Joop Doderer
Encyclopedia
Johan Heinrich Doderer (28 August 1921 - 22 September 2005) was a Dutch
actor
, well known for his role as the tramp
Swiebertje in the eponym
ous television series. The series ran for 17 seasons between 1955 and 1975, and was broadcast by the NCRV
. Beside the role as Swiebertje, Doderer played in dozens of radio and television programs, he played the role of Alfred Doolittle in My Fair Lady
, acted in Dutch and English movies, and appeared on stage in comedies
, musicals, cabaret
and drama
s.
Doderer was born in Velsen
, but brought up in Amsterdam
. After finishing the hbs (Higher Public School), it took a big effort before his parents allowed him to take acting lessons. In 1939, aged 18, the Amsterdam acting school rejected him for 'lack of talent'. Instead, he started his acting career as an extra at the Nederlandsch Toneel, which enabled him to study actors like Cor van der Lugt Melsert.
After World War II
, he played in many comedies and musicals. For seven years, he was part of the ensemble of Wim Sonneveld
, and this is where he met his first wife Conny Stuart
. He also acted in some movies: in the 1959
movie Het Wonderlijke leven van Willem Parel
, and appeared on the radio, including the programs De bonte dinsdagavondtrein and Koek en ei. From the fifties onwards, Doderer is a star. He often ad-libs on stage, to the amusement of the audience, but not of his co-players.
At age 52 he married the 21 year old Ester. Together they had two children.
Between 1955 and 1975, he played Swiebertje on television. In 2001, the series was given the one-time only Signaal-award for the best television show in the past 50 years by the Dutch
television viewers. Doderer was quite proud for being well-known as Swiebertje, although it took him many years after the end of the series to look back positively (see below). In 2003, a bust of Swiebertje was placed in the town Oudewater
, where many of the outdoor scenes of the series were shot.
Doderer was a Ridder in de Orde van Oranje-Nassau (Knight in the Order of Orange-Nassau
).
Doderer died in a nursing home
in Roelofarendsveen.
is since then known as the Swiebertje-effect. He even moved to England
and for four years, he played high quality drama
on television. In 1979, he played a South Africa
n agent, in The Human Factor
, by Otto Preminger
, together with Richard Attenborough
, Derek Jacobi
and John Gielgud
.
In the 1990s, Doderer finally succeeded in shedding his comedian image, and he played serious roles in Dutch theaters, under the direction of Ivo van Hove
and Ger Thijs.
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
, well known for his role as the tramp
Tramp
A tramp is a long term homeless person who travels from place to place as a vagrant, traditionally walking or hiking all year round. In British English meanwhile a tramp simply refers to a homeless person, usually not a travelling one....
Swiebertje in the eponym
Eponym
An eponym is the name of a person or thing, whether real or fictitious, after which a particular place, tribe, era, discovery, or other item is named or thought to be named...
ous television series. The series ran for 17 seasons between 1955 and 1975, and was broadcast by the NCRV
NCRV
NCRV is a public radio and television broadcaster in the Netherlands, mostly transmitting on Nederland 1 and Nederland 2....
. Beside the role as Swiebertje, Doderer played in dozens of radio and television programs, he played the role of Alfred Doolittle in My Fair Lady
My Fair Lady
My Fair Lady is a musical based upon George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion and with book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe...
, acted in Dutch and English movies, and appeared on stage in comedies
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
, musicals, cabaret
Cabaret
Cabaret is a form, or place, of entertainment featuring comedy, song, dance, and theatre, distinguished mainly by the performance venue: a restaurant or nightclub with a stage for performances and the audience sitting at tables watching the performance, as introduced by a master of ceremonies or...
and drama
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
s.
Doderer was born in Velsen
Velsen
Velsen is a municipality in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. It is located on both sides of the North Sea Canal.On the north side of the North Sea Canal, in IJmuiden, there is a major steel plant, Corus Strip Products IJmuiden, formerly known as Koninklijke Hoogovens...
, but brought up in Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
. After finishing the hbs (Higher Public School), it took a big effort before his parents allowed him to take acting lessons. In 1939, aged 18, the Amsterdam acting school rejected him for 'lack of talent'. Instead, he started his acting career as an extra at the Nederlandsch Toneel, which enabled him to study actors like Cor van der Lugt Melsert.
After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he played in many comedies and musicals. For seven years, he was part of the ensemble of Wim Sonneveld
Wim Sonneveld
Willem 'Wim' Sonneveld was a Dutch cabaret artist and singer. Together with Toon Hermans and Wim Kan, he is considered to be one of the 'Great Three' of Dutch cabaret. Sonneveld is generally viewed as a Dutch cultural icon for his work and legacy in theatre, musicals and music...
, and this is where he met his first wife Conny Stuart
Conny Stuart
Conny Stuart , pseudonym of Cornelia van Meijgaard, was a Dutch actress, singer, and cabaretière.-Biography:...
. He also acted in some movies: in the 1959
1959 in film
The year 1959 in film involved some significant events, with Ben-Hur winning a record 11 Academy Awards.-Events:* The Three Stooges make their 190th and last short film, Sappy Bull Fighters....
movie Het Wonderlijke leven van Willem Parel
Het Wonderlijke leven van Willem Parel
Het Wonderlijke leven van Willem Parel is a 1955 Dutch comedy film directed by Gerard Rutten.-Cast:*Wim Sonneveld ... Wim Sonneveld / Willem Parel*Peronne Hosang ... Hermine Toets van Slinderen*Femke Boersma ... Angèle...
, and appeared on the radio, including the programs De bonte dinsdagavondtrein and Koek en ei. From the fifties onwards, Doderer is a star. He often ad-libs on stage, to the amusement of the audience, but not of his co-players.
At age 52 he married the 21 year old Ester. Together they had two children.
Between 1955 and 1975, he played Swiebertje on television. In 2001, the series was given the one-time only Signaal-award for the best television show in the past 50 years by the Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
television viewers. Doderer was quite proud for being well-known as Swiebertje, although it took him many years after the end of the series to look back positively (see below). In 2003, a bust of Swiebertje was placed in the town Oudewater
Oudewater
Oudewater is a municipality and a town in the Netherlands, in the province of Utrecht.-Population centres :The municipality of Oudewater consists of the following cities, towns, villages and/or districts: Hekendorp, Oudewater, Papekop, Snelrewaard....
, where many of the outdoor scenes of the series were shot.
Doderer was a Ridder in de Orde van Oranje-Nassau (Knight in the Order of Orange-Nassau
Order of Orange-Nassau
The Order of Orange-Nassau is a military and civil order of the Netherlands which was created on 4 April 1892 by the Queen regent Emma of the Netherlands, acting on behalf of her under-age daughter Queen Wilhelmina. The Order is a chivalry order open to "everyone who have earned special merits for...
).
Doderer died in a nursing home
Nursing home
A nursing home, convalescent home, skilled nursing unit , care home, rest home, or old people's home provides a type of care of residents: it is a place of residence for people who require constant nursing care and have significant deficiencies with activities of daily living...
in Roelofarendsveen.
Swiebertje-effect
Being well known as Swiebertje hampered Doderer when playing serious roles after 1975. On one occasion he entered the stage, and the public started laughing. Doderer left the stage, and reentered, and the public laughed again. After repeating this five times, he had to tell the public to stop laughing, or he would leave the theater. On another occasion, the theater public started singing the tune of Swiebertje when Doderer entered the stage. In the Netherlands, this effect of typecastingTypecasting (acting)
In TV, film, and theatre, typecasting is the process by which a particular actor becomes strongly identified with a specific character; one or more particular roles; or, characters having the same traits or coming from the same social or ethnic groups...
is since then known as the Swiebertje-effect. He even moved to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and for four years, he played high quality drama
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
on television. In 1979, he played a South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n agent, in The Human Factor
The Human Factor
The Human Factor is an espionage novel by Graham Greene, first published in 1978 and adapted into a 1979 film, directed by Otto Preminger using a screenplay by Tom Stoppard.-Plot summary:...
, by Otto Preminger
Otto Preminger
Otto Ludwig Preminger was an Austro–Hungarian-American theatre and film director.After moving from the theatre to Hollywood, he directed over 35 feature films in a five-decade career. He rose to prominence for stylish film noir mysteries such as Laura and Fallen Angel...
, together with Richard Attenborough
Richard Attenborough
Richard Samuel Attenborough, Baron Attenborough , CBE is a British actor, director, producer and entrepreneur. As director and producer he won two Academy Awards for the 1982 film Gandhi...
, Derek Jacobi
Derek Jacobi
Sir Derek George Jacobi, CBE is an English actor and film director.A "forceful, commanding stage presence", Jacobi has enjoyed a highly successful stage career, appearing in such stage productions as Hamlet, Uncle Vanya, and Oedipus the King. He received a Tony Award for his performance in...
and John Gielgud
John Gielgud
Sir Arthur John Gielgud, OM, CH was an English actor, director, and producer. A descendant of the renowned Terry acting family, he achieved early international acclaim for his youthful, emotionally expressive Hamlet which broke box office records on Broadway in 1937...
.
In the 1990s, Doderer finally succeeded in shedding his comedian image, and he played serious roles in Dutch theaters, under the direction of Ivo van Hove
Ivo van Hove
Ivo van Hove is a Belgian theater director best known as the artistic director of Toneelgroep Amsterdam in The Netherlands as well as for his avant garde experimental theater productions on Off-Broadway.-Career:...
and Ger Thijs.