Lottie and Lisa (original
GermanGerman is a West Germanic language, thus related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. It is one of the world's major languages and the most widely spoken first language in the European Union. Around the world, German is spoken by approximately 105 million native speakers and also by...
title:
Das doppelte Lottchen "The double Lottie") is a 1949 novel by
Erich KästnerErich Kästner was a German author, poet, screenwriter and satirist, known for his humorous, socially astute poetry and children's literature.- Dresden 1899–1919 :...
, which originally started out during WWII as an aborted movie scenario, about twin girls separated at birth who meet at summer camp. It has been adapted into film many times (see below), most notably as
The Parent Trap in 1961 and
1998The Parent Trap is a 1998 remake of 1961's family film of the same name. This remake is directed by Nancy Meyers. It stars Dennis Quaid and Natasha Richardson as a couple who divorce soon after marrying, and Lindsay Lohan in a double role as their twin daughters...
.
Two nine-year-old girls—rude Lisa Palfy (orig.
Lottie and Lisa (original
GermanGerman is a West Germanic language, thus related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. It is one of the world's major languages and the most widely spoken first language in the European Union. Around the world, German is spoken by approximately 105 million native speakers and also by...
title:
Das doppelte Lottchen "The double Lottie") is a 1949 novel by
Erich KästnerErich Kästner was a German author, poet, screenwriter and satirist, known for his humorous, socially astute poetry and children's literature.- Dresden 1899–1919 :...
, which originally started out during WWII as an aborted movie scenario, about twin girls separated at birth who meet at summer camp. It has been adapted into film many times (see below), most notably as
The Parent Trap in 1961 and
1998The Parent Trap is a 1998 remake of 1961's family film of the same name. This remake is directed by Nancy Meyers. It stars Dennis Quaid and Natasha Richardson as a couple who divorce soon after marrying, and Lindsay Lohan in a double role as their twin daughters...
.
Plot summary
Two nine-year-old girls—rude Lisa Palfy (orig. Luise Palfy) from
ViennaVienna is the capital of the Republic of Austria and also one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.7 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre. It is the 10th largest city by...
, and respectful shy Lottie Horn (orig. Lotte Körner) from
MunichMunich is the capital city of Bavaria, Germany. It is located on the River Isar north of the Bavarian Alps. Munich is the third largest city in Germany, after Berlin and Hamburg...
—meet on a summer camp in Bohrlaken on Lake Bohren (orig. 'Seebühl am Bühlsee'). Lisa has curly hair; Lottie wears braids. Apart from that, they look alike.
They have never seen each other before, but soon find out that they are identical twins. It turns out that their parents divorced, each keeping one of the girls. The two girls decide it is unfair that neither of them has ever been told that she is a twin, or that her other parent is still living. They decide to trade places at the end of the summer so that Lottie will have a chance to get to know her father and Lisa will get to meet her mother. Lottie curls her hair, Lisa braids hers, and both go off to where they have never been before. The adventure begins.
While many adults are surprised at the changes in each of the girls after they return from camp ("Lottie" has suddenly forgotten how to cook, gets in a fight at school, and becomes a terrible student, while "Lisa" has begun to keep a close eye on the housekeeper's bookkeeping, will no longer eat her favorite food, and becomes a model student), no one suspects that the girls are not who they claim to be.
When Lottie (pretending to be Lisa) finds out that her father is planning to remarry, she becomes very ill and stops writing to her sister in Munich.
Meanwhile, Lottie's mother comes across a picture of the two girls that was taken while they were at summer camp. She quickly realizes what has happened and Lisa tells her the entire story. The discovery turns out to have come just in time. The girls' mother calls her ex-husband in Vienna to tell him what has happened and to find out why Lottie has stopped writing. When she hears that her daughter is ill, she and Lisa immediately travel to Vienna to be with her.
The four of them (father, mother, Lisa and Lottie) are still in Vienna for the girls' birthday. The girls tell their parents that they don't need any presents on this birthday or ever again as long as they don't have to be separated again. The parents talk it over, realize that they are still in love and decide to get remarried.
Film, TV or theatrical adaptations
The story was adapted into film as:
- Das doppelte Lottchen in 1950 (West Germany)
- The Lullaby of Hibari, (Hibari no Komoriuta, ひばりの子守唄) with Hibari Misora
was an award winning Japanese enka singer, actress. She is often regarded as being one of the greatest singers of all time, and was the first woman in Japan to receive the , which was awarded posthumously for her notable contributions to the music industry...
in 1951 (Japan)
- Twice Upon a Time in 1953 (UK)
- I and Myself: The Two Lottes (Watashi to Watashi: Futari no Lotte, わたしとわたし ふたりのロッテ) in 1991-92 (Japanese animated TV series)
- The Parent Trap
The Parent Trap is a Walt Disney Productions feature film starring Hayley Mills, Maureen O'Hara and Brian Keith in a story about teenage twins and their divorced parents. The screenplay by the film's director David Swift was based upon the book Lottie and Lisa by Erich Kästner...
in 1961 with Hayley MillsHayley Mills is an English actress. The daughter of John Mills and Mary Hayley Bell, and sister of actress Juliet Mills, Mills began her acting career as a child and was hailed as a promising newcomer, winning the BAFTA Award for Most Promising Newcomer for Tiger Bay , the Academy Juvenile Award...
and 1998The Parent Trap is a 1998 remake of 1961's family film of the same name. This remake is directed by Nancy Meyers. It stars Dennis Quaid and Natasha Richardson as a couple who divorce soon after marrying, and Lindsay Lohan in a double role as their twin daughters...
with Lindsay LohanLindsay Dee Lohan is an American actress, model, and pop singer. Lohan started in show business as a child fashion model for magazine advertisements and television commercials...
(US)
- Charlie & Louise
Charlie & Louise – Das doppelte Lottchen is a German children's film directed by Joseph Vilsmaier in 1994, starring Corinna Harfouch. It is a film adaptation of the novel Das doppelte Lottchen by Erich Kästner.-Synopsis:...
in 1994 (Germany)
- It Takes Two in 1995 with the Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen
Mary-Kate Olsen and Ashley Fuller Olsen are American actresses. Both have appeared in television and films since infancy. Since then, they have continued their celebrity through numerous television programs, films, interviews, as well as commercial endorsements. They are fraternal twins but prefer...
(US)
- Tur & Retur in 2003 (Sweden)
In
IndiaIndia, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the west, and the Bay of Bengal...
, it has been filmed several times:
- Kuzanthaiyum Deivamum (1965) in Tamil
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in India, Sri Lanka and Singapore. Tamil is also spoken by significant minorities in Malaysia, Mauritius and Réunion as well as emigrant communities around the world...
- Letha Manushulu (1966) in Telugu
Telugu is a Dravidian language native to the Indian subcontinent. It is the official language of Andhra Pradesh, one of the largest states of India. It is also one of the twenty-two scheduled languages of the Republic of India and was conferred the status of a Classical language by the Government...
- Do Kaliyan (1968) in Hindi
Standard Hindi, also known as High Hindi, Nagari Hindi or Literary Hindi is a standardised register of Hindi. It is one of the 22 languages with official status in India, and is used, along with English, for administration of the central government.Standard Hindi is a sanskritised register derived...
- Pyaar ke do Pal (1986) in Hindi
Standard Hindi, also known as High Hindi, Nagari Hindi or Literary Hindi is a standardised register of Hindi. It is one of the 22 languages with official status in India, and is used, along with English, for administration of the central government.Standard Hindi is a sanskritised register derived...
- Kuch Khatti Kuch Meethi
Kuch Khatti Kuch Meethi is a 2001 Indian film directed by Rahul Rawail and starring Kajol in a double role as two estranged identical twins. The storyline follows the general theme of its Hollywood counterpart The Parent Trap, but with the added melodrama and slight-changed storyline of a...
(2001) in HindiStandard Hindi, also known as High Hindi, Nagari Hindi or Literary Hindi is a standardised register of Hindi. It is one of the 22 languages with official status in India, and is used, along with English, for administration of the central government.Standard Hindi is a sanskritised register derived...