Les mystères de Londres

Joachim Fuchsberger is the Scotland Yard inspector again, and Karin Baal the pretty girl who keeps showing up in this mystery about a series of accidental drowning victims, all of whom have insurance policies with Wolfgang Lukschy. Lukschy is being semi-blackmailed about his dead brother, so it all becomes murkier and murkier... and there's Klaus Kinski as a flunky who always wears sunglasses. Gotta keep an eye on him!

Some of these German adaptations of Edgar Wallace mysteries -- I looked at a dubbed version -- seem to spend their time confusing the audience with atmosphere. This one is just as obscure, but it seems to be better put together as a mystery. It's not a great movie, but as usual, it's a well-constructed time-waster.

This is the sixty of Edgar Walace's novel series adapted to screen by the Danish Rialto Film henceforth labeled as German Krimi, quite sure one the most structured plot even seen on 39 pictures made by them, right now the American amateur detective Larry Holt (Joachim Fuchsberger) already had raised on Scotland Yard as inspector meanwhile his butler-sidekick Sunny Harvey (Eddi Arent) as Sergeant when some bodies were found drowned at Thames river, Larry Holt in charge of investigation with the awkward Sunny, soon they find out that all dead men had a life insurance by Greenwich Assurance and Judd Bros. Ltda. Where the owner Stephen Judd (Wolfgang Lukschy) which had lost his brother-partner in a fatal death and he has been blackmailed by a mystery man.

Soon appears the beauty Nora Ward (Karin Baal) a former nurse that is able to read writing in braille at behest of Insp. Larry Holt concerning the unusual deaths, whereof the corpses contained so piece of papers in braille, turns off afterwards both have a mutual romance interest according the story is unfolding, further many witness describe to Insp. About a bulky-ugly-blind man (Ady Berber) that was carried out those crimes, instead as the forensic doctor wanted implied as simple drowning , also many hints come over as a white van often linked with the disappearance of the victims, mostly probable used by several laundries in London.

This movie grabs the audience by fear and mystery, the fog atmosphere in a wet London at night is replicated in this picture, also the bleak character of the newest Klaus Kinski that for now on appears on the plot, pay attention in a couple of macabre stage props as the skull cigarette holder and a scary black cat lighting up their eyes when the phone rings, plus Sgt. Sunny Harvey knitting at office, priceless and odd experience, fine story and well-draw up screenplay, something alike Sherlock Holmes-noirish style as well.

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First watch: 2024 / How many: 1 / Source: DVD / Rating: 7.5.

This remake of DARK EYES OF London (1940), from an Edgar Wallace novel, joins the mere handful of Krimis that I've watched over the years; as far as I can recall, these extend to just 3 DR. MABUSE entries and CIRCUS OF FEAR (1966). I know many are ardent fans of this type of film but, personally, I don't think they have the same rewatchability value as the contemporaneous Italian gialli.

The film is marked by directorial stylistics – arresting shock cuts, inventive transition between scenes (including the iris effect), etc. – and an avant-gardist score. It goes on too long, however, by having an inordinately convoluted plot that involves numerous characters; the original – a British B-movie – was, by necessity, far more compact and, consequently, more direct and effective. Still, the basic thriller elements remain undeniably engaging and the noir-ish atmosphere is thickly laid on (though undermined by the dupey, splicey print on the Retromedia DVD) – making the film quite enjoyable if, ultimately, nothing special.

The cast is O.K.: likable middle-aged lead, attractive female roles, slightly overstated comic-relief sidekick; Bela Lugosi's role in the original is split into two here; the blind killer – played by a Tor Johnson look-alike former wrestler – is, again, depicted as a hairy grotesque; and it also features a young but typically intense Klaus Kinski in a supporting role.

Interesting film with some really thoughtful details and noirish elements. The camera work was especially arresting with liberal facial close-ups and scenery that reminded me of "The Third Man". The story is interesting enough to keep the viewer occupied although the dialog dubbed from German to English was quite distracting. It would have been better to release it with subtitles. Part of its appeal was the diversity of the characters and the fact that the outcome was truly unexpected. It kept me guessing all the way up to the end like all good thrillers. On the negative side it dragged at times and some of the scenes, especially some with the Inspector's sidekick, seemed to have been inserted as fillers. Overall though I was pleasantly surprised.

Wealthy, heavily insured men are being murdered at an alarming rate. Scotland Yard investigates and finds clues that lead to a ring of blind men, led by a mysterious "reverend."

London has never been this creepy and foreboding as portrayed in this unusual Edgar Wallace thriller. The shadows and fog are intensely shot- and matching this are a host of creepy characters, mainly blind man Jack, a fiend who attacks and kidnaps insured men. With his ridiculously hairy arms and imposing the presence, he looks like an otherworldly ghoul. Speaking of ghouls, Klaus Kinski also stars, and plays a shady character. Which is a stock in trade for him. Joachim Fuchsberger is great in the lead as always, wry and on the ball as the inspector , and Karin Baal adds the glamour quotient and Krimi regular Eddi Arent lightens things with his fastidious police assistant character. It's a well-paced film, dripping with atmosphere, flourishing with stylistic touches and loaded with multiple twists.