Customer Reviews

Hans Brinker or the Silver Skates

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This movie was filmed for the Disney anthology TV series "Walt Disney's Wonderful World Of Color" (also known as "The Wonderful World Of Color") and was shown in two parts on January 7 & 14, 1962. The film was released theatrically outside the United States in 1964. I consider this film among Disney's best live-action films of its time.

The film is based on Mary Mapes Dodge's classic 1865 book of the same title. It is a shame that the book and film are both unknown by most people, because both are very special.

The story has everything I want in a film - characters I can admire and care about, who overcome numerous hardships and earn their happy ending.

The scenery is beautiful - filmed in the Zuider Zee area of Holland near the scenic communities of Comperduin and Volendam, as well as at Rembrandt's home in Amsterdam. The winter scenes for the skating races were filmed in Sweden.

The basic plot is of a brother and sister trying to win a skating race for money for their father's operation. He needs an operation due to brain damage from a head injury. The family is also desperately poor, because only the father knows where their savings are hidden - and he cannot remember. The story is full of adventure, hardship, mystery, and the love of a family for each other.

I first remember this film from seeing it on the Disney Channel in the mid 1980s. I have enjoyed watching the film numerous times over the years and am thrilled to finally have a chance to buy it on DVD.

This was a wonderful uplifting family movie and was understood even by my 5 year old grandchild. It held all of our attention thoughout the movie.

I'm not quite sure how this movie would do with young people today. I saw it once nearly 30 years ago and I loved it and felt the need to buy it just to see it again when it was released on DVD. I found myself remembering certain parts of it and images in an uncanny sort of way.

The story is a bit simplistic, but the scenery is interesting and there is a surreal little dream sequence which is great, though not brilliant. Overall, I got out of it what I wanted and would gladly share this movie with other young people...though I'm not sure how much of their attention it would hold in this modern age...?

I simply love this Movie I saw this as a child, it seemed it only showed for a few years after that and then just went away to the film locker. But I kept it in my memory and decided to see if I could find it. My kids would find it boring and OLD but to those of us Oldies who remember it and loved it it is a Wonderful memory filled movie to watch.

Uplifting film that teaches the importance of family and hard work. Beautiful scenery.

I notice a few reviewers think that younger people would be bored by this movie. I just watched it with my eleven year old and he liked a lot. He said at first that it looked dull but then sat down and got sucked into it, especially the racing scenes. The acting is good and the story moves along.
I only give it four stars though, because it is only about 50% like the book that I enjoyed so much as a child. The book was really good--I don't know why they didn't stick to it.

BEHIND THE SCENES & TRIVIA: Shot on location in Amsterdam, and the towns of Camperduin and Volendam. The ice skating races on the frozen lake and river were shot in Sweden according to the Disney film book by Harry Tytle. Harry was the European Disney Representative overseeing film project s for many years. Like many of the films made in Europe under Walt Disney's guidance, this film was made with local actors and crew with the exception of a few administrative special positions. The art director, cameramen, wardrobe, sound, lights, and set construction was all provided by local talent. The very capable acting was all local talent as well. The film was directed by Norman Foster and he also acted as the local associate producer, (Walt's name always appeared as producer), and had previously directed some of the episodes of Davy Crockett, Zorro, and Elfego Baca shows for Disney. He also makes an appearance in the October 27, 1954 show The Disneyland Story". Mr. Foster also wrote the screenplay for this film based upon the classic book of the same name by Mary Maples Dodge. A co-director from the region worked with Foster on the set. The music was by one of the long-time Disney Studio staff composers, Oliver Wallace who won an Academy Award ® for his work on Dumbo, as well as working on scores for Cinderella, Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland, and Lady and the Tramp. The artwork that Hans sketches throughout the film was created by an artist hired for the film, Joshua Meador.

The film was made for the television show "Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color" as a two episode movie airing January 7 & 14, 1962. It aired three years later on April 18 & 25, 1965. The episodes were edited together for European theatrical release as a movie in 1963. Unlike many Disney films, this one had not been released to the VHS rental market in the 1980's and so this is the first release for the U.S.A. home market. The new DVD was released on September 7, 2004. The picture and sound were clear and bright. The aspect ratio is 1.33:1. Total length is 90 minutes.

This films works in a big part because Walt Disney allowed his producers to go to Europe and film on location with local acting talent, scenery, and a local film crew for authenticity. No backlot recreations of Dutch villages, or dubious Dutch period costumes would do, he strove for authenticity and it shows. Leonard Maltin calls this film, "First Rate" and I heartily agree. The exciting story, cast, costumes, culture and scenery all come together just right in a quickly paced film. This is a great family film, and the way the family comes together to help each other is a great role model for any family.

THE STORY: This highly recommended period film is about the lives of the Brinker family who lives in a rural Dutch village near the Zuider Zee. The father Raff, is a fisherman and although the family is poor they are a very close and happy family. His teenage son Hans is a budding artist who helps his family, but would like to go to school to become a professional artist. His father not only supports this, but has been saving money towards his education. Teenage daughter Gretel helps at home and is very talented with her own skills in making lace. Mother Hilda keeps them all together, but when tragedy strikes the family when Raff is injured they are challenged. Hans and his sister quickly chip in to find inventive ways to earn income to eat and afford their fathers medical care. When Hans and Gretel learn of a big ice skating race with a cash prize race, they decide to join in. There is some romance as Hans and a girl fall in love, but her wealthy father will not allow her to see someone of that is not in the upper class.

The story of a young-man and his family who live in Holland along the Zeider-Zee (Southern-Sea).

Filmed in Holland and Sweden with Dutch actors / ice-skaters. Disney-color.

Hans is poor. The girl he loves is wealthy. The girl's father wants her to date only wealthy boys. The wealthy rival gives Hans trouble.

Half of Holland was once ocean; made into dry farmland, by building dikes / dams, and draining the water by windmill-driven-pumps into canals. One city in Holland reaches 23-feet below sea-level.

A story of action, adventure, friendships, and family. Will Hans win the 26-mile ice-skating race and the prize-money he needs?

This Disney-version is the best version. The other version is pleasant, and has several ok songs; but this Disney-version has more story and more drama.

I love this movie! I remember being very young (early seventies) and going to see this movie with my whole 2nd grade class. And now to be able to see this again after so many years, bring brings back great momories. Oh sure, the acting is not academy award worthy, but it's message and it's feel-good ending is what this movie is all about. And watching this also reminds me of Sunday nights in front of the television watching Disney movies.... So order this movie, sit back an let yourself remember when life was innocent.

Hans Brinker or the Silver Skates is truly the quintessential family film. Having grown up watching the Wonderful World of Disney, I have fond memories watching the "Wonderful World of Color." It is still a delight to see Mary Mapes Dodge's nineteenth century story come alive of Hans (Rony Zeaner) and his sister, Gretel (Carin Rossby), keep the family together as they attempt to win the winter ice skating race in order to pay for their father's head operation. The film carries three themes, which consists of the family, pursuing one's dream, and kindness.

But in every story, there are obstacles. Hans works odd jobs from selling wood to local merchants to drawing pencil sketches in order to put food on the table for his father, mother, brother, sister, and for himself. Hans and Gretel leave their home in Holland and travel to Amsterdam to find a doctor who specializes in head injuries, and in the interim, Hans comes across an art dealer who takes in his sketches. In addition, he takes a liking towards Hilda Van Glick (Gunilla Gelf), and tries to win her heart and impress her father by painting her portrait. However, Hans is scrutinized by one of his peers and rival, Ludwig Schimmel (Lennart Klefbom), who spreads rumors and lies about Hans and Hans's father (Eric Strandmark), whom he cruelly refers to as the village idiot. Regardless of the bullying, Hans prevails.

Disney churns out another timeless classics that can be enjoyed by the entire family. And for every film, there is always a moral to the story, which is that you can do anything if you put your mind to it. Indeed, this rang true for Hans Brinker.