The bell in the clock tower of Simpeldorp has cracked and needs to be replaced. The entire village is up in arms and wondering how to raise enough money. It turns out to be the sympathetic raveling hobo Dorus that comes up with the solution: organize a fancy fair. The plan gets approved almost instantly and Dorus gets the honor of keeping score of the raised cash. A rival pastor proposes to hold a rally cross in his own Parrish and add the proceeds to Simpeldorp's plight as well. The mayor and co decide to pick out a new bell at the local and since the Mayor can't drive his old car himself, once again Dorus comes to the rescue. Over at the Bell merchants, the lovable little tramp puts on the kind of musical act he made famous on his show "Een Avond in Saint Germain Des Prés": pretending to play his theme tune ("A-socialist") by banging on the different sized bells lying around.
Tom Manders (Dorus) is surrounded in this 45 minute TV play by a colorful collection of supporting characters, including a rather unfunny hard of hearing chaplain, two young lovers called Huub & Antje, who are the necessary push into each others arms by, who else, Dorus, a couple of bickering pastors and an entire battalion of 'Schutters' who offer to make Dorus an honorary member. Just when you think thing's couldn't get better for Dorus (or the inhabitants of Simpeldorp), 2 young scalawags steal the entire amount raised (7.000 guilders) and make a run for it. Guess who's the only one to pursue them? That's right, you guessed it. Dorus even manages to subdue the pair of them even though one of them knows judo and the other's a boxer. While the silly deaf chaplain is accusing our heroic Dorus of being the thief (something the good-willed mayor naturally will not believe), Dorus returns in triumph, having picked up the bell on the way back. What a guy, that old tramp!
The second Dorus 'TV-movie' differs from the first (De Wolf En Zijn Zeven Dochters) in several ways. This time around, instead of being just a lazy (but helpful) vagabond, Dorus seems to be a beloved friend to just about the entire town. Further more, he is completely trusted by the most influential of the townspeople and even knows how to defend himself against not one, but two younger men simultaneously. Dorus is perhaps a tad too perfect in this one. As a director, Manders managed to make use of all several great locations around in Limburg and also made use of some very inventive scene transitions. Tom Manders made one more TV-movie in this series, the little seen "De Gestolen Willem III" which apparently features Dorus' first screen kiss and was set in the province of Zeeland. After that Manders unsuccessfully tried to get a movie deal out of his beloved character, a venture that left him bankrupt and forced him to go back into the recording studio as well as back to television to get out of debt.
7 out of 10
Tom Manders (Dorus) is surrounded in this 45 minute TV play by a colorful collection of supporting characters, including a rather unfunny hard of hearing chaplain, two young lovers called Huub & Antje, who are the necessary push into each others arms by, who else, Dorus, a couple of bickering pastors and an entire battalion of 'Schutters' who offer to make Dorus an honorary member. Just when you think thing's couldn't get better for Dorus (or the inhabitants of Simpeldorp), 2 young scalawags steal the entire amount raised (7.000 guilders) and make a run for it. Guess who's the only one to pursue them? That's right, you guessed it. Dorus even manages to subdue the pair of them even though one of them knows judo and the other's a boxer. While the silly deaf chaplain is accusing our heroic Dorus of being the thief (something the good-willed mayor naturally will not believe), Dorus returns in triumph, having picked up the bell on the way back. What a guy, that old tramp!
The second Dorus 'TV-movie' differs from the first (De Wolf En Zijn Zeven Dochters) in several ways. This time around, instead of being just a lazy (but helpful) vagabond, Dorus seems to be a beloved friend to just about the entire town. Further more, he is completely trusted by the most influential of the townspeople and even knows how to defend himself against not one, but two younger men simultaneously. Dorus is perhaps a tad too perfect in this one. As a director, Manders managed to make use of all several great locations around in Limburg and also made use of some very inventive scene transitions. Tom Manders made one more TV-movie in this series, the little seen "De Gestolen Willem III" which apparently features Dorus' first screen kiss and was set in the province of Zeeland. After that Manders unsuccessfully tried to get a movie deal out of his beloved character, a venture that left him bankrupt and forced him to go back into the recording studio as well as back to television to get out of debt.
7 out of 10