Hans die Skipper

Hans die Skipper ("Hans the seaman or sea captain") can refer to either a play or a film, both based on a renowned Afrikaans novel Hans-die-Skipper (1929) by D.F. Malherbe (1881-1969).

A stage version of Hans die Skipper

The original text

The original novel, set in a fishing village on the South African coast, tells of the conflict between the fisherman father Hans and his rebellious son. First published by Nasionale Pers as Hans-die-Skipper in 1929. As one of the early novels in the new language, it was long considered one of the great Afrikaans novels and used as a prescribed work at school.

Translations and adaptations

The novel was adapted as a play in four acts by the author himself and published by Nasionale Pers in 1933 with the title Die Seeman: Hans-die-Skipper Gedramatiseer (usually referred to simply as Die Seeman). The play, in contrast to the novel, is sometimes also referred to as Hans die Skipper, without the hyphens.

Performance history in South Africa

According to the Hanekom publicity material, the play was broadcast on radio, probably in 1933 or 1934.

1934/5? Produced by Hendrik Hanekom and his Toneelskool in Bloemfontein in 1934/5*? as Hans die Skipper. He took it on tour in the years following with the group called Die Hanekoms. The cast included Mathilde Hanekom, Antonius Ferreira, Hugo Sturm, Irma du Plessis and Jacques Lochner, besides Hendrik Hanekom himself as "Hans".

1934: Produced by KAT under the title Die Seeman ("The Seaman") in November 1934, directed by P. Tack with Herman Steytler in the lead.

The film Hans die Skipper

In 1952 a famous Afrikaans film was made of it featuring André Huguenet in the title role, also starring Adapted from his novel by D.F. Malherbe, Johan Bouwer and Herbert Kretzmer, with a screenplay by Bladon Peake, the film was poduced by African Film Productions and directed by Bladon Peake. It featured André Huguenet as "Hans-die-Skipper", Albie van der Bijl, Wena Naudé, Gert van den Bergh, Leonie Ross, Willie Herbst, Elsa Fouché, Johan Eloff, Francis Coertze and Pieter Hauptfleisch (voice - uncredited) .

Cinematography was by David Millin, film editing by Gerald Ehrlich, set and decor by Gordon Vorster, make-up by William Bell set construction by William van Reenen, sound by Edward Howes, camera operator John Brown and continuity by Dulsie Smit (Dulcie van den Bergh)

The film was released on 31 December 1952.

Sources

https://af.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans_die_skipper

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2016202/

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