Die Tür mit den 7 Schlössern

Two murder victims have turned up in London; one was found floating in the Thames, the other suffers what appears to be a heart attack at a soda stand. Both have one thing in common: they each had a mysterious key attached to a gold chain. Scotland Yard Inspector Richard Martin (Drache) investigates (with his veddy-British comic relief partner Holms), and discovers there are seven keys in all. But where is this door with seven locks? And what does a young heir coming to town for his 21st birthday have to do with it? The mystery involves a mad scientist conducting genetic experiments in the basement of a spooky old castle. This German-made black-and-white "krimi" based upon an Edgar Wallace story is fast-paced and fun.

Having enjoyed Rialto Film's later, color filled Edgar Wallace adaptations, I recently decided to give the earlier black and white adaptations a try. So far, my favorite from that period, just ahead of The Dark Eyes of London, is The Door with 7 Locks.

I'm not sure the mystery holds completely together, but it is a great pulp set up. Seven keys are being held by seven rather unscrupulous individuals, all of whom worked for a deceased lord whose son is supposed to inherit everything on his twenty-first birthday. The seven keys fit into seven locks which open a door in a castle, but what is behind that door? Scotland Yard inspector Dick Martin comes into the case after the murder of two of the key holders. Martin romances Sybil, a librarian distantly related to the deceased lord and banters with his superior Sir John and the comic relief. This comic relief is once again played by Eddi A-r-e-n-t (no apostrophe in his name, auto-correct). Here, he is playing an inspector who, in spite of having the last name of "Holmes," has less than stellar deduction skills. However, the two most welcome returning actors are Pinkas Braun, the dashing villain from Secret of the Red Orchid and Ady Berber, the Tor Johnson lookalike who played Blind Jack in The Dead Eyes of London. Here, Berber's character Giacco strikes such fear into an intended victim that just hearing his name causes the target to grab a Sten Submachine gun and start blasting.

I do not know how close the film is to the source material, but the film is a highly enjoyable mystery. Unfortunately, Klaus Kinski is bumped off too early. Recommended!

Very entertaining and I really enjoyed the furious humor (sometimes slap-stick-ish), the overall story arc and ESPECIALLY the super EXCENTRIC set design in the castle: weird chairs looking like an overly sexual female, weird hands-chandeliers in the morgue,... that must be fun while shooting! Overall "Edgar Wallace" vibe, entertainment, not always the "deepest psychology" behind all, but I just loved watching it for fun!