DER HEXER

 

So I finally caught up with what is considered one of the greatest Krimi movies of all time. DER HEXER (also known as THE MYSTERIOUS MAGICIAN) is a 1964 adaptation of Edgar Wallace's crime novel THE RINGER. 

Rialto, the German production company that was responsible for the "official" Edgar Wallace film series, pulled out all the stops for DER HEXER. It stars three different male Krimi stars--Joachim Fuchsberger, Heinz Drache, and Siegfried Lowitz. The trio are all investigating "The Ringer"--a notoriously cunning vigilante who has been barred from setting foot in England ever again, due to his nefarious capabilities.

The Ringer (real name Arthur Milton) sneaks back into London however, when he finds out that his younger sister has been killed and her body dumped into the Thames. It turns out that Miss Milton had too much knowledge about a white slavery ring, and her brother is determined to get revenge. Inspectors Higgins (Joachim Fuchsberger) and Warren (Siegfried Lowitz) are hoping that The Ringer will lead them to those behind the ring, so they can catch all involved, including the vigilante, in one fell swoop. Also on The Ringer's trail is a mysterious fellow named James Wesby (Hans Drache), who apparently is writing a series of articles on Arthur Milton--but could he be the culprit himself?? 

DER HEXER also features Edgar Wallace series regulars Siegfried Schurenberg (as Scotland Yard head Sir John) and Eddi Arent (once again playing a presumed silly butler). What the movie doesn't have is Krimi Queen Karin Dor, but this is more than made up for by having three attractive ladies play a major part in the story. Sophie Hardy is Inspector Higgins' hot-to-trot girlfriend, Margot Trooger is The Ringer's wife, and Ann Savo is Sir John's curvaceous secretary. (Surprisingly, Klaus Kinski isn't in this one either--maybe they just couldn't fit him in.) 

DER HEXER, directed by another series veteran, Alfred Vohrer, moves along at a pretty good clip, except when things slow down for the byplay between Inspector Higgins and his girlfriend. It's also a bit lighter than the typical Krimi--it's as if those taking part in it realized the absurdity of the goings-on, and decided to go with the flow. Usually the main thrust of a Krimi plot is finding out who the killer/main villain is, but here it's who The Ringer is. The final revelation of this crafty character is a major surprise, although some viewers might consider it a cheat. (If you're expecting logic and sense in a Krimi movie, you should be watching something else.) 

Among the highlights in this film are a mini-sub, a parochial school for girls which is the front for the white slavery ring, and the three major Krimi heroes chasing each other around while The Ringer plays them all like a fiddle. A bonus treat is Peter Thomas' off-the-rails music score (the title theme has to be heard to be believed). 

DER HEXER was so successful and well-received in its native country that it spawned a follow-up sequel with the title character (I haven't seen that one yet). I haven't viewed enough of the entire Rialto Edgar Wallace series to declare it the best Krimi of them all, but I can safely say it's one of the most entertaining I have watched so far. (If you are new to the Krimi genre, I would watch a few of them before giving DER HEXER a chance. I feel your enjoyment of DER HEXER would increase this way.) 

THE CRIME OF DR. CRESPI

 

THE CRIME OF DR. CRESPI is a low-budget thriller, released in 1935, that attempts to ride the wave of early 1930s Hollywood horror. The movie's credits state that its story was "suggested by Edgar Allan Poe's 'The Premature Burial'", but it isn't much of a suggestion. 

Dr. Andre Crespi (Erich von Stroheim) is an esteemed surgeon, and the head of an exclusive medical clinic. A former flame of Crespi's, Mrs. Estelle Ross (Harriet Russell), asks Crespi to use his vast skills to save her husband (John Bohn), who has been injured in a car crash. The thing is, Stephen Ross once worked alongside Crespi, before he took Estelle away from him. Crespi agrees to help Ross, but it's all a ruse. The mad doctor injects Ross with a serum which shuts down all his bodily functions and gives him the appearance of being dead. Crespi gleefully looks forward to Ross being buried alive, and getting another chance to romance his wife, but a couple of doctors at the clinic interrupt the wicked scheme. 

THE CRIME OF DR. CRESPI is a decent terror tale, but it takes awhile to get going, and it feels stilted at times. The fact that it's set in contemporary times doesn't help--it might have been more atmospheric if the events were placed in the early 20th or late 19th Century. 

The movie's plot brings to mind such films as 1935's THE RAVEN and MAD LOVE, which also featured loony surgeons driven mad by unrequited love. Erich von Stroheim is by far the main reason to watch this production. He gives Dr. Crespi plenty of eccentric ticks, along with a nasty temper. The creepiest scene in the film is when Crespi sneaks into the morgue late at night and gloats over the assumed dead body of Ross, knowing full well his victim can hear and understand what he is saying. This is followed by Ross' funeral, where director John H. Auer uses plenty of expressionistic techniques. 

One of the doctors who digs up Ross and saves him is, ironically enough, played by Dwight Frye, who by this time had plenty of experience in dealing with the uncanny on the big screen. One would expect Frye to have played Crespi's bizarre assistant, but instead he's a doctor at the clinic who suffers Crespi's wrath. Despite this Frye is so nervous and anxious throughout that one assumes he's up to something himself. After Ross is "resurrected", he shambles off in zombie-like fashion to confront Crespi, but the climax is a dud. (The cute nurse that Ross scares after his revival was played by Jeanne Kelly, who would later be known as Jean Brooks and gain cult fame for appearing in a couple of the Val Lewton RKO thrillers.) 

THE CRIME OF DR. CRESPI has its moments, but there's too many distractions in the way of the good stuff, such as a subplot dealing with an Italian woman having quintuplets at the clinic, and a obligatory romantic couple, a doctor and nurse who work under Crespi and who could have been written out of the story altogether without any major effect. 

Strangely enough, Erich von Stroheim made only very few horror films in his career. That might have been his choice, but if he had pursued or accepted more roles in that genre, he might have gotten as much of a reputation as Karloff or Lugosi. 

4D MAN

 

I thought I had written a blog post on this film before, but I haven't. 4D MAN is an underrated 1959 science fiction feature from producer Jack Harris and director Irvin Yeaworth, the men behind the original THE BLOB. I've seen it multiple times, but it wasn't until recently that I obtained it on Blu-ray (at a discount of course). 

The movie is really about the relationship between two brothers, the Nelsons. Tony Nelson (James Congdon) is the younger one, more emotional, more impetuous. Scott (Robert Lansing) is the older one, more steadfast and responsible. The two men are both scientists. Despite his talent, Tony can't keep a job, because he's too busy dealing with his own experiment, an attempt to fuse different materials together. Scott gets Tony a job at the top-secret research facility he's working for. Tony immediately makes a connection with Scott's lab assistant and love interest Linda (Lee Meriwether). 

Scott, depressed over the fact that Linda prefers Tony over him, starts to tinker with Tony's experiment late one night in the lab, and he succeeds in the fusion process, due to the fact that Scott's brainwaves have been amplified by the radioactive materials he has been working around. In other words, Scott has willed the experiment to happen, and he's able to take things farther, in that he literally becomes a man of the fourth dimension--he can pass through solid walls, whether brick, stone, or metal. There's a price to pay for this power--Scott uses so much energy in doing it he ages considerably each time it happens. Scott discovers he's able to revive his energy and appearance by draining other human beings--and killing them. 

Scott's newfound abilities are affecting his mental state as well, and instead of trying to deal with his situation, the 4D Man decides to use his power for his own benefit, and force Linda to be with him. Now a menace to society, Scott is hunted by the police as Tony and Linda try to find a way to stop him. 

For a low-budget 1950s sci-fi flick, there is a lot of food for thought in 4D MAN. If anything, the movie bites off more than it can chew, as Scott's abilities, and their effects on him, are not fully explored. But 4D MAN deserves credit for attempting some bold leaps, and for making some twists on the usual "mutated being on a rampage" tale. 

The film takes a while to get going, as it builds the foundation of the love triangle between the three leading characters. Once Scott obtains his fourth dimensional state, things move pretty fast. A number of Scott's 4D activities happen off-screen, more than likely due to budget considerations, and perhaps due to the fact that the audience wouldn't have much sympathy for Scott if it kept seeing him kill over and over again. At one point the 4D Scott and a very young Patty Duke have a "Monster and Maria by the lake" moment that does not get resolved, to the frustration of the viewer. 

The special effects are simple but effective, and there are little details that stop the story from being totally outlandish. (When Scott is able to put his hand through a block of steel for the very first time, his fingers on the other side of the block start to numb, because he has lost circulation in them.) One major reason the movie has a believable aspect to it is due to the performance of Robert Lansing as Scott. 

Robert Lansing was a fine actor, a consummate pro who didn't make as much of a mark in movies or television as he should have. (Internet bios of Lansing suggest he preferred stage work.) Lansing was an actor who gave off an attitude of quiet intelligence--his characters always seem to have something on their minds. Scott Nelson is someone whose decency and hard work has probably been taken for granted most of his life, and his newfound powers truly do make him a new man. Scott isn't an evil man--he's a tragic figure, one that isn't able to cope with his situation (or the fact that the woman he loves is attracted to his irresponsible brother). Usually in a movie like this the younger, more emotional brother/colleague is the one that gets in trouble, and the older, more stable counterpart is the one to solve the situation, or help track his opposite down. Here the welcome twist is that the more mature Scott gets to be bold and outrageous, but he pays a horrible price. Having Robert Lansing play the lead character of 4D MAN was a huge advantage, even though (believe it or not) this was Lansing's feature film debut. 

Lee Meriwether does well with the underwritten role of Linda, and James Congdon's smug portrayal of Tony ensures that the viewer will feel favorably toward Scott. 4D MAN has a very jazzy music score by Ralph Carmichael. It's an unusual sound for this type of film, but it times it overwhelms the dialogue and sound effects. 

4D MAN doesn't have the cultural impact of THE BLOB. 4D MAN is a bit darker, there's no teenagers involved, and Robert Lansing isn't as famous as Steve McQueen. Still, 4D MAN is a Fifties science fiction product that deserves more attention and respect. (The Kino Blu-ray of the film gives it a very fine showcase.) 

HITCHCOCK'S PRO-NAZI FILM?

 

HITCHCOCK'S PRO-NAZI FILM? is about as clickbait a title as you can get. This is a 2023 documentary about Alfred Hitchcock's 1944 film LIFEBOAT, and the controversy it caused upon its release. 

I was not aware of the existence of this film until I saw the DVD of it listed among the new arrivals on the Edward R. Hamilton website last month. I happen to think that LIFEBOAT is one of Hitchcock's most underrated productions, and the DVD wasn't expensive, so I took the plunge and ordered it. 

I must say that the title made me a bit wary, but this is a well-made and well-paced documentary. What makes it fall short of being truly excellent is writer-director Daphne Baiwir's tendency to focus on various political and social issues instead of the main topic. 

LIFEBOAT is best known for taking place entirely within the small title vessel, as a group of survivors from a ship sunk by a German U-Boat in the Atlantic try to survive. The group hauls aboard a man who happens to be one of the U-Boat sailors, and this German soon takes the lead in making sure the lifeboat and the people within are able to survive. 

After LIFEBOAT was released, a number of critics complained that the movie was sympathetic toward the German character. I've found this idea to be ridiculous--the German is resourceful, clever, and cunning, but the film certainly doesn't take his side. Apparently some in 1944 felt Germans should have been portrayed as either fools or propaganda-spouting fanatics. The fact that the German in LIFEBOAT was shown as capable and redoubtable rubbed some people the wrong way, but I think Hitchcock made the right choice in having the man be realistic instead of a wartime caricature. 

HITCHCOCK'S PRO-NAZI FILM? looks at the film's reception, but it takes a while to get there. Much of the documentary focuses on people connected to LIFEBOAT, such as John Steinbeck (who wrote the original story on which LIFEBOAT was based), columnist Dorothy Thompson (who criticized the film when it was released, and whose life supposedly inspired the character played by Tallulah Bankhead), and black actor Canada Lee, who appeared in LIFEBOAT. 

The result is that we get a lot of info on the lives of Steinbeck, Thompson, and Lee, and while this info is interesting enough, one gets the feeling that Daphne Baiwir would much rather focus on them than the nuts & bolts of the making of LIFEBOAT. 

The main talking head of HITCHCOCK'S PRO-NAZI FILM? is Patrick McGilligan, who wrote a fine biography of the director (a biography I happen to own). McGilligan is the one who keeps things on track regarding the actual making of LIFEBOAT. 

Considering the title of this documentary, I don't think it gave enough evidence to suggest that there was any sort of sympathy toward Nazi Germany in LIFEBOAT. I think Daphne Baiwir's biggest issue is that she feels Alfred Hitchcock wasn't as left-wing as John Steinbeck, Dorothy Thompson, and Canada Lee. Hitchcock admirers will at least want to view this, and the documentary has inspired me to pull out my old DVD of LIFEBOAT and watch it again. 

THE BLACK CAMEL

 

This is a 1931 Charlie Chan film produced by Fox, the second title to star Warner Oland as the Chinese detective, and the earliest Oland-Chan feature to survive for viewing. 

Actress Shelah Fane (Dorothy Revier) is in Hawaii appearing in a movie, but she also has plenty of relationship issues. Fane is soon found murdered, and Honolulu police inspector Charlie Chan is placed in charge of the investigation. It turns out that Fane was connected to the murder of an actor named Denny Mayo, which happened three years ago. Chan figures out who the culprit is, and discovers the killer's accomplice as well. 

THE BLACK CAMEL is notable mainly due to its supporting cast, which includes Bela Lugosi and Dwight Frye (this movie was made after Universal's original DRACULA). There are also appearances by Mary Gordon and J.M Kerrigan, who would both go on to play roles in multiple Universal horror films. Robert Young made his screen debut in this movie. 

When I was a kid the Charlie Chan movies were on TV all the time. I can't say that I'm a huge Charlie Chan fan (or expert), but I am familiar with the basics of the Chan series. Warner Oland's Chan in THE BLACK CAMEL acts very differently than he does in his later appearances. THE BLACK CAMEL Chan is much more energetic and eager, and he's even set up as kind of a what would be decades later called a Columbo type. Due to Chan's constant use of aphorisms and his kind nature, the suspects here don't take him very seriously. It is clearly established in THE BLACK CAMEL that Chan is an actual police inspector who has to answer to higher ups, instead of a world famous sleuth who can basically do whatever he wants. At one point there's a scene showing Chan at the dining table with his very large family. 

Bela Lugosi plays a professional mystic called Tarneverro. The role is a red herring type, one that Lugosi would portray over and over again during his acting career, The difference here is that except for one scene in which Tarneverro performs a phony seance in order to intimidate Shelah Fane, Bela doesn't try to be mysterious or threatening. He's congenial and chatty, and he looks great (throughout the film he wears either a tuxedo or a natty suit). Lugosi also is rather friendly to Charlie Chan, and Bela and Warner Oland play off each other very well. (As Chan Oland would later face off against Boris Karloff, and Sidney Toler's Chan would have to deal with Lionel Atwill and George Zucco.) Lugosi's spooky guy reputation hadn't been totally established yet--if THE BLACK CAMEL had been made later in the 1930s, Tarneverro would have no doubt turned out to be more of a menace. 

Warner Oland and Bela Lugosi in THE BLACK CAMEL

Dwight Frye isn't even named on the main credits, but he gets attention as a shifty butler. (Frye constantly complained about the fact that he got stuck playing shady or nefarious characters, but he has that look of someone you just can't trust.) 

Much of THE BLACK CAMEL was actually filmed in Hawaii, which was unusual for a Hollywood feature made during this time period. The locations do make the movie stand out, although it does get stagnant at times. (The director was Hamilton MacFadden.) The mystery elements are okay, but one big problem the story has is Chan's police assistant, a Japanese fellow who literally runs in and out of every scene he's in as if he's a buffoon in a vaudeville sketch. The assistant is more ridiculous than comedic. 

I haven't seen enough Charlie Chan movies to determine how THE BLACK CAMEL rates within the context of the entire Chan series, but I can say that the film should be seen by Bela Lugosi fans. Even in a supporting role Bela has more screen presence than any other male member of the cast. I viewed this movie on Tubi, and the visual and sound quality was very good. 

A FEAST AT MIDNIGHT On Blu-ray From Severin

 

Severin's THE EUROCRYPT OF CHRISTOPHER LEE COLLECTION 3 includes A FEAST AT MIDNIGHT, a 1995 light comedy which has Lee playing an outwardly intimidating teacher at a British boys boarding school. 

Young Magnus Gove (Freddie Findlay), a poor little rich boy, arrives at Dryden Park prep school, where, as a new kid, he immediately encounters difficulties. One of Magnus' problems is the monolithic Major Longfellow (Christopher Lee), a member of the faculty who has been bestowed the nickname "The Raptor" due to his towering presence. Another problem is the school's strict health food policy. Magnus starts to rebel the best way he knows how--by sneaking into the school kitchen at night and creating gourmet treats (the boy is a budding chef). Magnus starts up a group of fellow student outcasts and calls it "The Scoffers", and he also makes a connection with Major Longfellow's teenage daughter (Lisa Faulkner), who is something of an outcast herself. Eventually Magnus' late-night feasts are discovered, but he gains confidence and self-respect. 

A FEAST AT MIDNIGHT gives Christopher Lee one of his best roles during the 1990s. Major Longfellow certainly deserves the fearsome reputation given to him by his students, but he's not a stock comic villain. Lee makes Longfellow a human being, a traditionalist with certain values but a man who is more well-rounded than one would expect. Lee doesn't rant or rage here, and he doesn't need to, as a cold look from the Major is worth a thousand shouted lines of dialogue. Lee also shows off a talent for deadpan, dry humor. 

Lee was very proud of having appeared in this film, and he should have been. A FEAST AT MIDNIGHT was directed by Justin Hardy, the son of Robin Hardy (who had directed Lee in THE WICKER MAN). Justin Hardy also co-wrote the film's script with producer Yoshi Nishio, and both men had attended British boarding schools, giving them an insight into the situations involved in the story. It's obvious Hardy and Nishio wanted to make a decent, positive movie. The tone is very light, almost gentle at times. The movie stays away from the darker aspects of children not fitting in, but it does give subtle hints that Magnus' family situation is very complicated. 

What helps A FEAST AT MIDNIGHT is that Freddie Findlay, and the kids overall, really do act like kids instead of polished mini-adults. Robert Hardy plays the kindly headmaster of the school, and Edward Fox has a cameo as Magnus' father. Julie Dreyfus also has a cameo as Magnus' mother, and her appearance and dress is almost exactly how she looks in the KILL BILL movies. 

The visual and sound quality on this Blu-ray of A FEAST AT MIDNIGHT is fantastic, and it makes it hard to believe that this was Justin Hardy's directorial debut--one would assume he had been making features for years. The disc includes an original trailer, and it also has a brand new audio commentary with Justin Hardy and Yoshi Nishio. The two men discuss the trials and tribulations they had making what was for them their first feature, and how they managed with a very small budget. They also have plenty of insights and stories about Christopher Lee--major fans of the actor would be well advised to listen to this talk. This is a Region Free disc. 

Some on the internet have complained about Severin including A FEAST AT MIDNIGHT on their latest Christopher Lee box set. I have to say that originally I was surprised by the choice, but after having seen the film for the very first time, I was quite impressed with it. It's very, very British (an American version of this tale would be harsher and more confrontational), but it's also charming in its own way. I do have to say that I think adults will probably enjoy it more than youngsters--the kids of today (especially American ones) will either be puzzled or bored. 

Even if a movie about upper-class British children isn't to your taste, watching Christopher Lee play a role that truly does give him a chance to stretch his abilities is more than compensation enough. There are plenty of low-budget, low-quality films featuring Lee that Severin could have inserted in this set, but I'm glad they gave A FEAST AT MIDNIGHT a high quality release instead. 

THE BISHOP MURDER CASE

 

THE BISHOP MURDER CASE is a 1929 sound film produced by MGM. It is another adaptation of a S.S. Van Dine novel featuring upper-class amateur sleuth Philo Vance, with a young Basil Rathbone portraying the character. 

THE BISHOP MURDER CASE was made and released during the same period that Paramount was making a series of Philo Vance films starring William Powell. This shows how popular the Van Dine novels were at this time, with two major Hollywood studios making films with the same character concurrently. 

I have read a few of the Van Dine Philo Vance novels, but I have not read THE BISHOP MURDER CASE. The movie has a series of murders, with clues involving nursery rhymes and chess. Rathbone's Vance is much more personable than the literary one (as was William Powell's), but he's still an erudite, fastidious fellow who appears to have major knowledge of just about every subject. The characters of District Attorney Markham (Clarence Geldert) and Sergeant Heath (James Donlan), regulars in the Van Dine novels, show up here as well, with Heath once again portrayed as a comic relief dolt. One thing that is notable in this film is that Markham essentially lets Vance take charge of the case, to the point where Philo tells the D.A. and Heath what to do. 

Since this is a very early sound film, there are some creaky elements to it, and there are times where it feels like a stage play. There are, however, some outdoor sequences, and Nick Grinde (credited as "screen director") sets up a number of expressionistic shot compositions. David Burton was credited for stage direction, and while Rathbone is his usual precise self, the supporting cast is somewhat hammy--the lovely Lelia Hyams is very fluttery as the leading lady. Roland Young plays a sarcastic suspect who at multiple times refers to Rathbone's Vance as "Holmes", in a snarky bit of forecasting. 

The story sets up things so that one major suspect appears to be the murderer, only to reveal another character as the culprit instead. It's a nice twist, but after the movie was over I thought it was a bit incredible that the actual perpetrator could have been able to accomplish all the crimes, but one could say that about nearly every murder mystery tale. 

I viewed THE BISHOP MURDER CASE on Tubi. It was a decent print, but there were times when the sound quality was not very clear, but one must remember this is a talkie made in 1929. It's a good murder mystery, but one wonders how better it would have been if it had been made a few years later when cinematic sound techniques had been much improved. An older Basil Rathbone would have been great as a more authentic Philo Vance--one could easily imagine him as an acid-tongued know-it-all snob. But would audiences have wanted to watch such a character?