De big van het regiment

Summary

Comedy about a case of espionage in an army regiment.

'A lot of jokes, exploding cigars and noise', and 'pure entertainment', said the critics when the army comedy De big van het regiment, directed by German immigrant Mox Nosseck, was first shown. The screenplay was adapted from the detective novel 'Spionnage in het veldleger' (Espionage in the field army) by lawyer and writer Anton Roothaert, who went on to write the Doctor Vlimmen trilogy.

Producer M. A. Sprecher and director Nosseck transformed the story into an audience-friendly comedy about army life in a regiment that is supposed to guard the border between the Netherlands and Belgium. Stars like Frits van Dongen, Fien de la Mar and Johan Kaart drew large audiences, as did the songs by, among others, Jacques van Tol and Max Tak.

Rootheart visited the Cinetone Studio's and later wrote 'Camera loopt' (The camera is running), a fascinating insight into the Dutch film world of the 1930s.