10.32 (aka Murder in Amsterdam)

The film opens with some shots of Amsterdam by night in the 60’s. Tram line 1 is still in service. Leidseplein, Amsterdam

As can be seen in the background the neon lighting of KLM is, after all these years, the only one that has remained the same. In the foreground, with a reluctant driver, can be seen the new trams of Amsterdam.

A glimpse of the City Theatre, a cinema that still exist in the center of Amsterdam. Leidseplein, Amsterdam

Amsterdam on a Sunday morning in winter time and still under construction.

After several shots of (long gone) night clubs we see here night club Carrousel with a near doorman. Herengracht 446, Amsterdam

Frank sometimes wishes this was still a 60’s beat club instead of a beautiful house on the canals of Amsterdam.

After listening to a song of the band 'Daniella and the Explosions' artist Peter Hartman (Eric Schneider) leaves the club to buy some cigarettes. Intersection Keizersgracht and Leidsegracht.

Here we have the ultimate proof that street lights DO move over the years, it moves so slowly that we don’t notice it but here on ReelStreets you can see the evidence!

The tobacco shop has a cigarette machine outside and Peter buys a pack of cigarettes. Intersection Keizersgracht and Leidsegracht

Tobacco stores do close down these days and for a good reason. Therefore it is now for rent.

While smoking a cigarette he observes an old man stopping right next to the club and entering the building. The doorman next door greets the man and calls him mister Martens (Wim van den Brink). Peter returns to the club. Leidsegracht 27,25 en 23

Trees do grow very fast in the center of Amsterdam…

It is almost 10:30 and Daniella is about to perform. At the same moment Peter goes to the toilet and asks the toilet attendant what time it is. “10:32” she replies. Stadhouderskade with a view of the Rijksmuseum.

Frank was just a half hour too late and was unable to prevent a murder.

Once in the toilet Peter opens a small window and climbs outside. We see him climb to the building next door where mister Martens is and once inside he opens a door and, in the dark, opens a safe with a key. At that moment the light switches on and to Peter’s surprise the police, led by Inspector Stroomer (Bob de Lange) enters the room. They see mister Martens laying on the ground. He is shot death. Unknown location.

The next morning Martens companion, Van Dijck (Wim de Haas), reads in the newspapers that Martens is killed. He is shocked and jumps in his car and drives away. Unknown location.

Inspector Stroomer interrogates Peter but he denies everything. Meanwhile Martens wife, Ellen Martens, enters the room and when asked, she denies knowing Peter. Stroomer decides to search Peter’s house on Prinseneiland, Amsterdam. Petemayenbrug, Zoutkeetsgracht

Vaguely you can see on the screen capture that there used to be train tracks background left. By 2021 they have been removed and the whole stretch is filled with new buildings.

The police arrives at Peter’s house. Westerdoksdijk intersection Barentzplein

The building on the right can also be seen in 'The Inspector (AKA Lisa)' in Capture 17. It is called the Graansilo Korthals Altes (silo). That was a storage site for grain and provided space for 17,000 tons of grain. If the city were to be besieged in times of war, then the people of Amsterdam would at any rate be assured of having nine months worth of bread. The Stenen Silo stands on a dam in the River IJ, enabling easy unloading of grain from ships. The silo has since been converted into private apartments.

They enter the building and while they search the apartment they find a nude portrait of Ellen Martens. So they knew each other. Back at the police station they confront Peter with his painting. Peter is silent about it and keeps his mouth shut. Westerdoksdijk 713

Well, the 'now' photos for this film could have been ready months ago but this building was covered for months with an ugly plastic cloth because of construction work. We from ReelStreet are interested in old buildings… not in modern ugly plastic, or scaffolding!

Stroomer pays a visit to the widow. While waiting in the hallway they notice the number of clocks in the house. Mister van Dijk is also here. She starts talking about how she met Peter and explains that she met him earlier that year. Phil B found Huize Zeveneinde at Vredelaan 44-46 in Laren, Noord Holland. Designed by Wouter Hamdorff for Jonkheer Van Loon and built in 1925-1927, the building is registered as a national monument, and today is divided into three residences.

A flasback tells us the story how the two did meet. Ellen does visit art dealer Blom. Weteringstraat intersection Lijnbaansgracht

Winter in Amsterdam. And here is another proof that street lights do move slowly year by year! But where did the lantern go?

While she parks her car, by accident, she almost overturns Peter’s camera. Weteringstraat intersection Lijnbaansgracht

Even in 2021 this street is THE art street of Amsterdam and obvious nowadays that there is a new art dealer in this building.

Ellen apologises to him. He tells her that he takes some photos of his painting that are exposed in the gallery. Weteringstraat intersection Lijnbaansgracht

Even this new photo looks black and white.

Ellen enters the gallery. Weteringstraat intersection Lijnbaansgracht

How surprised Frank was to see that nowadays you are allowed to drive in this street and that there are no 'prohibited to drive' signs to be seen.

Peter takes a photo of her and it looks like she is stealing a small statue. Weteringstraat intersection Lijnbaansgracht

Here we have two typical Amsterdam bikes.

Ellen leaves the gallery and she takes a walk into town. Weteringstraat

Still Frank prefers the summertime above the wintertime.

She enjoys the puppet theatre on the Damsquare but suddenly she sees Peter who is following her. Damsquare in the direction of Rokin

The result of the Covid-19 lockdown. The absolute center of the city, the heart of the city, and it is empty. Great for making these 'now' photos but quit spooky and scary when it is the capital city of the Netherlands that should be crowded any time of the day.

Ellen starts to run to avoid this young man. Damsquare in the direction of the Nieuwe Kerk.

In the background we see the Nieuwe Kerk (new church) on the Dam square. The history of this church started around 1380 because the Oude Kerk (old church) on the Ouderkerkerplein, was considered too small due to the enormous growth of the city in the second half of the 14th century. That is why it is called the New Church.

She enters an arcade hall and hopes to escape from Peter. The person who stands in front of the store is a so called ‘stoepeur’. They don’t exist any more but what they used to do was to talk to people on the street and try to motivate them to enter the store. Fact is, that on this location back in the days, they were actually standing there. This man however is an actor (Lex Goudsmit). Nieuwendijk 37

The 'stoepeur' has been replaced by probably the ugliest trashcan in the history of mankind. Isn’t there anybody in the council who can replace this for a better and more appropriate model?

Once inside she shoots at the shooting gallery with an air rifle and it is bulls eye, an automatic photo has been taken. Peter stands in the back and applauds. She rushes, jumps in a taxi and takes off. Nieuwendijk as seen from number 37

And again we see an ugly green trashcan. Perfect that they removed the cars out of this street but have some respect for the architecture please.

Once home she finds out that Peter is at her home. He shows her a photo and he extorts her and asks her to come over to his house. Later Ellen wants to talk to her husband but he is only interested in his clocks. These clocks are driving her crazy. She leaves home and drives to Peter’s apartment. Huize Zeveneinde, Laren (PB).

Peter wants to paint her......naked. If she will pose for him naked, he will hand over the negative of the photo to Ellen. She agrees only when she may have the painting. Later they drive through Amsterdam. Intersection Leidsestraat and Kerkstraat

The trams still goes through the Leidsestraat but cars are prohibited for some time now.

They speed up and rush towards Koningsplein. Leidsestraat between Herengracht and Keizersgracht

Even for a Sunday morning it is very quiet in the main street of Amsterdam. As said before an eerie result of the pandemic..

Eventually they stop at the tobacco store and here Peter reveals his plan to Ellen that he is sure that her husband has a safe in the office next to the club and he wants the contents of the safe and Ellen has to provide the key of the safe. She has her doubts. Once back home she is scared to death when all the clocks go off at 24 hours. It makes her crazy!! Intersection Keizersgracht and Leidsegracht

With the beautiful car in front this could have been a much more interesting photo.

The next day Ellen goes to Peter and tells him that she cannot see him again. She goes to the courtroom where her husband is defending an accused man. All of a sudden Peter enters the courtroom with the painting of a nude Ellen. She rushes to Peter’s apartment. Palace of Justice, Prinsengracht 432

This is the former palace of justice and if it all goes well it will be transformed into a hotel, yet another to add to the many that Amsterdam already has. It seems nowadays that there are more hotels than regular houses. Anyway.. Amsterdam (again) is as usual under construction.

With an excuse to the home owner she enters Peter’s apartment hoping to find the negative and the painting. Westerdoksdijk 713

A Vespa or Lambretta scooter would have been better in this photo.

Meanwhile Peter arrives home and finds Ellen searching his apartment. He shows her the negative and the painting and tells her that she can have both as long as he gets the key for the safe. Finally she agrees and gets the key. With this, Ellen’s story and flashback ends. She gives Stroomer the negative and the photo. Westerdoksdijk 713

Not much changed here over the years.

Stroomer goes to the art gallery and informs them as to what has happened. It turns out that the owner gave the address of Peter to Ellen and that she bought a painting off him. Now we see the photo and it looks like Ellen steals a statue but in fact she paid for it. Stroomer thinks Ellen did this on purpose so blackmailing her seems logical. Later he goes to the shooting gallery and picks up the photo of the bullseye shot. Stroomer also visits his companion, van Dijck and he confesses that he and Ellen had a secret relationship for years. Weteringstraat intersection Lijnbaansgracht

Frank couldn’t make it into this gallery so instead he took the shot right in front of this building. We don’t want to push Frank so far that he would have enter the building while it is closed. We like to take the perfect shot but there are limits.

Stroomer goes to the night club and repeats the moves Peter must have made to get into Lex Martens office. Here he bravely climbs out of the toilet window at 10:32. Unknown location.

The next day finally Peter tells Stroomer his side of the story when he hears that Ellen had a longtime relationship with van Dijck. The flashback: Peter was taking some pictures of his paintings at the art gallery when Ellen by accident almost knocked over his camera. Weteringstraat intersection Lijnbaansgracht

Same shot as Capture 18.

Ellen asks Peter if he took a photo of her when she was in the art gallery. He shows Ellen the painting he was taking a photo of. So far both storylines are almost the same. Weteringstraat intersection Lijnbaansgracht

Same shot as Capture 16.

Now the stories start to change from each other. Peter tells that Elllen was following him and not the other wat around. Damsquare

A little history lesson: From the building seen here, a massive shooting happened a couple of days after WW2 was ended. Some drunk German soldiers opened fire from the top of the building onto the celebrating crowd below and killed over 20 innocent people. This building is the first building on the right when you walk into the Kalverstraat and as a memory to that horrible event there is a commemorative plague at the corner of the Kalverstraat and the Dam to honour the victims.

While looking at the puppet theatre, Peter noticed that Ellen is following him. He quickens his pace and leaves. Damsquare

This is what you see during lockdown while there is a worldwide pandemic . Frank has never seen the Dam like this before and he hopes he will never see it like this again.

He enters the arcade hall and hopes to escape from Ellen. Nieuwendijk 37

Aaah, here we have our excellent green addition to the street furniture again.

Once inside he shoots at the shooting gallery with an air rifle, and it is a bulls eye, and an automatic photo has been made. Ellen stands in the back and applauds. In a hurry, he rushes and leaves. Nieuwendijk 37

Now this is the center of Amsterdam and it has the look of a ghetto!! Even the pigeons have their doubts about this ruin.

He rushes to Ellen Martens house because she ordered him to paint her for 1000 guilders. Peter agrees. Later that evening Ellen shows up at Peter’s apartment and instantly tries to seduce him. She insists that he paints her nude. He falls completely for her and he paints her again and again. Huize Zeveneinde, Laren (PB).

Ellen and Peter have a romantic meeting in front of a windmill. She complains about her husband. Unknown location.

Ellen invites Peter to a seafood restaurant. She tells Peter that her husband wants to kill her and she shows Peter the gun that she found in her husband’s bedroom. Peter wants to help her and Ellen tells Peter that in his office there is a safe with a brown envelope in it with photo’s where her husband can blackmail her so she will stay with him forever. Once they are gone she and Peter can live together. That is what Ellen says and Peter believes her. He agrees to break in and take the envelope, when he does so, he discovers the body of Martens. Unknown location.

Later Stroomer asks Ellen and van Dijck to come to the police station and in an Agatha Christie style he tells all of them the facts. The shooting gallery photo that shows Ellen on the background, someone who lured the police to Marten’s office and several witness statements but it is all indirect evidence. Stroomer makes a smart move; he lets everybody listen to a tape recording of all kinds of clocks that go off. Ellen gets completely out of herself and shouts that Van Dijck did kill Martens. He makes a full confession. Ellen and Van Dijck are arrested and Peter can go home. Unknown location.