat of a disaster from a production stand-point, with actors Poul Bundgaard and Benny Hansen, and director Tom Hedegaard all [[DiedDuringProduction dying during production]], in Bundgaard's case necessitating the use of [[FakeShemp a body double and another actor to do voice over]], as several of his scenes hadn't been shot yet.

*** In [[VideoGame/JonssonliganJaktenPaMjolner both of the video games,]] Sickan is voice-acted by Hans Wahlgren rather than Gösta Ekman d.y.

* FatalMethodActing: Averted by Ove Sprogøe. In a scene from ''Olsen Bandens Sidste Bedrifter'' where Egon was to be dropped in the harbor wearing cement shoes, he was ready to do the scene himself, but the director insisted on using a dummy - which, due to a miscalculation, was smashed flat in the first take.

* {{Defictionalization}}: Since 2014, a Norwegian company called Safe Direkte [[https://www.safedirekte.no/categories/franz-jaeger has been selling safes named after the fictional Franz Jäger company featured in the series.]]

* RealLifeWritesThePlot: Several instances:
** Egon smokes his perpetual cigars less and less (instead chewing on the cold stumps) because actor Ove Sprogøe didn't smoke in real life.
** Børge after movie 8, as mentioned under PutOnABus on the main page. Sources differ about the reasons (alternatively drug problems or Jes Holtsø feeling that he hadn't gotten his fair share of the success).
** In the ColdOpening of the 6th Danish movie, which takes place on Mallorca, Kjeld has caught a stomach bug and constantly has to run offscreen to find a bathroom. This was written into the script because Poul Bundgaard was playing in a revue in Denmark and could only come to Spain on his day off.
** Sickan is only the leader of the first five (of eight) Jönssonligan movies because the actor Gösta Ekman d.y. got involved with the first series of Martin Beck movies.

* CastingGag:
** The lovesick Danish tourist who pursues a reluctant Benny in the prologue to ''Olsen Bandens Sidste Bedrifter'' is played by Lily Weiding, Morten Grunwald's longtime girlfriend (and later wife).
** In the Danish Olsenbanden Jr. movie, Egon's father is played by Henning Sprogøe, the son of Ove Sprogøe, who of course played Egon in all 14 original movies.

* ActorAllusion: Both Gösta Ekman (Sickan) and Peter Haber (Dr. Busé) would later play Literature/MartinBeck in the two TV series made after the books. In the last movie, a prison guard is shown watching an episode of {{Film/Beck}}, with only some spoken lines heard ("This is Martin Beck. We know you are in there. You are surrounded.")

* MemeticMutation: To the point that Eastern Germans loved to ask „Egon, hast du einen Plan?“ (Egon, do you have a plan?) to Egon Krentz, the last leader of the GDR.

** In the Swedish series, Biffen was played by Weiron Holmberg in most movies and both of the games, but played by Lars Dejert instead in the fourth (possibly related to Holmberg having to reduce his theatre and film roles due a then-recent back injury).

* CharacterOutlivesActor:
** Harry in the 14th Danish movie. Benny implies he is still alive as he borrowed some nitroglycerin from him, while Harry's actor died in 1981.
** Rocky from the Swedish movies' actor, Nils Brandt, passed away after the second film was made. However, his character is simply stated to have moved back to Finland with his family to explain their absence and is then never mentioned again.

** In the Danish Olsenbanden jr. movie, Egon's father is played by Henning Sprogøe, the son of Ove Sprogøe, who of course played Egon in all 14 original movies.
* FatalMethodActing: Averted by Ove Sprogøe, the Danish Egon. In a scene from ''Olsen Bandens Sidste Bedrifter'' where Egon was to be dropped in the harbor wearing cement shoes, he was ready to do the scene himself, but the director insisted on using a dummy - which, due to a miscalculation, was smashed flat in the first take.

** See PutOnABus on the Main page: Børge after movie 8. Sources differ about the reasons (alternatively drug problems or Jes Holtsø feeling that he hadn't gotten his fair share of the success)

** In the 14th Danish movie: Yvonne's absence as well as Kjeld's living partner joining the heist instead of him are both due to ActorExistenceFailure.
** In the 14th Norwegian movie you have the same situation but with the characters reversed; here it's Kjell who has passed away and Valborg who appears in the movie in a [[AscendedExtra larger and more involved role]], since his actor had passed away but hers was still alive. Additionally, Harry (already an AscendedExtra in the Norwegian version thanks to the popularity of his actor) essentially replaces Kjell as the third gang member, much like his Swedish counterpart had many years earlier.

** [[CharacterOutlivesActor Averted]] with Harry in the 14th Danish movie. Benny implies his brother is still alive, as he borrowed some nitroglycerin from him, while Harry's actor died in 1981.

* RetroactiveRecognition: Stellan Skarsgård, at least to non-Swedish viewers would only become recognisable in the 2000s.

* CastingGag: The lovesick Danish tourist who pursues a reluctant Benny in the prologue to ''Olsen Bandens Sidste Bedrifter'' is played by Lily Weiding, Morten Grunwald's longtime girlfriend (and later wife).

** In the 14th Norwegian movie you have the same situation but with the characters reverses; here it's Kjell who has passed away and Valborg who appears in the movie in a [[AscendedExtra larger and more involved role]], since his actor had passed away but hers was still alive. Additionally, Harry (already an AscendedExtra in the Norwegian version thanks to the popularity of his actor) essentially replaces Kjell as the third gang member, much like his Swedish counterpart had many years earlier.

** Inverted in the 14th Norwegian movie, where it's Kjell who has passed away and Valborg who appears in the movie in a [[AscendedExtra larger and more involved role]], much for the same reasons. Additionally, Harry (already an AscendedExtra in the Norwegian version thanks to the popularity of his actor) essentially replaces Kjell as the third gang member, much like his Swedish counterpart had many years earlier.

** That is also the reason for Valborg being in the 14th Norwegian movie instead of Kjeld.

** Egon smokes his perpetual cigars less and less (instead chewing on the cold stumps) because actor Ove Sprogøe didn't smoke