Comedy
Whitey
De Witte
Edith Kiel · 1934
Synopsis
In a village in Flemish Brabant, the youngest son of a farmhand, whom everyone calls the White One because of his hair, never stops playing pranks and disobeying. He exasperates his parents, his masters, his father's employer and his friends, at a time when punishment is swift and harsh, but he means no harm, and the village is more amused than angry. His brother Nis is to marry Lieske, the innkeeper's daughter.
Context
The film is based on the novel by Ernest Claes published in 1920, and Edith Kiel added a love plot to it that the author disapproved of. For lack of a studio in Flanders, it was shot mainly in Berlin, with actors from the Antwerp theatre, and on location in Zichem. It opens with the song “Mijn land is Vlaanderen”. The Church objected to the curate's diminished role, but the success was such that it stayed in cinemas for two years, and Jef Bruyninckx, who plays the boy, became the first star of Flemish cinema.
Who it is for
A talking comedy of more than an hour and a half, in Dutch, which can be followed without knowing the book.
Prizes and reception
The first feature film spoken entirely in Dutch and the first great success of Flemish cinema, long in cinemas.
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