Drie Weken Huisknecht
| Drie Weken Huisknecht | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Walter Smith |
| Written by | Henk Bakker (play)
Walter Smith (writer) |
| Based on | Adel in Livrei |
| Music by | Cor Steyn[1] |
Production company | |
Release date |
|
Running time | 102 minutes |
| Country | Netherlands |
| Language | Dutch |
Drie Weken Huisknecht (transl. Butler for Three Weeks[2]) is a Dutch film directed by Walter Smith. It was filmed in 1942 and released in 1944. It is based on the play Adel in Livrei (lit. 'Nobility in Livery') by Henk Bakker. It was the only large Dutch feature film produced during the Second World War.[1]
Cast
The cast consisted of:[1]
- Paul Steenbergen as Alfred de Beaucour
- Matthieu van Eysden as Marcel (butler)
- Joan Remmelts as Henri de Beaucour
- Piet Bron as Gerrit Bolhuis
- Coba Kelling as Julia Bolhuis
- Wilma van Klaveren as Loes Bolhuis
- Richard Flink as Van Bunschoten
- Louise Hiddink as Nelly
- Jo Vischer Sr. as Van den Burg
- Jan Blok as Slager Wolters
- Piet te Nuyl Sr. as Wijnhandelaar Winpelman
- Henk Bakker as Peitzel
Production
The film is based on the play Adel in Livrei (lit. 'Nobility in Livery') by Henk Bakker,[3] which premiered before the Second World War.
In early 1942, the film companies Filmfabriek Polygoon and Profilti together acquired the rights to the play. The working title for the film was Kasteel te koop (transl. Castle for sale).[3][4] The production of the film was primarily intended to keep the actors and technicians occupied.[5]
During the occupation of the Netherlands, Dutch film companies were only allowed to produce small films that would be shown as a pre-film before a long German film. The Germans wanted to prevent manifestations of national character in longer Dutch movies. In May 1942, the companies inquired whether the leader of the film guild Kultuurkamer and leader of the Rijksfilmkeuring (State Film Censorship[6]), Jan Teunissen, would approve the movie. Teunissen then sought approval from the Germans. The Germans at first advised negatively, considering it 'ausgesprochener Kitsch' (transl. 'utterly kitsch') and 'Ablehnen: zu schwach' (transl. 'reject: too weak'), but apparently later gave permission.[3] Unlike its predecessors, the movie was made without any Jewish-Dutch participation (in contemporary press "foreign").[7][8]
The companies were ready to film in July 1942 and starting filming that summer. The exterior filming took place at Castle Vorden and the interior filming took place at Profitli's studios in The Hague.[3]
In December 1942, the movie was ready for review. The authorities demanded amongst others that the sentence 'Moed houden maar, altijd maar moed houden' (transl. 'keep courage, always keep courage') had to be changed into 'Volhouden maar, altijd maar volhouden' (transl. 'keep persevering, always keep persevering'), but otherwise approved the film.[3]
Release
In January 1943, it was announced that the premiere would take place in February 1943 in City Theatre in Amsterdam.[9] For unknown reasons, the premier did not take place it would take another year before the film was first shown in cinema, on 17 March 1944. There was little interest in the film, and it quickly disappeared from theaters.[3]
The movie was re-released after the liberation of the Netherlands in 1945.[3]
Reception
The film received mostly negative reviews.[10] Chris de Graaff called it a "a rather salty affair" in Algemeen Handelsblad,[4][3] while Joop Lücker called it "flabby, weak, and characterless, old-fashioned and unconvincing" in De Telegraaf.[11][3]
The Nazi press admitted the film had no 'cinematic qualities', but wanted to give the Dutch film industry the benefit of the doubt and saw the film as a first step.[3] For example, SS journalist Sybren Modderman wrote in the De Waag: "Once this production reaches full fruition, it will constitute an enrichment for the film industry of the Germanic countries, for it will add a unique facet of its own."[12]
References
- 1 2 3 "Drie weken huisknecht". Eye (in Dutch). Retrieved 13 May 2026.
- ↑ Welch, David; Vande Winkel, Roel, eds. (2007). "Select Bibliography on the German Cinema, 1933–45". Cinema and the Swastika. London: Palgrave Macmillan.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Barten, Egbert (19 September 1990). "'Drie weken huisknecht' teruggevonden". De Groene Amsterdammer (in Dutch). p. 21.
- 1 2 De Graaff, Chris (18 March 1944). "'Drie weken huisknecht'" (review). Algemeen Handelsblad. Amsterdam. Retrieved 17 May 2026 – via Delpher.
- ↑ "Baanbrekers in de sector van het filmjournaal". Provinciale Overijsselsche en Zwolsche courant (in Dutch). 25 March 1960 – via Delpher.
- ↑ Welch, David; Vande Winkel, Roel (2007). Cinema and the Swastika. London: Palgrave Macmillan.
- ↑ "Een nieuwe Nederlandsche film". Dagblad voor Noord-Holland (in Dutch). Alkmaar. 22 January 1943. Retrieved 17 May 2026 – via Delpher.
- ↑ "'Drie weken huisknecht' Een nieuwe Nederlandsche film". Friesche Courant (in Dutch). Leeuwarden. 23 January 1943. p. 1. Retrieved 17 May 2026 – via Delpher.
- ↑ "Nieuwe Nederl. film 'Drie weken huisknecht'". De Tijd (in Dutch). 21 January 1943 – via Delpher.
- ↑ "Het verhaal van Drie weken Huisknecht". Omroep Gelderland (in Dutch). 28 August 2017 – via YouTube | 75 jaar vrijheid.
- ↑ Lücker, Joop (18 March 1944). "'Drie weken huisknecht'". De Telegraaf (in Dutch) – via Delpher.
- ↑ Modderman, Sybren (31 March 1944). "De Nederlandsche Film" [The Dutch Film]. De Waag (in Dutch) – via Delpher.