A jealous musician kills his wife and frames a cab driver.
Donald Buka
Toni Sponer
Joan Camden
Karen Manelli
Francis Lederer
Claude Manelli
Adrienne Gessner
Mrs. Fraser
Inge Konradi
Marie
Gisela Wilke
Old Doll
Hermann Erhardt
Inspector
Egon von Jordan
Kruger (as E. von Jordan)
Manfred Inger
Heinth
Karl Farkas
Waiter
Director
Gunther von Fritsch
Novel
Alexander Lernet-Holenia
Writer
Robert Hill
November 13, 2023
6
There's quite a lot going on in this complex thriller. Fairly quickly we realise that "Karen" (Joan Camden) is unhappily married to concert pianist "Claude" (Francis Lederer). Unfortunately, her maid isn't very trustworthy and so a note suggesting a rendezvous with a recently arrived American visitor ends up with her husband, who has no intention of letting her meet him. Amidst all these domestic machinations, local cabbie "Sponer" (Donald Luka) is dreaming of a emigrating to the USA. At this point, serendipity takes rather a menacing hand in the proceedings with "Buka" finding himself in possession of a corpse, an American passport and a plane ticket. Perhaps this is his chance to escape his drudgery? Before he can make too many plans however, "Karen" shows up at his (borrowed) hotel room expecting her friend, realises he's a fraud and with her husband using the police and virtually any means to keep her close we find quite a tight game of cat and mouse - and just a hint of romance - develops. It's quite a tightly delivered story with a decent amount of intrigue even though I felt the denouement felt a little rushed and flat. There isn't a star as such, a collection of competent B-listers do well enough with the script to keep this moving along for eighty minutes of Hogmanay celebrations that have just enough of a sense of mystery to be worth watching.
Status:
Released
Original Language:
English
Budget:
$0.00
Revenue:
$0.00