23 steps to the abyss
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| German title | 23 steps to the abyss |
| Original title | 23 Paces to Baker Street |
| Country of production | United States |
| original language | English |
| Publishing year | 1956 |
| length | 94 minutes |
| Age rating | FSK 6 |
| Rod | |
| Director | Henry Hathaway |
| script | Nigel Balchin |
| production | Henry Ephron |
| music | Leigh Harline |
| camera | Milton R. Krasner |
| cut | James B. Clark |
| occupation | |
| |
23 steps to the abyss (Original title: 23 Paces to Baker Street ) is an American crime film by director Henry Hathaway from 1956 with Van Johnson , Vera Miles and Cecil Parker in the lead roles. The film was produced by Twentieth Century Fox based on the novel A Warrent for X by Philip MacDonald .
action
The extremely successful and celebrated American playwright and writer Phillip Hannon has reacted to his immediate surroundings with undisguised irritation and bitterness since an accident that left him blind. Literally overnight, he has become a nonsenseist, buried himself completely in his work, which offers him the last emotional hold from absolute nihilism , but which bores him to death at the bottom of his heart because it ties him to a sterile tape with which he philosophizes Conducts dialogue. Intellectually far superior to those around him, he has abruptly withdrawn from his fellow men, former friends and the outside world and has been living largely isolated for two months in a comfortable apartment in the London borough of Kensington with the kind-hearted butler Bob Matthews .
When his former secretary and ex-fiancé Jean Lennox from the States visits him completely unexpectedly in his apartment in London to congratulate him on the phenomenal success of his play in New York , her initial sympathy suddenly meets with undisguised sarcasm and reserve when she does asked him the reason for his sudden departure and his bitterness. Hannon, however, does not want to allow himself any sentimentality in her presence, a nakedness in his eyes, and harshly and brusquely rejects Jean. But Jean, who, despite his blindness, still loves the poet, is not so easy to reject. She senses that Hannon's tough facade is pure self-protection, in order not to fall into despair, self-pity and depression as a result of the fate he has suffered. She would like to help him, but Phil Hannon does not make it easy for her and sends Jean back to her rented London apartment with a cynical remark in order to make a detour to his local pub before the premiere of his play in the London theater. The Adler is a restaurant that is not far from his Kensington apartment. When Bob wants to accompany him there, he stubbornly rejects his help and sets off on his own.
When he arrives at the pub, Hannon sits down in his usual place and orders a double whiskey from the bartender to recover from the confusion of his feelings that Jean's unannounced visit to his apartment has undoubtedly caused. So he suddenly becomes an involuntary ear-witness of a conspiratorial conversation between two people behind him, who are sitting with their backs to him, only separated by a pane of frosted glass. His other senses, the acoustics and his sense of smell have been sharpened many times over since he went blind, and so, only interrupted by a loud pinball machine in the middle of the bar, he can almost completely follow the conversation. He deduces from the content, the scraps of conversation and the emotional reactions between an Evans and another person that a crime is planned on the 10th of the month. Completely torn from his initial doom and gloom, he listened to every word.
When the short but eerie conversation is over and the two people leave the restaurant, they pass his table. One of the people inadvertently drops a glove near his table, whereupon Hannon is able to perceive the stranger's body odor for a brief moment. He notices a strange smell that he is unable to interpret at the moment. He asks the barmaid at his table to describe the two strangers. The barmaid, who isn't really interested in this conversation, tells of a man and a woman, her description being extremely superficial. Hannon is about to react angrily when a few moments later Bob enters the bar, who despite Jean's advice not to mother Hannon, has finally followed him into the eagle out of concern about his drinking habits . But even Bob cannot help with the personal description of the two strangers, as he did not see anyone entering the restaurant.
Back in his apartment, Hannon meticulously recapitulates the conversation with the help of his audio tape and emotionally repeats the dialogue between the two strangers. He then informs the police. He suspects - it's only a week until the 10th - that it could be kidnapping or robbery. But Inspector Grovening sends him home and thinks it is an exaggerated fantasy. Phil now determines the name of the scent he had smelled in the bar. To cheer him up, Bob and Jean want to help him: Phil remembers that she took the 73 bus and worked for a noble household. So they go in search of the unknown woman by rolling through nobility registers at night in search of lords with small children who live in Knightsbridge. Until dawn the focus is concentrated on Lady Syrett or her nanny Janet Murch, who was employed by the agency of the Unity Domestic Bureau . There Jean now pretends to apply for a job.
When Jean inquires about Janet, the agency boss, Mr. Piling, becomes suspicious and asks for Jean's address. By surprise, she gives him Hannon's one. Shortly afterwards, a woman reports to Hannon, posing as Miss MacDonald - she's carrying the perfume from the bar. So Phil asks his housekeeper to come after her and take a picture. Bob rushes after her, follows her for several hours, buys a camera on the side when they pass through a department store, also manages to take a picture of her, but then loses it when the persecuted goes into an abandoned house. He comes back with the camera wet and tired. But when Lady Syrett can by no means recognize her employee in the developed photo, the disappointed Phil wedges against his servant and against Jean. Then he decides to place a classified ad asking the nanny Janet to dial his phone number. - In a scene that takes place in a bar, an already drunk woman is paid by a shadowy figure to pretend to be the nanny Janet Murch ; the name of the blind author is impressed on her. Meanwhile, the real Janet decides to call Phil; but while speaking from the phone booth on the Thames, Evans appears and forces her to suggest that Phil meet "with her father" in an hour at the Adler . Evans stabs Janet after she hung up and throws her into the Thames.
So an hour later, a person who pretends to be Janet Murch and Phil Hannon meet in the bar. The writer tries in vain to give the impression that he can see, the other suggests that he take him to Janet's. As they leave the restaurant, they are just spotted by Bob, who follows the two of them: The man takes Phil to the half-ruined house and locks him in a room whose back wall has already been torn off. When a piece of the floor collapses, Phil realizes the danger he is in, calls for help and is rescued by his servant. Back home, Phil realizes in a scene with his ex-fiancée how much he is still alive. Now that Janet's body has been pulled out of the river, Inspector Grovening also begins to believe in the playwright's theory.
Phil, who feels responsible for Janet's death, is completely absorbed by the possible crime as the ominous date approaches. When playing the tape again, he realizes that the name 'Mary' must refer to the luxury liner Queen Mary , which docked in London that morning. With the help of the police, he checks the passenger lists for wealthy travelers with children. The Argentine DeMesters with their seventeen year old daughter seem to be the only candidates. When the police rush to the hotel, they learn that the daughter has disappeared with the governess. A quick search in the area reveals the girl's wheelchair and a doll, on which Phil discovers the telltale scent.
Since he can associate this scent with MacDonald, he sends the police by phone to the abandoned house to which the supposed nanny led his servant and where he was held. There the police met the girl and two of his kidnappers - but not MacDonald. Suddenly the telephone conversation with the police breaks off; Phil suspects mortal danger for himself and Jean, who is with him in his apartment. He wants to flee, but in the stairwell he hears noises and the name Evans several times. He smashes all the light bulbs and plunges the apartment into complete darkness.
When Evans enters the apartment, he can confuse him by playing the tape recording. He can engage the distracted burglar in a fight, and both get back on the stairs, Evans slips and falls to his death. When the summoned police examine the body, it turns out that MacDonald, disguised as a man, is behind Evans.
In the final scene, the reconciled Phil and Jean kiss each other.
German synchronization
The information on the German dubbed version comes from Synchrondatenbank.de.
The dubbed version was created in 1956 at Elite Film Franz Schroeder GmbH in West Berlin. Fritz A. Koeniger wrote the dialogue book . Rolf von Sydow directed the dialogue .
| role | actor | Voice actor |
|---|---|---|
| Philip Hannon | Van Johnson | Eckart Dux |
| Jean Lennox | Vera Miles | Bettina Schön |
| Bob Matthews | Cecil Parker | Werner Lieven |
| Alice MacDonald | Patricia Laffan | Tilly Lauenstein |
| Inspector Grovening | Maurice Denham | Fritz Tillmann |
| Pills | Martin Benson | Friedrich Joloff |
| Hotel porter Simmons | Ben Wright | Bruno W. Pantel |
Reviews
“A blind writer witnesses a kidnapping and murder plot in London, but is not heard by the police and his life is in danger if he tries to solve the case on his own. Not very realistic, but psychologically interesting and very exciting crime film with outstanding camera work. "
Production notes
The production design came from Maurice Ransford and Lyle R. Wheeler . The sound editing comes from Bernard Freericks and Harry M. Leonard. The costumes were supplied by Travilla , the buildings were created by Fay Babcock and Walter M. Scott . Ben Nye and Helen Turpin were responsible for the masks and hairstyles. The special effects came from Ray Kellogg. Lionel Newman was the conductor as the musical director. The location of the film was Barkers of Kensington, 63 Kensington High Street, Kensington , (London) in England .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ 23 steps to the abyss. (No longer available online.) Synchrondatenbank.de, archived from the original on March 6, 2016 ; Retrieved May 23, 2013 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ 23 steps to the abyss. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed March 2, 2017 .
