''Amsterdam Affair'' (also known as ''Love in Amsterdam'' ) is a 1968 British

crime film Crime film is a film belonging to the crime fiction genre. Films of this genre generally involve various aspects of crime and fiction. Stylistically, the genre may overlap and combine with many other genres, such as Drama (film and television), dr ...

directed by

Gerry O'Hara Gerald O'Hara (1 October 1924 – 9 January 2023) was a British film and television writer and director. Life and career O'Hara was born in Boston, Lincolnshire on 1 October 1924, to James O'Hara, a bookmaker, and Jeannie O’Hara (née Beamont) ...

and starring

Wolfgang Kieling Wolfgang Kieling (16 March 1924 – 7 October 1985) was a German actor. Biography In films since childhood in his native Germany, Kieling appeared in a few American films, notably in Alfred Hitchcock's '' Torn Curtain'' (1966), where he playe ...

William Marlowe William Marlowe (25 July 1930 – 31 January 2003) was a British theatre, television and film actor. He served in the Fleet Air Arm and hoped for a career as a writer before training as an actor at RADA. He was cast in ''A Family at War'' (19 ...

Catherine Schell Catherine Schell (born Katherina ''Freiherr, Freiin'' Schell von Bauschlott, 17 July 1944) is a Hungarian-born British actress who came to prominence in British film and television productions from the 1960s. Her notable roles include the Bond ...

and Pamela Ann Davy. It was written by Edward Ward based on the 1968 novel ''Love in Amsterdam'' by

Nicolas Freeling Nicolas Freeling (born Nicolas Davidson; 3 March 1927 – 20 July 2003), was a British crime novelist, best known as the author of the "Van der Valk" series of detective novels. A television series based on the character, ''Van der Valk'', was pro ...

Plot

Dutch policeman Van Der Valk investigates a novelist who is accused of murdering his mistress.

Cast

as Van der Valk *

as Martin Ray *

as Sophie Ray * Pamela Ann Davy as Elsa de Charmoy * J.A.B. Dubin-Behrmann as Eric *

Guy Deghy Guy Deghy (born Gedeon Aladar Istvan Deghy; 11 October 1912 – 25 February 1992), was a Hungarian-born actor who appeared largely in British films and television. Career He appeared in the 5th episode of the first season of'' The Saint'' dep ...

as Will Munch * Lo van Hensbergen as Magistrate

Production

Gerry O'Hara was under contract to

Sydney Box Frank Sydney Box (29 April 1907 – 25 May 1983) was a British film producer and screenwriter, and brother of British film producer Betty Box. In 1940, he founded the documentary film company Verity Films with Jay Lewis. He produced and co- ...

when signed to direct. He also wrote the script. He said the producers tried to remove him from the film as a director, but could not as O'Hara had written the script and was not under contract as a writer. "It's a film I like enormously," said O'Hara.

Reception

The Monthly Film Bulletin The ''Monthly Film Bulletin'' was a periodical of the British Film Institute published monthly from February 1934 until April 1991, when it merged with '' Sight & Sound''. It reviewed all films on release in the United Kingdom, including those wi ...

'' wrote: "Despite its rather wordy script and the time it takes to get under way, this thriller is not altogether without style. The copious dialogue is well enough written to sustain interest, the Amsterdam locations are attractively photographed, and Wolfgang Kieling is engagingly quizzical as the

Maigret Jules Maigret (), or simply Maigret, is a fictional French police detective, a '' commissaire'' ("commissioner") of the Paris ''Brigade Criminelle'' ('' Direction Régionale de la Police Judiciaire de Paris:36, Quai des Orfèvres''), created ...

-like police inspector." ''

Kine Weekly ''Kinematograph Weekly'', popularly known as ''Kine Weekly'', was a trade paper catering to the British film industry between 1889 and 1971. Etymology The word Kinematograph was derived from the Greek ' Kinumai ', (to move, to be in motion, to ...

'' wrote: "An ingenious and well-written mystery, this is drawn out a little too long, but should commend itself in most situations. ...The film contains far more talk than action, but it is well-constructed, natural- sounding dialogue and all the main characters are well drawn. There is, perhaps, too muh use of memory flashbacks and some of the incidentals are given far more time than their iinterest deserves; but the mystery and tension are on at a reasonable pitch throughout by playing om the duel of personalities between Martin and Inspector Van der Valk." ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'' wrote: "William Marlowe gives a sound, convincing performance as the bewildered, slightly arrogant suspect, and Catherine Von Schell as the wife, Pamela Ann Davy as the victim and Lo Van Hensbergen as the unctuous magistrate shape well together with a predominately Dutch cast. But the most interesting thesping comes from Wolfgang Kieling as the sardonic, sadistic but painstaking detective. A neat score by Johnny Scott and other technical credits measure up."

Leslie Halliwell Robert James Leslie Halliwell (23 February 1929 – 21 January 1989) was a British film critic, encyclopaedist and television rights buyer for ITV, the British commercial network, and Channel 4. He is best known for his reference guides, '' Fi ...

wrote "Tolerable ''roman policier''."

References

External links

* {{IMDb title, 0062665 1968 films 1960s English-language films Films directed by Gerry O'Hara Films scored by John Scott (composer) British crime films 1968 crime films Films set in Amsterdam Films shot in Amsterdam 1960s British films English-language crime films