Gli occhi di Londra

In 1939 Bela Lugosi starred in Dark Eyes Of London.This is the West German version filmed in 1961.

Wealthy men are being murdered all over London.All indications point to an insurance scam and a home for the blind.But how can blind men be the killers of London?

The pace is frantic and you'll be guessing right up to the end.Only drawback is the villains lust for the heroine which is kind of goofy.

All in all a cut above the average Edgar Wallace thriller.

After a long time, I saw a German Edgar Wallace film again and I was not surprised. Those films are about all the same. Klaus Kinski plays the dark guy, Eddi Arent the funny one and Joachim Fuchsberger the smart and handsome detective. The idea (blind men are forming a gang and kill wealthy old men in foggy nights) is extremely far-fetched this time but that's Edgar Wallace's fault and not that of the filmmakers. There are also too many coincidences to call it a crime story of great quality. Still, the film is well directed: in traditional black and white, thrilling and gruesome, but more serious than other films of the series like „The Indian Scarf` for instance.

The solution of the crime is good, less far-fetched than the rest of it. On the whole, this is one of the best Edgar Wallace films – and I've seen many, though it happened some time ago.

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.

Thanks for reading.

Resume:

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

This is the second adaptation of Edgar Wallace's 1924 novel The Dark Eyes of London, the first featuring Bela Lugosi in 1939. A German production, this 1961 version stars Joachim Fuchsberger as Inspector Larry Holt who investigates a series of murders, the victims all wealthy men with hefty insurance policies. Holt's enquiries lead him to believe that the killings are somehow linked to a home for blind men run by Reverend Dearborn (Dieter Borsche). Glamour is provided by Karin Baal as Eleanor "Nora" Ward, an expert in Braille who helps Holt unravel the mystery.

Not nearly as effective as the 1939 movie, Dead Eyes of London suffers from a sloppy, convoluted script and muddled direction that ultimately leads to confusion. That said, even though the plot doesn't make much sense (why were all of the murder victims spectacle wearers?), there are still things to enjoy about the film: the hulking, sightless, hairy maniac called Blind Jack (Ady Berber); a weaselly lowlife by the name of Fleabite Fred (Harry Wüstenhagen); Holt's comedy relief sidekick "Sunny" Harvey, who likes to knit; Klaus Kinski looking creepy; a few cold-blooded killings; a jazzy avant-garde score; and, best of all, a POV shot from inside a man's mouth, which is so unexpected and bizarre that it automatically earns the film an extra point, raising my rating from 4.5/10 to 5.5 (rounded up to 6 for IMDb).

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.