THE MYSTERIOUS MAGICIAN

Bad guys: Brockmann, Lange, John, Waitzmann

THE MYSTERIOUS MAGICIAN (aka Der Hexer/1964). Director: Alfred Vohrer. In "Ultrascope." 

Gwenda Milton (Petra von der Linde), the secretary to a corpulent man named Messer (Jochen Brockmann), is strangled and her body dumped in the Thames. Realizing that Gwenda was the sister of criminal mastermind Arthur Milton, popularly known as the "Ringer," Inspector Bryan Edgar Higgins (Joachim Fuchsberger of The Fellowship of the Frog) figures that his adversary is bound to come to London for the funeral and to get even with the people who killed Gwenda. Joining him in his quest for the Ringer is veteran cop Inspector Warren (Siegfried Lowitz), as well as a mysterious man named Wesby (Heinz Drache of The Brides of Fu Manchu), who shows up at opportune moments and may even be the Ringer. Meanwhile Milton's wife, Cora Ann (Margot Trooger), has arrived in London and is in obvious communication with her unseen husband. Higgins promises his girlfriend, Elise (Sophie Hardy), that he will marry her if he captures the Ringer. As for the Ringer, he is going about taking care of the members of Messer's white slavery racket, including Reverend Hopkins (Carl Lange of Death in a Red Jaguar),  Shelby (Karl John), and Reddingwood (Kurt Waitzmann), who guides the gang's mini-sub.

Heinz Drache and Joachim Fuchsberger

Another Edgar Wallace adaptation from West Germany, this is a fast-paced, entertaining, fun movie featuring both of the "heroes" from the series, Fuchsberger and Drache. Elements from sixties spy movies had crept into the krimi movies and Fuchsberger sometimes comes off more like a spy than a police inspector, but that's not a problem in this picture. The Ringer had also appeared in a couple of earlier British films. You may think you have figured out who the Ringer is but you might be wrong. Siegfried Schurenberg appears as Higgins' boss, Sir John, but is not so buffoonish in this. The name Bryan Edgar Higgins is an in-joke referring to Bryan Edgar Wallace, the son of the famous author and a writer himself.  

Verdict: One of the better West German Wallace adaptations. ***. 

THE SQUEAKER

Gunter Pfitzmann and Heinz Drache

THE SQUEAKER (aka Der Zinker/1963). Director: Alfred Vohrer. 

In London a criminal mastermind called the Snake is being pursued by Inspector Elford (Heinz Drache). The Snake seems to somehow be involved with a zoo managed by Frank Sutton (Gunter Pfitzmann), who receives a threatening letter from the Snake. Sutton's fiancee, Beryl (Barbara Rutting), is a mystery writer as well as the niece of the lovably eccentric Nancy Mulford (Agnes Windeck), who owns the zoo and lives in a sprawling mansion. Other characters include newspaper publisher Sir Geoffrey (Siegfried Schurenberg); his mincing if hetero reporter, Harras (Eddi Arent); Millie Trent (Inge Langen), Sutton's strangely hostile secretary; and the skulking Krishna (Klaus Kinski), who carries out much of the Snake's dirty work. 

Drache with Agnes Windeck

The Squeaker takes a while to get going and some viewers may want to give up on it after about half an hour of relative tedium. But eventually the movie becomes rather lively, with some creative deaths, prowling tigers, weird weapons, and quite a few slithering reptiles, as well as an interesting climax wherein the eccentric old lady -- who has her own axe to grind -- confronts the Snake in her dining room. The villain's identity may or may not come as a surprise, although it's telegraphed towards the end. The cast is game, with Agnes Windeck really scoring as the old lady, but Eddi Arent -- who gives virtually the same unfunny performance in every single movie -- is incredibly irritating.  

Verdict: Yet another West German Edgar Wallace adaptation which is not without interest. **1/2. 

THE INDIAN SCARF

Klaus Kinski and Heinz Drache

THE INDIAN SCARF (aka Das indische Tuch/1963). Director: Alfred Vohrer. In widescreen "Ultrascope."

After Lord Lebanon is strangled in his castle, lawyer Frank Tanner (Heinz Drache) gathers the relatives in the dining room and reads the first of two wills. They all must stay together in the castle for several days before they can hear the details of the final will, or forfeit their inheritance. As an unknown figures goes about strangling virtually the entire cast with the title object, Tanner tries to figure out which of the household is homicidal: the hated American Tilling (Hans Nielsen); his shrewish wife (Gisela Uhling); the bastard Ross (Klaus Kinski); the butler Bonwit (Eddi Arent); the strange and hulking Chiko (Ady Berber); Lady Lebanon (Elisabeth Flickenschildt); her son, Edward (Hans Clarin), a classical pianist; or someone else? 

Elisabeth Flickenschildt and Hans Clarin

Like other West German Edgar Wallace adaptations, The Indian Scarf has a good (if rather familiar) plot, but its execution is mediocre. With its inappropriate musical score and flaccid direction, there are only a few arresting moments, but not a dollop of tension or major suspense, and with this storyline that's criminal. As usual the acting is good -- another vivid performance from Flickenschildt, for instance, and Clarin is quite effective -- and just as usual Eddi Arent nearly stinks up the whole production with his unsubtle allegedly comic approach. However, Siegfried Schurenberg is not cast as a police superintendent but as a victim for a change. An actress named Corney Collins is cast as the Lovely Young Lady and Alexander Engel is the reverend. Although the final scenes are quite well-done, there is a campy coda involving the benefactor of the will that may have you groaning. At least we do hear some nice classical music throughout the film, especially Chopin's "Fantasie-Impromptu" (popularized as "I'm Always Chasing Rainbows") although the jazzed-up version played over the credits is unfortunate. 

Verdict: Even absurd plots should be taken seriously if they're going to work. **1/2.

THE HORROR OF BLACKWOOD CASTLE

Siegfried Schurenberg and Karin Baal

THE HORROR OF BLACKWOOD CASTLE (aka Der Hund von Blackwood Castle/1968). Director: Alfred Vohrer. 

"Everyone's dying here -- so inconsiderate!" -- Lady Agatha. 

Captain Wilson (Otto Stern) has died and his daughter, Jane (Karin Baal), has inherited his creepy old castle. As an insurance investigator, Connery (Heinz Drache of The Brides of Fu Manchu), tries to recover the stolen Amsterdam jewels, members of the late captain's crew are being killed by a hound outfitted with fake poisoned fangs -- are they also searching for the jewels which the captain might have stolen? In addition to the castle, much of the action centers on a rundown Inn managed by the feisty Lady Agatha (Agnes Windeck), whose guests are dropping like flies. Meanwhile Jane's avaricious long-lost mother, Catherine (Mady Rahl) shows up to see what she can get from her daughter's inheritance. Can Sir John of Scotland Yard (Siegfried Schurenberg) stop the murders and solve the case? 

von Berlepsch, Engel, Drache,

Usually in these movies Siegfried Schurenberg as Sir John pops up now and then to act the buffoon and gives orders to the detectives who are actually doing the investigating, but in Blackwood Castle he seems to be the chief investigator, which gives the whole film a comic or even campy -- or at the very least tongue-in-cheek -- tone to it which works against the suspense. (It's almost as if Schurenberg got so much screen time to make up for the absence of Eddi Arent, who generally plays the comic relied in these krimi films.) 

In any case, even though it comes together at the end, Blackwood Castle is a bit too convoluted for its own good. The movie is introduced by a voice claiming to be Edgar Wallace, and there is a terrible rock-like theme song. The actors, including Tilo von Berlepsch as Lady Agatha's brother, Henry, and Alexander Engel as Dr. Adams all give flavorful and adept performances. The hound (or hund) itself is not given that much to do, and the storyline is quite different from "The Hound of the Baskervilles." Pretty good ending to this. 

Verdict: Rather weird Wallace krimi that seems to go all over the lot. **1/2. 

THE BRIDES OF FU MANCHU

Christopher Lee and Tsai Chin

THE BRIDES OF FU MANCHU (1966). Director: Don Sharp. 

In this sequel to The Face of Fu Manchu, the diabolical Chinese doctor (Christopher Lee of Alias John Preston) is kidnapping the daughters of prominent scientists so that he can force their fathers to work on a devastating weapon with which he hopes to conquer the world. His chief adversary, of course, is Nayland Smith (Douglas Wilmer), accompanied by Dr. Petrie (Howard Marion-Crawford), while Fu's assistants include his daughter Lin Tang (Tsai Chin), the faithful Feng (Burt Kwouk), and the quisling Nikki Sheldon (Harald Leipnitz of The Sinister Monk). Franz Baumer (Heinz Drache) takes the place of one of the fathers so that he can lead Smith to the Temple of Karna where the prisoners are held and Fu has the controls for his weapon. Fu succeeds in vaporizing one ship and all of its passengers -- we see little children playing on the boat deck before this happens -- and has set his sights on destroying all of the participants in a political conference unless he can be stopped ... 

Douglas Wilmer

With a wealth of material from Sax Rohmer's atmospheric, detailed, and suspenseful novels about Fu Manchu, it's a shame that the British films featuring the character are comparatively bland and tame. Sure, we have one poor woman thrown into a pit of vipers, but Brides has none of the outre creatures or torture devices employed by Fu in the books. The super-weapon the scientists develop is pretty lame, especially when you compare it to similar devices in spy movies of the period. As usual Fu himself is completely one-dimensional, where there was more substance to him in the novels. 

The "brides," Carole Gray, Rupert Davies

Brides is a step down from Face of Fu Manchu, which was also directed by Don Sharp. The only real period atmosphere is provided by the automobiles, and the film has little urgency or real excitement. As Nayland Smith, Wilmer is okay, but not as good as Nigel Green in the first film. Lee is also okay, but seems a bit disinterested, treading water -- he would get worse. An interesting, if under-developed character is Abdul (Salmaan Peerzada) who surreptitiously works against Fu Manchu and does his best to help the shanghaied ladies. Carole Gray plays Michelle, one of the women, and Rupert Davies is her father. All in all, it's just a bit bleh. 

Verdict: Acceptable but minor-league Fu film. **1/2.