Boogie in S

Content

A cheerful film about writers from various genres. In the end, there is only one publishing house that publishes them all.

Remarkable

This is an interesting film. Boogie in S is much more than an ordinary advert: it is a typical example of how Joop Geesink’s studio managed to combine advertising and entertainment. The film was produced by Dollywood in 1960 and lasts about two minutes.

Why a puppet film for a publisher?

That is perhaps the most interesting aspect of this film.

Around 1960, the publisher Querido began to focus heavily on the low-cost Salamander Pockets. The phenomenon of ‘pocket books’ (paperbacks) was still relatively new. The Salamander series was intended to make high-quality literature accessible to a much wider audience than the traditional, expensive hardback books. The target audience consisted of:

• young people;
• students;
• young families;
• people buying literature for the first time;
• train passengers and holidaymakers.

At the time, the pocket book was a modern product. The aim was to project an image of:

• contemporary;
• affordable;
• cheerful;
• culturally responsible.

A puppet film from Dollywood fitted in perfectly with this. Joop Geesink did not make ‘advertisements’, but mini-entertainment. His films were often shown in cinemas before the main feature. The audience had paid for a night out and expected entertainment. A dry advertisement worked less well than a cheerful musical spectacle.

Boogie in S?

Even music connoisseurs are likely to raise their eyebrows. Moreover, the title seems to be a parody of classical music titles such as Boogie in C or Boogie in F, where the letter normally indicates the key. By specifically choosing an ‘S’, a subtle joke is created that is only revealed at the end of the film. The S almost certainly stands for Salamander, the product being advertised.