The Olsen Gang (1968) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Egon was caught during a failed store robbery while his partners managed to flee the scene. The summary doesn't specify exactly what went wrong for Egon, but it establishes that the gang operates as a team with varying levels of luck and skill. This early setback simply fuels their resolve to attempt a more ambitious heist.

Foreshadowing: The opening arrest sets the pattern of Egon being the one who often gets caught while his more cautious partners escape.

• egon olsen
• arrest
• store robbery
• kjeld
• benny

After recovering the statue from the police, they needed to hide it somewhere safe and inconspicuous. The pram belonging to Kjeld's daughter provided an ideal hiding spot because it would look like ordinary baby equipment and unlikely to be searched. The move added humor to their predicament but also created new complications when Yvonne took the pram.

• golden statue
• pram
• hiding spot
• kjeld's daughter
• heist

After the gang finally recovers the pram from Yvonne, Egon discovers the statue is no longer inside. Yvonne had taken the pram to her mother's, and during her journey, the statue was somehow removed or lost. This is the moment that causes Egon to fly into a rage and abandon his partners to chase after Yvonne, believing she took it or knowing she has crucial information about the missing loot.

Foreshadowing: Yvonne's anger and departure with the pram directly leads to this critical loss.

• statue missing
• pram
• yvonne
• stolen loot
• twist

When Egon discovers the statue is missing from the pram, he becomes furious and specifically targets Yvonne, leaving his partners behind. His motivation appears to be personal urgency - he either believes Yvonne knows where the statue is, or he holds her responsible for the loss. This moment shows Egon's impulsive nature and how his emotions override his loyalty to the gang.

Foreshadowing: Yvonne's earlier decision to take the pram directly triggers Egon's explosive reaction.

• egon olsen
• yvonne
• abandons crew
• statue missing
• anger

The car ran out of gas while heading to the airport with the stolen statue. This appears to be a simple planning failure or underestimate - the gang didn't ensure they had enough fuel for the distance. The result was catastrophic: the police seized the vehicle with the statue still inside, forcing them to recover it and improvise new hiding spots.

Foreshadowing: This mechanical failure shows the gang's tendency to overlook practical details despite their elaborate planning.

• getaway car
• gas
• police chase
• statue
• heist failure

After serving two years in prison, Egon is released and the gang resumes their criminal activities. Selling bananas outside the Copenhagen government building represents their new scheme - a small-scale, somewhat absurd venture that reflects their persistent (but perpetually unsuccessful) dream of becoming wealthy. The ending emphasizes the cyclic nature of their criminal careers and their unstoppable determination despite repeated failures.

Foreshadowing: The ending mirrors their opening status - still dreaming big, still getting caught, still continuing.

• bananas
• copenhagen
• government building
• two years later
• new scheme

Yvonne was furious for two main reasons: she had been waiting at the airport for a long time while the gang handled the heist, and she resented that the pram with her baby was left unattended on a public sidewalk. This represents the final straw in her frustration with Kjeld's criminal lifestyle and being repeatedly involved in risky schemes. Her decision to take the pram and go to her mother's reflects her desire to distance herself from the criminal activities.

Foreshadowing: Yvonne's anger has been building throughout the movie as she tolerates her husband's involvement in increasingly dangerous crimes.

• yvonne
• pram
• kjeld
• wife
• airport
• family conflict

Egon was finally apprehended on a ferry - the location where Yvonne had been expected to be. The police were closing in on him as part of their ongoing pursuit following the failed heist. The ferry represents a dead-end in his escape route, and Mortensen (the detective) finally caught up with him there, ending the extended chase sequence.

Foreshadowing: Mortensen had been relentlessly pursuing the gang since the car was seized with the statue inside.

• ferry
• egon arrested
• police
• mortensen
• escape

The golden statue was valued at 12 million - a prize that could fund the gang's fantasies of becoming millionaires for years. This explains why they shifted from petty crime to planning such an elaborate heist. The massive value represents their ultimate big score, the one that could finally elevate them from small-time criminals to wealthy men.

Foreshadowing: The enormous value justifies the gang's willingness to take such significant risks and abandon their earlier petty crimes.

• 12 million
• golden statue
• motivation
• heist
• fortune

Despite Yvonne's threat to return to her mother, she actually came back to Kjeld instead. This indicates that their relationship survived the chaos of the heist, though the trust issues remain. Meanwhile, Benny gets driven home by Ulla (Lotte Tarp), adding a small domestic moment of humor amid all the criminal turmoil.

• kjeld
• yvonne
• married
• reconciliation
• benny
• ulla