L'énigme du serpent noir

Another enjoyable Edgar Wallace krimi. Definitely one of the creepiest, with young Klaus Kinski slithering around in a wild animal emporium and french-kissing tropical snakes. It's all set in a dank, slushy London winter, where an arch-criminal called The Snake is avenging himself using blow-dart-propelled venom. There's also a bibulous old lady who loves lurid murder mysteries, the indispensable Eddie Arent as an eager reporter who plays invisible ping-pong, a cigarette-smoking stuffed deer, and a couple of those signature point-of-view trick shots from director Vohrer. The pace is a bit stodgy and the Squeaker doesn't seem to be involved much at all -- it sure doesn't resemble the older British version. The Sinister Cinema tape for once features the original intro with the author's name violently spelled out in bullet holes.