MANHATTAN NIGHT OF MURDER

Heinz Weiss and George Nader

MANHATTAN NIGHT OF MURDER (aka Mordnacht in Manhattan/1965). Director: Harald Philipp. 

In New York a group of thugs called The Hundred Dollar Gang are terrorizing business owners who don't pay the monthly protection fee of $100. During an attack on a restaurateur, the man is shot to death, but apparently not by any of the gang members. FBI agent Jerry Cotton (George Nader) and his partner, Phil Dekker (Heinz Weiss) investigate, and obtain the help of gas station owner Sophie (Elke Neidhart) while doing their best to protect little Billy (Uwe Reichmeister) who witnessed the shooting. Jerry and Phil eventually arrive at the Goldfish Club, where there are "mermaids" in a tank and a cool blonde named Wilma (Silvia Solar of Death and Diamonds) advises the gang members. But she is not the true leader -- that is something Jerry and Phil have to determine before they can put this case to bed.

George Nader

This is the second of eight German action films starring Nader as Cotton, and it is generally entertaining and fast-paced although it drags in some spots. The musical score, featuring the Carnival-like Jerry Cotton theme, becomes pretty annoying, however. Nader makes a good Cotton and the other performances are also adept. There is a terrific scene when one of the thugs, who screwed up, is tied to a chair with a bomb that will go off if anyone opens the door, and Jerry has to enter the room another way to prevent both of them from being killed. There are some fairly exciting fight and chase sequences. The identify of the ultimate gang leader is a small surprise. There are enough location shots to preserve the illusion that this actually takes place in New York City, although one suspects that this was filmed mostly in Germany. This follows The Violin Case Murders and is preceded by The Trap Snaps Shut at Midnight. 

Verdict: 2nd entry in an interesting series. **3/4. 

DEATH AND DIAMONDS

George Nader as Jerry Cotton

DEATH AND DIAMONDS (aka Dynamit in grune Seide/1968). Director: Harald Reinl. 

The FBI has been after a hoodlum named Stone for a long time, and learns that he has come up with a master plan that will employ a career criminal and safecracker named Trevor (Claus Tinney). It is decided to have top agent Jerry Cotton (George Nader) replace Trevor and infiltrate the gang. Cotton, who deals primarily with Charles Bloom (Carl Mohner), Stone's good right hand, discovers that Stone's plan is to use paralyzing gas in a plot to steal millions of dollars worth of diamonds. Cotton's problem is to maintain his false identity while doing everything he can to foil this plot -- and keep himself from being murdered. 

Carl Mohner (right) as Bloom

Death and Diamonds is another fast-paced and entertaining Jerry Cotton thriller from Germany, with Nader and the rest of the cast in good form. In one suspenseful bit Jerry is nearly incinerated when he's locked in a kind of furnace, and there's an incredible scene when he simply launches himself at an approaching car and smashes through the windshield with his feet! Silvia Solar plays a blonde associate of Bloom's who winds up kidnapped by him, and there's a wild scene when a nasty brunette named Mabel (Marlies Drager) takes a slashing whip to the woman. Heinz Weiss is back as Jerry's associate Phil Decker and Claus Holm plays his boss "Butt" Lancaster. The finale of the film has Jerry trying to capture Stone while Bloom and the others try to outwit Cotton, Stone and each other over 12 million dollars in diamonds. Followed by Death in a Red Jaguar. 

Verdict: Fun and often exciting German thriller. ***.