THE HAND OF POWER

Death's Head: the killer laughs

THE HAND OF POWER (aka The Zombie Walks aka Im Banne des Unheimlichen/1968). Director: Alfred Vohrer. 

In yet another West German film based on a novel by Edgar Wallace, laughter seems to come from the coffin at Sir Oliver's funeral. This unnerves his brother, Sir Cecil (Wolfgang Kieling of Our Man in Jamaica), especially when someone wearing a death's head mask, cape and hat starts running around poisoning victims via a ring shaped like a scorpion. As Inspector Higgins (Joachim Fuchsberger, as usual) investigates, there are several suspects: Dr. Brand (Siegfried Rauch of The College-Girl Murders); Potter, the vicar (Hans Krull); the stonemason Ramiro (Peter Mosbacher); nurse Adela (Claude Farell); the black chauffeur, Casper (Jimmy Powell); and others. Meanwhile reporter Peggy Ward (Siw Mattson) runs about alternately investigating and interfering. 

Siw Mattson and Joachim Fuchsberger

The film is introduced by a voice claiming to be (the late) Edgar Wallace. This is followed by an absolutely terrible theme song. The plot is very good and quite intriguing, but there's a surfeit of dumb humor, which greatly minimizes any tension. Instead of the buffoonish Sir John, we get the equally buffoonish Sir Arthur (Hubert von Meyerinck) giving Higgins his orders -- he is not only a ballet fan but tries out a few steps in the office. At least the annoying Eddi Arent isn't in the cast. 

Verdict: Good story; so-so execution. **3/4. 

THE COLLEGE-GIRL MURDERS

Another mad monk with a whip on the loose!

THE COLLEGE-GIRL MURDERS (aka Der Monch mit der Peitsche/1967). Director: Alfred Vohrer.

Frank Keeney (Siegfried Rauch) is spirited out of jail by corrupt prison staff so he can become a paid killer for an unknown figure who keeps alligators in a pen on his property. Keeney is given a special gun that fires a stream combining gas with acid so that he can kill several co-eds at a girls college run by Harriet Foster (Tilly Lauenstein). If that weren't enough a man in a monk's outfit and carrying a whip murders people just as was done in The Sinister Monk, a film that is referenced in this one. Inspector Higgins (Joachim Fuchsberger) teams up with the rather buffoonish Sir John (Siegfried Schurenberg) to try to unravel a very strange, indeed, utterly absurd -- but very entertaining -- Edgar Wallace mystery. 

Siegfried Rauch

This is another in a series of West German thrillers based on the works of prolific British author Edgar Wallace. College-Girl Murders comes from "The Black Abbot," but somehow I doubt that it's a particularly faithful adaptation. This version has added "euro-spy" elements with secret super-villains in elaborate HQs, weird weapons, and as usual, enough plot for five movies. (Schurenberg's Sir John appears in most of the Wallace adaptations.) The musical score is not off-putting, the pace is fast, the acting is generally good, there are numerous suspects, and the identity of the masterminds comes as a bit of a surprise (although you may not quite buy it). A plot element is "borrowed" from Agatha Christie's "ABC Murders." 

Verdict: Wild and crazy caper from West Germany. **3/4.