THE BLACK ABBOTT (1963)

The Black Abbott on the prowl

THE BLACK ABBOTT (aka Der schwarze Abt/1963). Director: Franz Josef Gottlieb. 

Lord Harry Chelford (Dieter Borsche of Dead Eyes of London) lives on his estate -- which is reputed to be haunted by a Black-robed Abbott -- and is engaged to Leslie (Grit Boettcher), although she clearly prefers her fiance's cousin, Dick Alford (Joachim Fuchsberger). Leslie's brother, Arthur (Harry Wustenhagen), has a great deal of debts, and is taken advantage of by his employee, Fabian Gilder (Werner Peters) -- Arthur either talks his sister into marrying Gilder, or he will send Arthur to prison. In the meantime, Gilder, Mary (Eva Ingeborg Scholz) who wants Lord Chelford for herself, and others -- including the berobed abbott -- are searching the grounds of the Chelford estate for a rumored treasure of gold. Someone has already been stabbed to death -- who will be next?

Kinski with Fuchsberger

The Black Abbott is based on an old novel by Edgar Wallace which is convoluted and dull and which I never did manage to finish. This film version -- there have been several -- is almost too faithful to the story and is also convoluted and dull. Frankly, although I generally love West German krimi (crime) movies based on Edgar Wallace novels, if this had been the first one I watched I probably wouldn't have sat through the others. Fuchsberger and Peters are familiar players -- Klaus Kinski (of Web of the Spider) is also in this, playing a sinister butler with a criminal history -- and we are also plagued by the presence of the awful Eddi Arent in his usual role of police bumpkin and alleged comedy relief.  

Mismatch: Werner Peters with Grit Boettcher

The Black Abbott has some atmosphere but not much suspense despite so many different characters running around to little effect. More than one of them dress up as the Black Abbott on different occasions, although there usually isn't much sense to it. There was a British film version of the novel in the thirties, and other krimi movies were based on it afterwards (such as The College-Girl Murders in 1967), although these took a lot of liberties. If you're looking for a horror film with a sinister monk beheading people, this isn't it. What you will get instead is a tedious mystery film that fades from memory even as you're watching it. 

Verdict: Could have killed the West German Edgar Wallace sub-genre practically at the starting gate. *. 

DER TEPPICH DES GRAUENS

Joachim Fuchsberger and Karin Dor

DER TEPPICH DES GRAUENS (aka The Carpet of Horror/1962). Director: Harald Reinl.

John Millner (Roberto Rey) is the latest victim of a secret criminal group that use small balls full of poison gas to off their enemies. His niece, Ann Learner (Karin Dor of Alfred Hitchcock's Topaz), is appalled to learn that he was involved in shady activities and was planning to flee the country without even telling her. She is pursued romantically by handsome Harry Raffold (Joachin Fuchsberger), who is keeping secrets of his own. Other major characters include Dr. Shipley (Antonio Casas), who may have come up with an antidote to the poison; Mabel Hughes (Eleanora Rossi Drago), who owns the hotel where Harry is staying and makes a play for him; portly Vane (Jose Maria Carrafel), who wants to marry her; Crayton (Werner Peters), a member of the gang who discovers the identity of the mysterious boss and hopes to take over; and the imposing and formidable Colonel Gregory (Carl Lange) whose motives are unknown. Harry also has an assistant, a black man named Bob (Pierre Besari), who is on occasion referred to as, and treated like, a servant even though he is apparently an actual operative of some kind. Then there are Inspector Burns (Julio Infiesta) and his younger associate Inspector Webster (Marco Guglielmi), who at one point wants to arrest both Harry and Ann. 

Fuchsberger and Eleonora Rossi Drago

The English title of this West German film (co-produced with Spain), The Carpet of Horror, refers to the fact that the golf ball-size weapons that contain the poison gas are rolled onto carpeted floors in the victims' homes -- the carpet doesn't actually kill anyone. In any case, the movie -- based on a novel by Louise Weinert-Wilton (not Edgar Wallace) -- is exciting and suspenseful and a lot of fun, even if you may figure out the identity of the mastermind (who brought the sinister group over from India) behind the whole racket. The boss sends messages to the group via white letters on a screen, and their HQ is located inside a garage, with a trapdoor to a lower level inside a truck. Beneath the garage is a huge tunnel filled with debris, a striking locale indeed. There's a "catfight" in the underground at one point, which means that this very entertaining flick misses nothing! The cast is an interesting mix of both German and Spanish actors. Mercifully the film hasn't got too much comedy relief -- and no Eddi Arent -- although there is some humor attached to the Bob character. 

Verdict: For once a West German krimi that isn't based on a Edgar Wallace novel even if it seems to be! ***. 

THE DOOR WITH 7 LOCKS

Schurenberg, Drache, Arent

THE DOOR WITH 7 LOCKS (aka The Door with Seven Locks aka Die Tur mit den 7 Schlossern/1962). Director: Alfred Vohrer. 

A librarian named Sybil (Sabine Sesselmann) discovers that her life is in danger because she's the next in line to inherit a vast fortune. Inspector Martin (Heinz Drache) tries to protect her while investigating a series of mysterious deaths. Mixed up in all this are a sinister couple named Cody (Werner Peters and Gisela Uhlen); a lawyer named Haveloc (Hans Nielsen); an ex-con -- and Mrs. Cody's nephew -- named Tommy (Jan Hendriks); a hulking horror named Giacco (Ady Berber of Dead Eyes of London); and the very strange Dr. Staletti (Pinkas Braun). As usual, we've also got Siegfried Schurenberg as Sir John of Scotland Yard, and Martin's mincing assistant, Holms (Eddi Arent). There is a lot of talk about a secret door which takes seven keys to unlock, and which various characters possess. 

Ady Berber, West Germany's answer to Tor Johnson

Yes, this is another West German Edgar Wallace adaptation, and while it has a few exciting moments, it's generally mediocre. As usual, the plot comes together at the end. The movie was previously filmed in the UK in 1940 -- it is also known as Chamber of Horrors -- and if anything is far worse than this version, which at least moves at a generally swift pace. Although the identity of the true mastermind isn't revealed until the very end, it is made pretty clear early on that there's something very wrong with Dr. Stiletti, whose experiments with pituitary glands have created the mongoloid Giacco. Stiletti wants to create a race of supermen, but his first idea is to transplant a human head on a monkey's body (the movie might have been more interesting if this actually took place). In a very odd sequence, Martin and Sybil ride down several stories in a elevator with no doors, but then go up in the same elevator for no good reason. Klaus Kinski plays an early victim. Be advised that an alleged torture chamber has very little to do with the 1940 film and there is absolutely no torture chamber in this version, just a weird hidden room where experiments take place. 

Verdict: Some entertaining elements but really nothing special. **1/2. 

DR. MABUSE VS SCOTLAND YARD

Possessed by Dr. Mabuse: Walter Rilla

DR. MABUSE VS SCOTLAND YARD (aka Scotland Yard jagt Dr. Mabuse/1963). Director: Paul May.

Although the evil criminal mastermind Dr. Mabuse (Wolfgang Preiss) has died, his spirit has taken over the mind of sanitarium director, Professor Pohland (Walter Rilla). Therefore there is a new Dr. Mabuse afoot, one who is determined to take over the British government. To that end he enlists the aid of Ernest (Wolfgang Lukschy), whom he helps escape from police and who gets a new face. Ernest and others steal a device invented by Professor Merton (uncredited) -- this can take over the minds of anyone the device is trained upon and turn them into Mabuse's slaves. Fighting Mabuse are Inspector Vulpius (Werner Peters), and agent Bill Tern (Peter van Eyck), who lives with his feisty mother, Gwendolyn (Agnes Windeck). There are assorted plots and counter-plots; successful and abortive assassinations; the kidnapping of a princess (Ruth Wilbert) and Bill's steady, Nancy (Sabine Bethmann); a train robbery and a copter chase; but none of this is very interesting or handled with any real suspense or excitement. Along with van Eyck, Klaus Kinsiki is another familiar face as an agent who is temporarily mind-controlled by Mabuse. An interesting touch is how "Mabuse," once captured, is just a harmless, pitiful old man after the master criminal's spirit has left his body. This is a sequel to The Terror of Dr. Mabuse. Peter van Eyck also appeared in The 1000 Eyes of Dr. Mabuse but played a different character. Mabuse would return. By this time the Mabuse films had turned into nominal spy pictures with Mabuse in the place of, say, Dr. No.

Verdict: Manages the amazing feat of making Mabuse very dull. *1/2.

THE INVISIBLE DR. MABUSE

Evil Clown (Werner Peters)

THE INVISIBLE DR. MABUSE (aka Die unsichtbaren Krallen des Dr. Mabuse/1962. Director: Harald Reinl.

Director Harald Reinl of The Return of Dr. Mabuse brings back Lex Barker [Tarzan's Magic Foutain] as FBI agent Joe Como, and replaces Gert Frobe's Inspector Lohmann with Inspector Brahm (Siegfried Lowitz). Como feels that Dr. Mabuse (again Wolfgang Preiss) is still alive and that his evil force has something to do with a theater presenting a bizarre ballet/operetta, while Brahm is just as sure that Mabuse is dead. An invisible man seems to be stalking the star, Liane Martin (Karin Dor of You Only Live Twice), but he may not be Dr. Mabuse. In the meantime, there is skulduggery afoot on a project known as "Operation X," which monitors satellites. The head of the project, Professor Erasmus (Rudolph Fernau), never comes out of his vault and has his own secrets. As usual, everyone who knows too much is conveniently knocked off by assorted henchman, including an evil clown (Werner Peters) who also appears in the theater's production. By this time the Mabuse movies were beginning to resemble Eurospy features, but then the villains in Ian Fleming's James Bond novels were always in the tradition of older characters like Mabuse (The first Bond movie, Dr. No, actually came out the same year). The Invisible Dr. Mabuse has atmosphere and interesting settings, and a few lively sequences, and the acting is generally good, with Preiss playing a dual role and actually killing "himself" at one point.

Verdict: Nothing stops that Mabuse. **1/2.

THE RETURN OF DR. MABUSE

Daliah Lavi and Lex Barker 

THE RETURN OF DR. MABUSE (aka Im Stahlnetz des Dr. Mabuse/1961). Director: Harald Reinl.

Commissioner Lohmann (Gert Frobe) is alerted to the murder of an operative, an event which might be of major importance, and cancels his vacation. As the mysterious masked Dr. Mabuse slays his enemies second-hand and plots an attack on a power plant, Lohmann is aided by FBI agent Joe Como (Lex Barker), who may actually be a representative of the syndicate from Chicago. The syndicate wants to work with Mabuse, but he needs to show off the efficacy of his will-sapping drug. Como romances photo-journalist Maria (Daliah Lavi), whose father has been imprisoned by Mabuse and has developed the aforementioned gas. Lohmann suspects that Mabuse is operating out of a prison this time, and presumes Warden Wolf (Fausto Tozzi of Constantine and the Cross) is the master criminal, but there are unexpected developments. Other possible suspects include prison employee Bohmler (Werner Peters of Phantom of Soho); Father Briefenstien (Rudolph Fernau); and even Lohmann's assistant, Detective Voss (Joachim Mock). This is sort of a sequel to The 1000 Eyes of Dr. Mabuse, although Fritz Lang did not work on this film, and Frobe's name has been changed back to Lohmann after "Kras" was his surname in the previous picture. There's an assassin with a wooden leg, and a truck that shoots flames out of its side and roasts to ashes another female Syndicate operative. The score and dubbing are poor, with no one using their own voices, an especial problem for Daliah Lavi [Some Girls Do] who isn't much of a sex bomb without that husky voice and her bosom draped. As usual in these dubbed Mabuse pictures the man's name is pronounced "Ma-booze" when it should be "Ma-boo-suh." This picture repeats the bit with the couple trapped in a room filling with water that was used in Lang's Testament of Dr. Mabuse, but it's not as effective. Wolfgang Preiss again plays Mabuse but he doesn't actually show up until the end, after he removes another character's mask. Mabuse would return more than once.

Verdict: Some interesting stuff but perhaps not enough. **1/2.

PHANTOM OF SOHO

Men of Scotland Yard: 

PHANTOM OF SOHO (aka Das Phantom von Soho/1964). Director: Franz Joseph Gottlieb. Based on a novel by Bryan Edgar Wallace (Wallace's son).

A series of slashings takes place in London, with the murders centering on the somewhat shady Zanzibar nightclub. Sir Phillip (Hans Sohnker) of Scotland Yard, who is friends with a lady mystery writer named Clarinda (Barbara Rutting), assigns the case to Chief Inspector Patton (Dieter Borsche). There are numerous suspects, including the club owner Joanna (Elisabeth Flickenshildt); her physician, Dr. Delmar (Werner Peters); Grover, a mysterious fellow with a birthmark (Otto Waldis); Gilyard, the club manager (Stanislav Ledinek); club photographer, Corinne (Helga Sommerfeld) and others. But as the investigation proceeds, many of the suspects themselves become victims. Phantom of Soho is a very suspenseful mystery, with an unexpected and excellent denouement, and a very plausible motive for the murders. Although this is a German film, it manages to get across the look and feel of Soho, thanks to Richard Angst's atmospheric photography. The dubbing on the film is so well done you'd almost swear the cast was actually speaking English. The cast member best known to American viewers is Otto Waldis, who was in everything from Call Northside 777 to Attack of the 50 Foot Woman.

Verdict: Very worthwhile West German suspense film. ***.