Dang Ding Dong

Linda gives birth to an illegitimate child from a relationship with her boyfriend, Alex, who dies in an accident. To avoid a scandal, her father asks his younger sibling to take the baby to Cirebon. Linda is then told that the baby is dead. The baby, Yatim, is treated badly by the caregiver. The caregiver steals the money sent by Linda’s father to support the baby, so Linda’s father gets angry when more money is demanded. Linda overhears the conversation and is told the truth. So Linda goes to Cirebon to pick up her child but Yatim has already run away to Jakarta to look for her. He is aimless and homeless, and becomes a shoe polisher. A children’s toy seller hears a radio broadcast looking for the missing child and advises Yatim to go meet his parent. Yatim refuses, and instead gets hit by a car. Finally, they are reunited at the hospital.

After his wife passes away, the ailing Akbar marries Tina, a widow. Akbar’s illness makes him lose his job so Tina has to work in a garment factory. Akbar’s effort to find a job is fruitless and he passes away shortly after. His three children Mimi, Memet, and Ayu cannot stand their stepmother’s fickleness. They leave quietly to find the family of their biological mother. This is not easy since they don’t have her address. They work at any job to survive - housemaid, shoe shiner, parking boy etc. One day they meet John who buys and sells used newspapers. Mimi and Memet are given a small business of selling ice and pastries. Then Memed accidently takes the wrong train but fortunately, a rich man adopts him. However, Memed returns home as he misses his younger siblings. The reunion is short since Ayu passes away.

The “Maut Club” (Death Club) gang is led by Bing, nicknamed The Boss, and consists of kids. Some are rascals; some are just curious, while some are just bored. Harassing people on the street is what the group does. One day, there is a fight between Maut Club and the Harimau Lapar (Hungry Tiger) gang, during which Benyamin accidently shoots a policeman. Everyone is caught except for Boss and Benyamin. In prison, Vivi, who has rich parents, tries to commit suicide out of shame. She manages to get a house arrest instead, thanks to the efforts of Eddy Sud, a university student who lives with Vivi’s family. Boss and Benyamin come to the house and the latter confesses that he was the one who shot the policeman. Boss and Benyamin then turn themselves in to the police. The story ends with a farewell party for Vivi, who is going abroad to study. Boss sings a song titled “Kembali ke Jalan yang Benar” or “Returning to a Righteous Path”.

Nurhayati’s husband dies in an accident and she is left with four small children. Nur herself knows that she will not live long, as her doctor reveals that she must undergo a heart and lung transplant, with a little chance of survival. After telling the real situation to her father and to her eldest child, Asih, the children are brought to the families she considers as able to raise them. How lucky she is that the three families are eager to accept her children. On a birthday party of her youngest child, she feels at ease and dies.

Reminiscent of the film The Sound of Music, Bing Slamet works for Eddy Sud’s family, who has many children. Bing wins their heart with his singing talent. The movie is filled with messages of tourism promotion and family planning, but there is also humour, since the Kwartet Jaya comedy group are part of the cast.

Failing a suicide attempt, Arni is rescued and treated in a house. Living next door is a journalistic photographer, Baron. Both of them fall in love with each other. In the end it is discovered that Arni is the wife of a famous businessman who is having an affair with a famous fashion model

Ateng’s tomfoolery saves his employer from a robbery attempt by Bagio and his gang. He succeeds as he knows Bagio’s secret fear of cats. As a result, Bagio constantly targets him especially when he recovers a diamond that Bagio wants. Then Iskak gets a job and falls in love with another servant, Supini. To secure the relationship, Ateng sends a letter Supini’s name to Iskak, and vice versa, thus creating more comedic confusion.

Drawing from the novel, lenong (play) and the previous film (Njai Dasima I), this new film version has heightened erotic scenes considered the boldest for its time. But as mentioned by the director, the eroticism is meant to reveal the psychological aspects of the characters. Unlike the previous version, that mainly highlights conflict between love and witchcraft, this one features social and psychological conflicts. For example, how Dasima feels like an outsider with Edward Williams’s friends, or how she prefers leaving their house to live with her maid in the village. It also shows more background of the Samiun and Hayati characters - Samiun is a black market trader with a lot of debts and Hayati is a woman obsessed with gambling to get rich. When his debts are due and he is unable to pay, Samiun asks his friend, Puasa, to “rob” him while he is returning to their village with Dasima.

At the Kuntul Putih School of martial arts, the teacher Sekarwangi receives a telegram that his ex-student, Anom Subali, is robbing people. So Ateng and Iskak, students of Sekarwangi who have just graduated, are told to go and defeat Anom’s group. Ateng is given a magical weapon (a cloth belt) while Iskak is also given a weapon (a flute). So Ateng and Iskak face many battles against Anom’s men. A love story is also woven in as a subplot. The comedy is mixed with action as it uses a martial arts story as a background.

Ateng and Iskak try their fortune in Jakarta by working as helpers for Bagio, who makes fun of them all the time. Then, they meet Vivi and Erni whose car breaks down and they help to pull the car to their house. After getting a job from the girls, Iskak starts to dream about Erni. Iskak tells Ateng about his dream and the father overhears this. So they are both fired. But the house servant, Ardi, gives them an address of his relative, Diran, who owns a garage. They get the job and on one delivery, they meet Vivi and Erni, who brings them back to work at home, at the request of their father. There are funny musical scenes in the film, one of which features three songs in a row.

Romi and Juli, junior high school friends, are in love with each other. But their parents; Sabar and Komar, are business rivals, and creates obstacles for them. Romi and Juli agree to run away from home and they get lost in a cave. Romi falls ill so Juli has to urgently find medicine. Meanwhile, their parents keep looking for them and finally make peace with each other after their children are found.

Jamal is a son of a big businessman who falls in love with a high-class prostitute. But when Maria’s secret is discovered, his family throws her out, so Jamal leaves his parents and become a taxi driver.

Don Ateng Singaleon throws a party and the beautiful Dona Vivi attends and immediately gains Iskak Kreolibo’s attention. But the party is disrupted by the arrival of the Kribo tribe who want to seek revenge for an incident at the lake. One day, Papai the sailor appears and he gets along well with Dona Vivi until Iskak becomes jealous. Later, Iskak uses the Kribo tribe to help him get his way. The story itself can be considered superfluous as they merely set up the jokes for the scenes.

Ateng is spoiled by his grandmother and this troubles his parents since Ateng is a little mentally challenged and needs special education from a teacher. The presence of Iskak, a village kid who is adopted and brought there to accompany Ateng is also a worry as Iskak always has ideas for his own profit. Ateng becomes very dependent on Iskak, so when Iskak is told to leave after he is accused of stealing a neighbor’s watch (though unproven), Ateng is very upset. Then he climbs up a water tower and refuses to come down until Iskak returns.