La main de l'épouvante

One of his betters though it still don't beat Schizoid or Venom. You get 2 Kinski's for the price of one. The classic one bad brother and one good. Kinski in an asylum? Perfect for the schizophrenic nymphomaniac actor. He's always a favorite goon to watch.

Life is short and you only live it once! That was my principal motivation to purchase a 33-DVD box set entitled "The Edgar Wallace Collection". Most of them are obscure and unknown euro-exploitation movies, but they all look deliciously sinister and entertaining. I'm watching them randomly, via a sort of bingo-system, and I was lucky enough to draw one starring my all-time favorite actor; - Klaus Kinski! Apparently, that wasn't too difficult. Kinski stars in approximately one-third of these films.

I am slightly familiar with the oeuvre of novelist Edgar Wallace, and can safely state that ("Creature with) the Blue Hand" is a prototypic work. It's a convoluted murder-whodunit, set in grim décors like spooky insane asylums and gothic family mansions full of secret passageways. Kinski plays a double role, identical twin brothers Dave & Richard Emerson, of which Dave is falsely accused of murder and submitted to an asylum. Someone unknown helps him escape, and simultaneously more members from the noble Emerson clan are brutally murdered by a killer who uses a blue gauntlet with sharp spikes. For once, Kinski doesn't portray the most diabolical character of the bunch. That honor goes to Carl Lange, who plays the sadist head warden of the asylum. He wears a monocle and keeps poisonous snakes in a safe in his office! Siegfried Schürenberg, in his familiar role as Sir John of Scotland Yard, ensures the obligatory comic-relief.

Good acting and an exciting story with a good tempo. However, it shows the cliché, scary mental sanctuary.

Klaus Kinski stars as Dave Emerson, convicted of a murder but found to be legally insane; soon he has escaped from his asylum, and sets about to prove his innocence. The inspector on the case (Harald Leipnitz) has his work cut out for him trying to wade through all of the suspects and figure out what's going on.

Another entry in that genre known as the "Krimi", this Edgar Wallace adaptation doesn't tell a particularly *great* mystery, per se, but it's made with such energy, pace, and wit that it's a blast to watch. It just races along, and is well acted by a solid, mostly German cast. Fans of Kinskis' work, however, should be aware, that he's not showcased as much as one would think given his prominent billing. Still, he's entertaining to watch, and "Creature with the Blue Hand" (the title stems from the use of the title weapon, a spiked glove from a suit of armor) sizes up as an amiable, atmospheric diversion.

Carl Lange, with his distinctive face, has the look of a classic villain as the nefarious Dr. Mangrove; the incredibly sexy Diana Korner is a treat to watch as Daves' sister Myrna.

Propelled along by a jaunty, jazzy score courtesy of Martin Bottcher, this was later re-worked, with newly shot footage, in the 80s as "The Bloody Dead".

Seven out of 10.

The DVD I watched had both the Bloody Dead and the original Creature with the Blue Hand versions on it; I watched the latter. Presumably the latter isn't exactly the original since it has English language titles and dialogue. Additionally, during the opening credits there are twelve gunshots and twelve bloody stains that appear on the screen. In The Video Watchdog Book, it's mentioned that krimis begin with that and the letters E D G A R W A L L A C E appearing out of the blood. However, those letters don't emerge on the version on the DVD, though they're clearly arranged that way.

Dave (Kinski) is committed after being found criminally insane for the murder of the family gardener. He later escapes, and people are murdered by a figure dressed in black wielding an iron blue glove with retractable knives. His twin brother, two other brothers, mother and sister are all concerned about his escape. The police investigate. Lots of secret passages and a sinister doctor is in charge of the asylum.

Enjoyable, but the ending seemed sort of contrived. Still, I'd like to see more krimis and even read some Edgar Wallace.