The American movie
BETRAYED is set during the Second World War and was largely filmed in the Netherlands. In the blog post
Maastricht, Netherlands I wrote about the south of the Netherlands as a film location where filming started in Maastricht and Sittard.
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| Clark Gable, Lana Turner and Victor Mature (publicity photo) |
The film, originally titled
The True and the Brave, starts in 1943. Secret agent Colonel Pieter Deventer (Clark Gable), known as 'Rembrandt', joins the Dutch resistance led by 'The Scarf' (Victor Mature). Deventer suspects Carla van Oven (Lana Turner), who as a spy by the name of Fran Seelers infiltrates with the Nazis, of collaboration but also falls in love with her. While in the city of Delft he is captured by the Germans. A Nazi officer offers him to work as a double spy for the Nazis but he declines. Deventer is being rescued by the resistance and escapes.
Filming in the city centre of Delft took place from 5 to 8 October and on 27 October 1953.
The scenes during which Pieter Deventer is chased by the Grüne Polizei started filming on October 5. The streets were randomly chosen, there is no route that can be traced. Cameraman Freddie Young probably only looked at photogenic locations in Delft.
Disguised as a greengrocer, Deventer has transmission equipment hidden in his horse-drawn cart, which is being traced by the Germans. Their car drives over the Verwersdijk and passes the Doelenstraat. The Nieuwe Kerk (‘New Church’) can be seen in the background. Pieter Deventer drives at Markt, the central square in Delft. Café Monopole on 48a Markt is briefly seen, today restaurant Willem van Oranje is located here. A few moments later he rides on Verwersdijk and enters Doelenstraat.
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| Betrayed 0:03:40 |
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| Verwersdijk, Delft, 12 February 2018 |
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| Betrayed 0:03:52 |
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| Restaurant Willem van Oranje, Markt, Delft, 12 February 2018 |
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| Betrayed 0:04:03 |
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| Corner Verwersdijk and Doelenstraat, Delft, 12 February 2018 |
The car of the Germans drives from Oosteinde into Gasthuislaan. This street is near the Oostpoort (‘East gate’) where the cart drives underneath. Here too, the Nieuwe Kerk can be seen in the distance. The Oostpoort is completely visible when the car passes the adjacent Oostpoort Bridge. The Oostpoort dates from about 1400, the towers were raised in the 16th century. The bridge was built in 1514.
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| Betrayed, 0:04:17 |
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| Corner Oosteinde and Gasthuislaan, Delft, 12 February 2018 |
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| Betrayed, 0:04:24 |
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| Oostpoort, Delft, 12 February 2018 |
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| Betrayed, 0:04:35 |
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| Oostpoort, Delft, 12 February 2018 |
Still ignorant that he is being followed, Pieter Deventer drives over the canal Oude Delft. At the same time, the Grüne Polizei (‘Green Police’) passes the canal Vrouwjuttenland next to Choorstraat. When the cart crosses the Oude Delft near Binnenwatersloot, the Germans come in from Peperstraat and the secret agent is arrested.
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| Betrayed, 0:04:43 |
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| Oude Delft, Delft, 12 February 2018 |
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| Betrayed, 0:04:52 |
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Corner Vrouwjuttenland and Choorstraat,
Delft, 12 February 2018 |
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| Betrayed, 0:05:03 |
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| Oude Delft, Delft, 12 February 2018 |
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| Betrayed, 0:05:07 |
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| Oude Delft, Delft, 12 February 2018 |
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| Betrayed, 0:05:09 |
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| Peperstraat, Delft, 12 February 2018 |
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| Betrayed, 0:05:15 |
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Corner Oude Delft and Binnenwatersloot,
Delft, 12 February 2018 |
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| Betrayed, 0:05:32 |
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Corner Oude Delft and Peperstraat,
Delft, 12 February 2018 |
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Statue of Hugo de Groot,
Markt, Delft, 12 February 2018 |
Pieter Deventer is soon rescued by the resistance. If he does not surrender, the Germans will shoot three prominent residents of Delft as a reprisal. The scenes of the execution were filmed on 6 October 1953 at Markt, the square where the Nieuwe Kerk, the Town Hall and a statue of Hugo de Groot are. Afterwards, it turned out that due to a technical error these scenes had to be reshot and on 27 October the square was again closed for a whole day. The local retailers received a compensation of 6000 guilders. At the same time, additional shots were also made at Peperstraat and Binnenwatersloot. Because the shopkeepers at these streets were not compensated, they threatened to disrupt filming by hoisting the Dutch flag. After consultation at Town Hall, they were also given a financial compensation.
The resistance is given until seven o’clock to hand over Pieter Deventer. The three prisoners await their fate, note their coffins standing in front of Town Hall. They are watched from a distance by residents of Delft. A German soldier looks at his watch, the time can also be seen on the tower clock of the Nieuwe Kerk. This building has a long history. The first church was made of wood and built in 1381. This structure was soon replaced by a stone church that was expanded or rebuilt several times over the centuries after destruction by fire, the Great Iconoclasm and the explosion of a nearby powder house. The current church dates from 1655. The scene where the square can be seen from above was filmed from the church tower.
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| Betrayed, 0:18:25 |
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| Nieuwe Kerk, Delft, 12 February 2018 |
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| Betrayed, 0:18:29 |
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| Town Hall, Delft, 12 February 2018 |
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| Betrayed, 0:18:33 |
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| Markt, Delft, 12 February 2018 |
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| Betrayed, 0:18:36 |
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| Nieuwe Kerk, Delft, 12 February 2018 |
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| Betrayed, 0:18:39 |
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| Nieuwe Kerk, Delft, 12 February 2018 |
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| Betrayed, 0:18:51 |
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| Nieuwe Kerk, Delft, 12 February 2018 |
In the photo archive Beeldbank Nationaal Archief are some black-and-white photographs from the Anefo Photo Collection of the filming on 6 October 1953, showing the moment of the execution.
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| Markt, Delft, 6 October 1953 (publicity photo) |
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| Markt, Delft, 12 February 2018 |
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| Markt, Delft, 6 October 1953 (publicity photo) |
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| Markt, Delft, 12 February 2018 |
I did not manage to identify all streets and canals in Delft. If someone recognizes locations on the screenshots below, please let me know. I know that the church on the right on the second screenshot is Maria van Jessekerk, also known as Jozefkerk (thanks to the Verouden family for this information). The scene was probably filmed on the Verwersdijk but I could not find the exact location.
Update 27 September 2020 Visitor Leo identified the first screenshot correctly as Oude Kerkstraat, see
Google Maps. During production the church, on the left, was is in the scaffolding.
Update 18 March 2021 Website
Delft Kijkt identifies the third screenshot: the car exits Lange Geer and continues on Achterom.
Screenshots and publicity photos © MGM
Photo collection Anefo © Beeldbank Nationaal Archief CC-BY-SA
