Oranje Hein (1925)

Summary

After some years as a colonial soldier in the Dutch East Indies, Hein, nicknamed Oranje Hein, comes home to Amsterdam where Aal has been patiently waiting for him. They soon get into double harness. Hein resumes his profession of shoemaker and is respected throughout the Jordaan as a trump, while his wife becomes known as a grumbler.

Their upstairs neighbours are Thijs, his wife Ant and their young daughter Mientje. Thijs drinks more than is good for him and is a brawler when drunk. Ant's parents live on the other side of the street and are having trouble with their youngest daughter Dien, who has a penchant for night-life. One evening Thijs comes home drunk and creates a scene in which a policeman gets a vase on his head. Dien runs away, leaving a note saying that she is going to enjoy a better life in Rotterdam.

To pay for his booze, Thijs starts sending the furniture to the pawnbroker's. When Mientje tries to prevent this, Thijs throws the girl onto the street. The remaining household effects are rescued by neighbours.

Ant goes to live with her parents. She intends to divorce Thijs and provide for herself and Mientje by working as a charwoman. One day, while cleaning a window, she falls out and is taken to the hospital. In the meantime Thijs has repented and has done everything possible to stop drinking and to turn over a new leaf. Hein informs Thijs about Ant's accident.

Three weeks later, when Ant has recovered, Mientje brings her a letter from Thijs in which he asks to be forgiven. Ant replies that she is prepared, at least temporarily, to move back into their house. She is pleasantly surprised to see that the broken windows have been repaired, the walls re-papered and all the furniture is back in its place.

Simultaneously with the reunion of Ant and Thijs, Ant's father celebrates his 70th birthday with a party to which all the neighbours are invited. Dien comes back to her parents. The party reaches its height when the barrel-organ is playing on the square and all the protagonists are happy again.