Hunted in Holland

I suppose there is a type of elderly female relative who would think that this is just the sort of movie to see with a youngster. It's filled with such lovely images of Holland. We are still supposed to call it Holland, aren't we? They haven't changed the name because it's an oppressive remnant of some colonial past? No? Well, that's nice. Sean Scully is a nice boy, a bit rambunctious, but he'll settle down, off to visit his pen pal, Jacques Verbrugge, who is so well behaved. He knows all the rules, and no doubt had a fine career as an EU bureaucrat. And then there's Sandra Spurr as Jacques' little sister. She looks so nice and neat and her shoes are so well polished! It's a shame they had to get involved with those diamond thieves, but they noticed them, and they actually rescued the diamonds and outwitted the thieves. Because, thieves aren't very bright, dear. They don't think, and if they did, they would make better plans and study hard and go to college. Now, sit quietly and watch the lovely movie, and if I doze off, don't wake me.

One of the last features made by Ian Dalrymple's Wessex Productions is this lively travelogue in colour in which the credits inevitably appear over an Amsterdam barrel organ and the action (which at one point resembles 'The Twelve Chairs' substituting Dutch cheeses for chairs) also treats us to plenty of canals and windmills. The dialogue has plainly been post-synced back at Anvil Films (with the assistance of lots of narration and a busy score by Muir Matheson), with the result that it feels more like a continental film that has been dubbed into English than a native production.

Less preachy than most CFF adventures (although it anticipates the warning in 'Pulp Fiction' over thirty years later that guns handled carelessly can go off by accident), it interestingly reveals that sixty years ago in Amsterdam it was accepted practice for kids to ride their bikes on the pavement.

Both heroes are the sons of policemen, but in their absence go it alone to foil the usual gang of crooks, who are scarier than their British equivalent and have been trailing them in a big, imposing black car before being pelted with tomatoes. The film is enhanced rather than harmed as a travelogue by the onlookers frequently gathered in the background watching the filming.

As commented on by virtually all other reviewers, this has a silly story (even for a children's film) and so-so acting, but it's a jolly nice travelogue of 1960 Holland filmed in attractive, muted Eastmancolor, with a decent music score.

Interesting to see that the Holland shown seems relatively unscathed by WW2 (unlike the usual CFF "bombsite" London films). Bikes are much in evidence and I trust that it is still safe to leave them anywhere unlocked as shown here! Interesting also to note quite a few big German cars already around, and a few gigantic American ones (they were fairly common right up to the '70s).

Not one of these early CFF films is unworthy of attention; thanks again to UK's Talking Pictures channel. If small channels like these are allowed to thrive, who cares what the BBC does!

I am surprised to find that there are still people commenting on this film as late as 2021, I wasn't aware it was still available to view. It was made in 1960, when I was just ten years old and played the part of Annike den Helder. I watched it again two years ago, when my daughter arranged a private viewing at our local boutique cinema for a lot of my family and friends. I must admit, the acting is at most, wooden, but it was fun at the time, being chaperoned all over Holland and treated like royalty, chauffeur driven around and staying in some of the best hotels in Amsterdam and Rotterdam.

The creators of this little gem seemed to be more interested in giving the viewer a tour of Holland than in telling a story.

It reminds me of those old educational films that tried (nearly always unsuccessfully) to add a story to some academic subject to make it more interesting. There are however many impressive scenes of Holland in this film.

The plot consists of three kids (a Dutch boy, his sister and their guest from England) who happen upon a stolen diamond bracelet. A gang of jewel thieves then chase the three throughout Holland trying to recover their prize.

Obviously, this was a low-budget production as witnessed by the weak plot and poor acting; Its one redeeming feature being the scenery. I also especially liked the houseboat the Dutch kids called home.

Although this film is suitable for all ages, I doubt that most kids today would find it watchable...My 14-year-old summed it up as "boring." But, if you'd like a peek at picturesque Holland 40 or so years ago, then this film would fit the bill.