Honneponnetje

Mother superior (Nora Kretz) of the nuns from the girls boarding school receives the father Evert (Hans Man in ‘t Veld) and mother Gerda (Marijke Merckens) of Honneponnetje (Nada van Nie), one of the girls from this school, to discuss financial funding. The boarding school really needs maintenance. Her father is a rich banker. Abbey Bonne-Esperance, Vellereille-les-Brayeux, Belgium

Honneponnetje escapes from the boarding school by climbing out of a window. Her father thinks she has been kidnapped because of all the money he donated to the school which is also missing. In reality she stole the money so she can support her walk into freedom. A car stops and the driver Benno (Kees Hulst) gives her a ride to ‘The Big City’. On the back seat sits his complaining wife Sofie (Lieneke le Roux). During a stop the driver seizes on Honneponnetje and Sofie and Benno get into a fight in a field. Meanwhile Honneponnetje steals the car and drives away. Unknown location.

Because of her terrible driving style, she is pulled over by two motorcycle cops. After causing an accident with one of the motors one of the police officers Herman (Bert Kuizinga) is totally in love with her and offers her a ride on his motor cycle to the big city. The other police officer George (Con Meyer) is furious. We thought, briefly, that this was the John Frost Bridge in Arnhem, but careful scrutiny of the arch structure and the street lights, in particular, confirms that it isn't. This is the Prinses Irene Brigade Bridge, formerly known as the Hedelsebrug, over the Maas between Den Bosch, Brabant, and Hedel, Gelderland in the Netherlands. The bridge was built in 1937, but blown up by the Dutch army in 1940 to hinder the German advance. Reinstated by the occupying power, it reopened in 1942, but was again blown up, this time by the retreating Germans, in 1944, and finally reconstructed after the war. (PB)

After a crazy ride he drops Honneponnetje off in the big city. This is The Hague and Frank could tell that because of the tram on the background. That is how they looked back in the 80’s in that city. The Hague. Phil B adds that the building behind the tram is the Mercure Hotel at the corner of Spui and Schedeldoekshaven. There has been much redevelopment here, and the hotel is one of the few buildings still recognisable from 1988.

When someone steals the red box full of money from Honneponnetje, Harry (Marc Hazewinkel) chases the thief but he manage to escape. In the background can be seen an older yellow type of tram from The Hague, the PCC tram. The last one was taken out of service in 1993. The Hague. PB adds that we are on Spui, looking southeast towards the crossing with Amsterdamse Veerkade, Schedeldoekshaven and Ammunitiehaven. At the top of the shot, right of centre, we can see the roofline of Spui 219, 221 and 223, which still stand today.

After a long walk and introduction to each other they get noticed by Benno, Sofie and George who are looking for the girl who put them in all that trouble. This is almost the exact same location as from the movie 'Devil with Seven Faces', capture 5,6, 8, 9, 10 and 11. Van Eeghenstraat, Amsterdam.

In 2021 they prefer to park their cars instead of racing around the block

Harry and Honneponnetje run like there is no tomorrow into the Vondelpark. Van Eeghenstraat, Entrance Vondelpark, Amsterdam.

Not much has changed here over the past years. A new traffic sign here and there.

Like a madman, George rams the beautiful fencing of the park. Van Eeghenstraat, Entrance Vondelpark, Amsterdam.

To avoid cars ramming the fence they simply opened the gate. Lovely early autumn shot

Driving through the park. Vondelpark, Amsterdam.

Frank prefers bikes in the Vondelpark instead of speeding cars.

After they escape from the crazy cop and the other two, there is a little peace and quiet now. Harry offers Honneponnetje a place to stay for a while at his little apartment. Vondelpark, Amsterdam.

The fountain still works after all these years.

Meanwhile at Honneponnetje’s parents house Evert and Gerda discuss how to get their ‘kidnapped’ daughter back. No ransom is asked yet. Unknown location.

Harry and Honneponnetje walk to Harry’s apartment. One thing is for sure, Frank knows without any doubt that this shot is not filmed in Amsterdam. Unknown location.

Evert goes to the police and talks to chief inspector Desiderius (Coen Flink) about the kidnapping and what to do now. Unknown location.

The next day Harry has to go to college at the university of Amsterdam. Aquarium Artis, Plantage Middenlaan 53, Amsterdam.

Now this was an easy one for Frank. When he was looking for the now spots when he was working on the film 'Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo' it took him a while to find this location and now it is used in 'Honneponnetje'. Capture 51, 52 and 67 from 'Deuce Bigolow: European Gigolo' also shows this location.

Again Harry is late, as usual. Aquarium Artis, Plantage Middenlaan 53, Amsterdam.

As can be seen in the previous comparative shot, there is a closed black fence in front of the door. Frank just tried it to see if it would open and it did, so here is the now shot.

When Honneponnetje wakes up she gets into an argument with the house owner (uncredited) and she has to leave and goes to the university. Aquarium Artis, Plantage Middenlaan 53, Amsterdam.

What kind of fertiliser did they use for trees in this part of town?

She waits outside while Harry is having an exam. Aquarium Artis, Plantage Middenlaan 53, Amsterdam.

Finally of all these years of garbage on the streets of Amsterdam the garbage service did clean up the mess. We thank this local public service for that.

Honneponnetje is noticed by the assistant of Apollo Romansky (Herbert Flack) a famous film director. Unknown location.

Apollo is stunned by her beauty and asks her to do an audition for his new film at his house. While he drives away with Honneponnetje, Harry spots them from the university and he runs to Romansky’s spacious house. While Apollo seduces Honneponnetje there is a cry for help from her parents on the television towards the kidnappers. She calls home. And she asks for some money. She asks for 500. Her father thinks it is 500.000 guilders. Harry enters the house and gets into a fight with Apollo. Unknown location.

Once outside Harry and Honneponnetje get into an argument with each other but they settle the quarrel. Unknown location.

Honneponnetje almost forgot, but she has an appointment at the bank to pick up the money. She jumps into a taxi together with two Palestinians who were already in the taxi and they rush to the bank. Rembrandplein, Amsterdam.

A typical early Sunday morning that shows us that the pandemic did put a stamp on all of us. It is empty

At the bank everybody is in a state of alert and there is police everywhere. Phil B eventually realised that the bank is at Bankstraat 7, Brussels. This was later the headquarters of Dexia. The building on the left has since been demolished, but the bank building, right of shot, has been undergone a major refurbishment and now houses the police headquarters.

The taxi rushes to the bank. View southwest along de Berlaimontlaan, Brussels. The car is heading south onto Bankstraat.

They arrive at the bank. Bankstraat 7.

Because Honneponnetje’s seat belt is stuck she asks the Palestinians to pick up the money and they do so. Scared to death because of the ‘terrorists’ they throw the money to the Palestinians. And of they go. Pachécolaan, Brussels, at the junction with Bankstraat, looking southwest along de Berlaimontlaan. The large edifice on the left is the headquarters of the Belgian National Bank (Phil B).

George, the motor cycle cop gives chase and follows the taxi but, as before, he is involved in an accident and the police have lost contact with the taxi. Looking north on Pachécolaan. The large structure bridging the road was a walkway connecting to the geometric garden, designed by René Pechère, that was on the roof of the car park (out of shot, right). The garden was dismantled in 2008 during works to address water leaks into the car park below, and the overhead walkway was removed at around the same time (PB).

Honneponnetje says goodbye to the taxi driver and the Palestinians. Unknown location.

Meanwhile Harry is in trouble because he was thrown out of his apartment by the house owner and he has no place to stay now. Unknown location.

While Honneponnetje and Harry are having a lunch she finds out that they have 500.000 guilders instead of 500. Harry needs to go and change a 1000 guilder note because they have no change. He goes to the bank. Unknown location.

Since the nuns know that Honneponnetje has the money from the red box they drive to the big city to search for Honneponnetje themselves. Harry gets arrested because he used a marked banknote. The Prinses Irene Brigade Bridge on the Brabant-Gelderland border. The bridge has very recently (February 16th 2022) been formally named after the Prinses Irene Brigade, a unit formed from members of the Dutch armed forces who escaped to Britain after the fall of the Netherlands. The Brigade were involved in heavy fighting in and around Hedel in 1945. (PB)

Honneponnetje is waiting and waiting for Harry but he doesn’t show up. She goes to the university to see if he is there but it is now closed. Aquarium Artis, Plantage Middenlaan 53, Amsterdam.

The statue of the naked man must be a film prop instead of a real one. There has never been a statue there.

The nuns are searching in the big city. Reguliersbreestraat seen from Rembrandplein, Amsterdam.

Sunday morning during a pandemic. In the background can be seen the munttoren on the Muntplein 12/14. This tower can also be seen in 'The Inspector' Capture 11, 'Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo' Capture 41, 'Modesty Blaise' Capture 15 and 'Operation Amsterdam' Capture 57.

Because she has plenty of money now she checks in at an expensive hotel and when she watches television she sees a call from her parents. She gets a taxi and rushes to the police station. Hotel Metropole, De Brouckereplein 31, Brussels, Belgium.

It seems like everybody comes together at the police station and it drives chief inspector Desiderius crazy. Honneponnetje arrives at the police station and is reunited with her parents but the ransom is still in the hotel. Harry is released. Unknown location.

Mother superior hears that the money is still in the hotel and she rushes to the hotel and she finds the bag where the ransom was held and she leaves the hotel. Once at a safe place she opens the bag and the money is not in there anymore. Hotel Metropole, De Brouckereplein 31, Brussels, Belgium.

The next morning Harry wakes up on the streets of Amsterdam. He gets in contact with the taxi driver and they rush to the boarding school. Rembrandplein, Amsterdam.

And as usual Amsterdam is…..under construction. Why do they often have to block his view when he wants to take the ‘perfect spot photo’ is what Frank often thinks. It appears to be a pre-requisite of comparative shots for Reelstreets that there has to be wire barriers, scaffolding or white vans in the exact field of view.

Journalists and other curious people are waiting in front of the school to see Honneponnetje arrive. They talk themselves into the school. The ransom was hidden in the laundry and has been washed and all the money is gone. Abbey Bonne-Esperance, Vellereille-les-Brayeux, Belgium

Honneponnetje talks to the other girls about her adventure and all the girls are curious about her exploits from the past days. When the holy mass is held Honneponnetje is still in her room. Harry climbs in her room and for the first time they make love with each other. Because of the stories that Honneponnetje told the girls they now away from the school into the freedom. Abbey Bonne-Esperance, Vellereille-les-Brayeux, Belgium.