De Jantjes (aka The Tars)

At the beginning of the movie we see some recognizable locations of Amsterdam. This location can also be seen in 'Rififi in Amsterdam' Capture 10 and 'Amsterdamned' Capture 22. Montebaantoren seen from the Oude Schans.

The tower is still exactly the same but the bridge has been replaced because of the heavy traffic

This is the absolute center of a neighbourhood called Jordaan. For many real Amsterdam inhabitants it is the center of the entire city. It can also be seen in 'Modesty Blaise' Capture 2. Westertoren (Western tower), the highest church tower in Amsterdam seen from the Bloemstraat.

If this photo was black and white it could have been shot in the mid 1930’s.

The same church seen from another position. Westertoren seen from the Westermarkt.

A beautiful photo of the most beautiful church of Amsterdam.

Here we see the building that belonged for a long, long time to the clothing company: Peek en Cloppenburg. Built in 1914 it was a relatively new building when this film was made. Dam Square.

Back then this building belonged to 'Peek en Cloppenburg' but nowadays Madame Tussauds is housed there.

As always there are numerous bikes in Amsterdam and in 1934 it wasn’t any different. Despite the passage of years Arjan Doolaar has identified this as Leidsestraat 2 and 4, Amsterdam. Bet it will not be long before Frank captures the "now".

I said it wouldn't be long after Arjan Doolar tipped Frank off about this location that he would be out with his camera. He couldn’t wait to take this shot showing that the buildings are all the same after such a long period of time, but most of them are now clothing stores.

Here we see the north side of the central station that has been ‘upgraded’ recently into a modern style. Frank has his own thoughts of this. Central Station

Because of the ornaments on the original photo it had to be the Central Station of Amsterdam. Looking at old photos it turned out that it was the North side of the station. Nowadays it is glass and metal and there is no brick to be seen any more.

This shot was taken from a bridge that was opened in 1883. It has since been regarded as one of the most striking bridges in the city, despite the bridge having to be adapted several times. Criticism erupted after opening. The bridge was considered too pompous for Amsterdam. In the background Carre and the skinny bridge can be seen. The same bridge can be seen in 'Puppet on a Chain' Capture 61. Blauwbrug looking in south direction.

Not as many boats in 2021 as in 1934.

This bridge is an Amsterdam monumental double bascule bridge with ten passages, designed by Willem Springer in Parisian style. This bridge can also be seen in 'Amsterdamned' Capture 40. Hoge Sluis bridge at the Sarphatistraat looking north.

The white ugly building in the middle is the city hall of Amsterdam. No matter how you look at it, It only gets uglier and uglier..

Now this is something we do not see any more these days. The man in this shot is a 'Ratelman' and he walked with a garbage truck to warn citizens to offer their garbage. Unknown location.

The milkman as he was in the 1930’s. Unknown location.

Doortje (Cissy van Bennekom) is feeding the pigeons on a rooftop with her stepdad Oom Gerrit (Cor Hermus) having a conversation about Leendert (Joan Remmelts). Doortje is in love with him but he is just lazy. Leendert is in love with Blonde Greet (Susie Klein). Leendert ignores the lovely Doortje completely. Unknown location.

The next shot we see two folksingers, Na Druppel (Heintje Davids) and De Mop (Sylvain Poons), perform on the street. News is spreading around that De Jantjes are coming home. The girls get excited that their beloved ones return from the Dutch Indies. De Jantjes are: Dries (Willy Castello), Manus (Johan Kaart) and Toon (Jan van Es). Brouwersgracht intersection Keizersgracht

When Frank took this shot he spoke to the owner of the house behind him who had lived here for his entire life. When he told him that this was a location one could see in 'De Jantjes' it was no surprise to him because, he said, almost every week there is a camera crew filming here. Frank cannot blame them for that. This is also a new bridge because of the heavy traffic.

When the Jantjes arrive it is a great party with a lot of drinking. Although there is some tension between some guys and girls the mood is still great and the people are happy. The next morning Na Druppel en De Mop perform again on the street to make some money. When a policeman shows up they pretend to be customers of this pub. In the background we see the so called remains of the Paleis voor Volksvlijt. This place was saved from the fire in 1929 and was called the Gallery. In 1960 this was demolished. Corner of Nicolaas Witsenkade and Westeinde.

On the left a reconstructed hotel Atlantic and in the background the DNB (Dutch National Bank) where they keep the government gold. In the top three of most ugliest buildings of Amsterdam.

While they sit outside the bar another singer appears and sings exactly the same song that Na Druppel and De Mop sang. They are boiling from the inside. It is justice after all when he gets arrested by the same police officer who was there before. Nicolaas Witsenkade looking in the direction of the Van Woustraat.

This place marks the line between the center of Amsterdam and the South of the city. The neighbourhood on the other side of the canal is called 'De Pijp'. A former working class neighbourhood and nowadays hipster paradise with numerous unnecessary bagel and beans shops and other useless stores.

Na Druppel and De Mop restart to perform. A special note: Na Druppel (Heintje Davis) was a Jewish singer and performer and not for nothing they choose this specific location. Before the second world war on this location there was a hotel named Atlantic, favoured by the Jewish people of Amsterdam. During the war Jewish people in hiding, hide in this place frequently. After the war Heintje Davis was the only survivor in of her family. Corner of Nicolaas Witsenkade and Westeinde.

No more street singers in 2021.

Another impression shot of Amsterdam. Halvemaansbrug and we are looking at Munttoren at the Muntplein.

Typical Amsterdam to see the 'Munttoren' (Mint tower). The tower was originally part of the Regulierspoort, one of the main gates in Amsterdam's medieval city wall. The gate, built in the years 1480, consisted of two towers and a guard house.

De Jantjes need work and in the pub they talk about the things of life. Women, work and drinking. Meanwhile, the tension between Leendert and Dries is growing because both of them are in love with Greet. They became involved in a fistfight, the coward Leendert pulls out a knife and by accident he stabbed himself. Dries gets arrested. Luckily Leendert is only wounded and recovers. Na Druppel and De Mop go to the pub owned by Tante Piet (Aaf Bouber) to perform their new song. Unknown location.

Dries is released from jail and he wants to go back to his beloved girl Greet but there are some rumours about her that she is hanging out with other man. De Jantjes are thinking about returning to the Dutch East Indies to serve the army again. Dries meets Greet again and Doortje helps Dries by saying that all the rumours about Greet were a lie. It was Tante Piet (Aaf Bouber) who spread all the lies to. Greet falls into the arms of Dries and they kiss intensely.

Unfortunately Dries already has signed for another six year of service but Greet will wait for her lover when he returns. Javakade 766 and looking at Central Station.

An extra terminal has been built recently on the right side of the Central Station.

Out of sympathy with Dries, Manus and Toon also sign for another six years in the army. It is time to say goodbye to everybody and the three go on board to the Dutch East Indies. Overhoeksparklaan and we see the Posthoornchurch and on the left the Havengebouw.

The result of inner city reconstruction. There is nothing that you can recognise anymore.

While Dries is singing a song we see several shots of characteristic buildings of Amsterdam. The list would not be complete if the Waag is missing. De Waag, Nieuwmarkt.

Frank wonders if the tree in 1934 was a kind of bonsai tree that grew and grew by the years until this size nowadays

Here we see the boat going to Dutch East India and this is almost from the same location as we can see in 'Ciske de Rat' (1955)Captures 5,6,7 and 30. Javakade 766 and looking at Central Station.

The only building that you can recognise here is the Central Station itself. The harbour (NDSM and NSM) is closed since the late 70’s and replaced to the western part of Amsterdam.

After a long journey they arrive at their destination. Unknown location.

We see several shots from locations in Dutch East India. Steve's location find for Capture 26 heightened my interest in Sri Lanka, as it is now, to find 'Mount Lavinia Hotel and Bathing Pavilion', 100 Hotel Road, Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia. (RL)

The rice fields of East India. Unknown location.

The three Jantjes are thinking all the time about their homeland, The Netherlands, and one can handle it better than the other. Steve Randall finds Pettah, Colombo, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). (RL)

They dream of The Netherlands. Ijmuiden High Lighthouse, Vuurtorenstraat.

If Frank could have taken the shot from the original location he would have had to pass the customs service and since he was not planning to take a boat anywhere he had to take a photo from a different angle than the original. We forgive him.

When they dream of the homeland, they dream about the windmills. This windmill in particular is identified by Steve as Moppemolen, Dwarsweg 16, 2375 NH Rijpwetering, Netherlands. (RL)

Because of their courage Dries and Manus get promoted to sergeant. It turns out that Toon died in combat. Dries and Greet get married with the help of the radio (Kootwijk Holland) because of the distance between them. At the end a good result, except for the death of Toon. Unknown location.