'' Blonde Dolly '' is a

1987 File:1987 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The MS Herald of Free Enterprise capsizes after leaving the Port of Zeebrugge in Belgium, killing 193; Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashes after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airport, k ...

Dutch

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super-g ...

about a

prostitute Prostitution is the business or practice of engaging in sexual activity in exchange for payment. The definition of "sexual activity" varies, and is often defined as an activity requiring physical contact (e.g., sexual intercourse, non-penet ...

who co-finances the purchase of a

Vermeer Johannes Vermeer ( , , see below; also known as Jan Vermeer; October 1632 – 15 December 1675) was a Dutch Baroque Period painter who specialized in domestic interior scenes of middle-class life. During his lifetime, he was a moderately succe ...

painting, directed by

Gerrit van Elst Gerrit is a Dutch language, Dutch male name meaning "''brave with the spear''", the Dutch and Frisian form of Gerard.Beh ...

and with Hilde Van Mieghem and Peter Tuinman in the lead roles. The film is based on the real-life

Hague The Hague ( ; nl, Den Haag or ) is a city and municipality of the Netherlands, situated on the west coast facing the North Sea. The Hague is the country's administrative centre and its seat of government, and while the official capital of ...

prostitute, ''Sebilla Alida Johanna Niemans'', better known as " Blonde Dolly", who was murdered in 1959. and whose murder remains unsolved. The film received a poor response from critics but was a moderate success in cinemas.

Plot

Prostitute Blonde Dolly has many different facets. Sometimes she is a window prostitute in the

red-light district A red-light district or pleasure district is a part of an urban area where a concentration of prostitution and sex-oriented businesses, such as sex shops, strip clubs, and adult theaters, are found. In most cases, red-light districts are particu ...

of The Hague, then an expensive model, a call girl and an artist. The director of the

Gemeentemuseum The Kunstmuseum Den Haag is an art museum in The Hague in the Netherlands, founded in 1866 as the Museum voor Moderne Kunst. Later, until 1998, it was known as Haags Gemeentemuseum, and until the end of September 2019 as Gemeentemuseum Den Haag. I ...

in The Hague, Eddy Cremer, becomes obsessed by her. He spies on her and falls in love. The love is mutual and Dolly even meets Eddy's wife. The latter paints a portrait of Dolly on which she is depicted as a

femme fatale A ''femme fatale'' ( or ; ), sometimes called a maneater or vamp, is a stock character of a mysterious, beautiful, and seductive woman whose charms ensnare her lovers, often leading them into compromising, deadly traps. She is an archetype of ...

. The painting is then burned by Dolly. Eddy proposes to go to

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

. He is a connoisseur of paintings and knows how to distinguish fake ones from real ones. In the French capital his eye fell on a painting by Johannes Vermeerthat he wants to buy. Dolly becomes co-financier of the purchase, but after the purchase the painting turns out to be a forgery. A rift occurs between Dolly and Eddy over this. When Dolly is back in The Hague, she continues her old life, but notices that her familiar neighborhood has become a lot more restless. Not long afterwards she is murdered in her house. The police are investigating and questioning all of Dolly's known customers, but everyone has an alibi. The police then also discover a more hidden sides of Dolly and that her acquaintances and clients occupy positions in high places. Further investigation does not provide any leads and the case remains unresolved.

Background

The facts

Sebilla Niemans, born on September 27, 1927, was a famous prostitute in The Hague who went under the pseudonym of 'Blonde Dolly' in the 1940s and 1950s. When she was found murdered in bed on November 2, 1959, a shock went through

the Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

. It became known that Dolly also had clients in better circles where she also worked as a model and recital artist. She owned real estate and later a large amount of golden dollars were found in her house. There was a rumor that Dolly had a blue diary with the names of high-ranking people who were her customers. This turned out not to be the case later, there was a blue book but it contained nothing controversial. Although the police interviewed many people and did extensive investigations, the case remained unsolved and was closed in 1977.

The fiction

Seven different scenarios were explored before a version that the

producer Producer or producers may refer to: Occupations *Producer (agriculture), a farm operator *A stakeholder of economic production *Film producer, supervises the making of films **Executive producer, contributes to a film's budget and usually does not ...

and director could continue with. The problem being little was actually known about the murder. Interrogations and files about the murder of Blonde Dolly had not been released in 1986. Nor was a perpetrator found. This meant that the writers could use their imagination. They created a psychological drama around the prostitute Blonde Dolly, who really existed, and the fictional Eddy Cremer. In particular, as both Dolly's life and death were surrounded by mysteries, gave the writers the freedom to speculate. The alleged contacts of Blonde Dolly with high-ranking figures in Dutch society also added a spicy touch to the script. But it remains fiction: the film is not a reconstruction of the murder case.

Production

Auditions for the film were difficult, and a few days before shooting was due to start, nobody had been chosen for the title role. Actresses such as

Renée Soutendijk Renette Pauline Soutendijk (, born 21 May 1957), known professionally as Renée Soutendijk, is a Dutch actress. A gymnast in her youth, Soutendijk began her acting career in the late 1970s. She was a favorite star of director Paul Verhoeven's fil ...

and Liz Snoyink were approached for the role, but showed no interest. The Belgian actress Hilde Van Mieghem was eventually chosen. The film was a struggle for director Jonne Severijn who was eventually replaced by his assistant director Gerrit van Elst. Filming took place in The Hague in the autumn of 1986.

Cast

Listing from Filmvandaag: * Hilde Van Mieghem ... Dolly/Sylvia/Kitty * Peter Tuinman ... Eddy Cremer *

Fred Vaassen Fred may refer to: People * Fred (name), including a list of people and characters with the name Mononym * Fred (cartoonist) (1931–2013), pen name of Fred Othon Aristidès, French * Fred (footballer, born 1949) (1949–2022), Frederico Rodr ...

... Vaclav *

Adrian Brine Adrian is a form of the Latin given name Adrianus or Hadrianus. Its ultimate origin is most likely via the former river Adria from the Venetic and Illyrian word ''adur'', meaning "sea" or "water". The Adria was until the 8th century BC the main ...

... Baron Tuft * Piet Kamerman ... Debrie *

Herbert Flack Herbert Flack (29 June 1913 – 1995) was a Canadian speed skater. He competed in the men's 1500 metres event at the 1932 Winter Olympics The 1932 Winter Olympics, officially known as the III Olympic Winter Games and commonly known as L ...

... Ambassadeur *

Wilbert Gieske Wilbert may refer to: *Wilbert, Minnesota, U.S., unincorporated community *Wilbert, Archbishop of Cologne (died 889) * Wilbert or Wigberht (8th–9th century), Bishop of Sherborne Given name *Wilbert Awdry (1911– 1997), English clergyman, railw ...

... Karel *

Priscilla Visser Priscilla is an English female given name adopted from Latin ''Prisca'', derived from ''priscus''. One suggestion is that it is intended to bestow long life on the bearer. The name first appears in the New Testament of Christianity variously as ...

... Anita * Con Meyer ... Adje *

Celia Nufaar Celia may refer to: General *Celia (given name) *''Celia'', a subgenus of carabid beetles of the genus '' Amara'' *Celia, the last natural-born Pyrenean Ibex * Celia (virtual assistant), AI virtual assistant by Huawei *, a number of ships with ...

... Moeder * Suzanne Colin ... Galeriehoudster * Stef Feld ... Fietser * Laus Steenbeke ... Jongen met mes

References

External links

* {{IMDb title, id =0092668, title = Blonde Dolly Dutch drama films 1987 films 1980s Dutch-language films Films about murder Films about prostitution in the Netherlands Cultural depictions of prostitutes Cultural depictions of Dutch people