Mr Tau will Arrange it

Country

Czechoslovakia, Federal Republic of Germany, Austria

Copyright

1972

Production year

1971

Premiere

14 April 1972

Runtime

33 min

Director

Jindřich Polák

Genre

children

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionmedium

Original title

Pan Tau to zařídí

Czech title

Pan Tau to zařídí

English title

Mr Tau will Arrange it

Parallel title

Pan Tau packt die Koffer

Working title

Pan Tau VI

Synopsis

A motorcade of limousines drives up to Mr Viola's castle, bringing members of the board of directors of a firm who are listening to an antique music machine with a little bird, the last very successful product of Viola's company. The important question of increasing production is to be discussed. Viola's grand-daughter Claudie in Red Indian costume attacks the interlopers with arrows and firework squibs. The valet and maid supply her with ammunition. Viola refuses to negotiate with the board of directors and prefers to play marbles with Claudie - they have holes drilled into the parquet flooring. When flying a kite in the park Viola tells his granddaughter about his childhood dream - a trip round the world. It occurs to him that he could now fulfil this dream. At a travel agency, he orders a sumptuous trip by boat and plane, and even specifies how many polar bears should be in the Arctic Circle and how many camels in the desert. He requires that his own bed should be taken with him everywhere. Claudie doesn't like her grandfather's plan, and would prefer just to wander free, hitch-hiking and even perhaps sleeping in a haystack. Mr Viola secretly changes his order and the agency is instructed to arrange a "tramp" trip in accordance with Claudie's ideas. Mr Tau appears and without a word promises to arrange everything, but in the morning Viola and Claudie do not get into the vehicle prepared by Mr Tau, but into an ox cart that happens to be passing. The adventure begins.

Note

The tale was presented as part of the compilation Mr Tau and a Trip around the World together with the tales Mr Tau in the Circus and Mr Tau and a Trip around the World.

The first (I.) series of thirteen medium-length films about Mr Tau was created in the years 1969–1972. It was first launched in cinemas, in series composed of two parts and accompanied by a cartoon movie (1. Mr Tau Arrives, 2. Mr Tau Gives Presents, 3. Mr Tau at the Mountains, 4. Mr Tau and Sunday, 5. Mr Tau Goes to School, 6. Mr Tau and Cold!, 7. Mr Tau and Claudia, 8. Mr Tau Will Handle It, 9. Mr Tau and Trip around the World, 10. Mr Tau in Circus, 11. Mr Tau and the Taxi Driver, 12. Mr Tau Wanted, 13. Mr Tau and a Thousand Miracles). In the Czechoslovak Television, the series was first introduced in December 1972. Due to its success, another thirteen parts (II.) were filmed in 1973–1975, this time intended exclusively for television (1. Mr Tau Returns, 2. Mr Tau and Robinson, 3. Mr Tau and Too Big Balloon, 4. Mr Tau and Dog Goaty-Dog, 5. Mr Tau and Family Celebration, 6. Mr Tau Goes to Work, 7. Mr Tau and Five Pears and Three Apples, 8. Mr Tau and Black Umbrella, 9. Mr Tau and Big Dog, 10. Mr Tau and Tree-Frog. 11. Mr Tau and Alladin Lamp, 12. Mr Tau and Golden Suitcase, 13. Mr Tau Leaves). The third (III.) and last (seven-part) series was filmed in the years 1977 and 1978 (1. Alert in the Sky, 2. Elephant Hunt, 3. Night at Safari, 4. Mr Tau and Woman-Magician, 5. Mr Tau at Pioneer Camp, 6. Mr Tau – And Which Is the Right One?, 7. No Magic from Tomorrow). On TV, the third series was introduced as a series in the original form and was edited for the film distribution into two feature films Alert in the Sky and No Magic from Tomorrow. The popular bowlered hero last appeared in the feature film Mr Tau, created by a German-Czechoslovak co-production in 1988.