Im Stahlnetz des Dr. Mabuse

Enjoyable German crime thriller stars Gert "Goldfinger" Frobe as police commissioner Lohmann, faced with a series of crimes perpetrated by convicts. These convicts have been turned into obedient slaves by the nefarious, mysterious mastermind Dr. Mabuse, and are able to escape prison and return there once their deeds are done. Giving Lohmann an assist is American FBI agent Joe Como (Lex Barker); also involved is a sexy female reporter, Maria Sabrehm (the delectable Daliah Lavi).

Capably directed by Harald Reinl ("The Torture Chamber of Dr. Sadism"), this is good, zesty entertainment that gets by due to effective lighting schemes, a swift pace, and a snappy script. The movie rarely stops moving, presumably to keep us focused on the story and prevent us from thinking about it too much. It's a delight to see heavyset, jovial Frobe as a hero, and Barker (just one of many Tarzan performers over the years) is solid as a character about whom you're never quite sure; whose side is he really on? Lavi is appealing while also functioning as major eye candy. The strong supporting cast includes Fausto Tozzi as the sleazy looking Warden Wolf, Werner Peters as his associate Bohmler, Wolfgang Preiss as the slippery Mabuse, Rudolf Forster as a disgraced chemist, Rudolf Fernau as a priest, and Joachim Mock as Detective Voss.

Sometimes startlingly violent (one victim is turned into a human torch), but pretty stylish throughout, "The Return of Dr. Mabuse" is just plain fun for any lover of this film series.

Seven out of 10.

As I generally greatly detest sequels, reboots and the like, especially of great filmic franchises created and led by outstanding filmmakers (ie., the Mabuse character and Fritz Lang) I initially had quite guarded reservations about seeing Reinl's version here. But it had significant strengths that made me quickly realize my fears were undeserved and that I, in fact, was in for a treat. The pace is whipcrack, the plot is intense and in Commissioner Lohmann, the villainous 'Goldfinger' (an excellent Gert Fröbe) pulls off a gritty cross between an Ed Asner and a Popeye Doyle-era Gene Hackman. I love how one of the ways Mabuse resorts to do away with pests pays homage to Lang's 'The Testament of Dr. Mabuse' from three decades prior. It certainly made me wary of churches, one-legged men and even laundry workers, for crying out loud, and part of the fear the film brings across is because in the back of our minds, we know this is precisely how the Nazis operated, studying fluoride as a mind-control agent. If there is any negative I got from the film, the Berlin police department (good ol' Lohmann notwithstanding) seemed the most unintelligent and incompetent sleuthing force this side of Inspector Clouseau. Definitely recommended for fans of thrillers and spy films.

Own laws are valid for criminal-genious Dr. Mabuse ( Wolfgang Preiss ). Inspector Gert Fröbe is being helped or disturbed by Lex Barker. The team, director H. Reinl and Lex Barker continued their work at Winnetou. The Westgerman-criminal-era started in the late 1950ies up to 1970. Famous were the many Wallace-criminals, but Dr. Mabuse is more unique with great Preiss and contains action and disport.

If you see that a big truck is following you, run as fast as you can, you are in danger of being set on fire with a flamethrower, crushed against a wall or thrown a substance that will put you to sleep and then kidnap you. All this and many other fascinating things happen in this film, it's a successful one from the Mabuse series. Harald Reinl, the director, was as good as Fritz Lang. We have a very young and beautiful Daliah Lavi in the role of a very curious reporter and at the same time the daughter of a scientist, we have the natural and very convincing Gert Fröbe as Kommissar Lohmann and Lex Barker as a FBI agent and the excellent experts in villainous roles Werner Peters as Böhmler and Wolfgang Preiss as Dr. Mabuse. And Peter Sandloff's music is good, he being also the author of the music for "Die unsichtbaren Krallen des Dr. Mabuse" (1962).

Second part of the new Doctor Mabuse series

As a competitor to the successful Edgar Wallace film adaptations, producer Artur BRAUNER brought old Mabuse out of obscurity with his CCC. The American Tarzan actor Lex BARKER, whom BRAUNER met in Rome at the premiere of THE SWEET LIFE, joined the cast of the German shocker.

In a city with the license plate P (filmed in Berlin), bizarre murders occur again, including a female FBI spy (Laura SOLARI). This brings Joe Como (BARKER) from America onto the scene. But Inspector Lohmann (Gert FRÖBE), who actually wanted to go fishing, is also investigating. The attractive Maria Sabrehm (Daliah LAVI / GOLDEN GLOBE nomination for TWO WEEKS IN ANOTHER CITY) is also bustling around the crime scene as a frenzied reporter. The investigation soon focuses on a church whose pastor (Rudolf FERNAU) writes obscure books about the devil, and a prison whose warden (Fausto TOZZI) is soon murdered. Doctor Mabuse is back at it again...

Director Harald REINL (OSCAR nomination for MEMORIES OF THE FUTURE) brings new impetus to the series. This is also ensured by the lively Lex BARKER, who was already able to warm up for the role of Old Shatterhand. Other standard actors from the German horror thriller appear: Werner PETERS, Ady BERBER, Wolfgang PREISS. Daliah LAVI from Israel, who later became very successful as a pop star, also cuts a good figure. Incidentally, Hans-Jürgen KIEBACH (OSCAR for CABARET) was responsible for the production design. 2.483 million visitors wanted to see the film in West German cinemas. Sequel follows! The series could continue!