The secret of the Chinese carnation
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| German title | The secret of the Chinese carnation |
| Original title | The secret of the Chinese carnation / FBI contre l'oeillet chinois / Il segreto del garofano cinese |
 | |
| Country of production | Federal Republic of Germany , France , Italy |
| original language | German |
| Publishing year | 1964 |
| length | 90 minutes |
| Age rating | FSK 16 |
| Rod | |
| Director | Rudolf Zehetgruber |
| script | Rudolf Zehetgruber |
| production | Rapid-Film ( Wolf C. Hartwig ), Les Films Jacques Leitienne, Imp. Ex. Ci. Metheus film |
| music | Miloš Vacek |
| camera | Jan Stallich |
| cut | Herbert Taschner |
| occupation | |
| |
The Secret of the Chinese Carnation is a crime film that was shot in Prague in 1964 under the direction of Rudolf Zehetgruber . The film adaptation of the novel The Chinese Carnation by Louis Weinert-Wilton was the fourth and final contribution in the Weinert-Wilton film series , with which Constantin Filmverleih wanted to build on the success of the Edgar Wallace films . The black and white film, produced under the overall management of Wolf C. Hartwigs Rapid Film GmbH, was made with the financial participation of Les Films Jacques Leitienne ( Paris ), Imp. Ex. Ci. ( Marseille ) and Metheus Film ( Rome ). The film opened in German cinemas on October 9, 1964.
action
Professor Bexter and his assistant Dr. Cecil Wilkens developed a sensational formula for generating energy . Reginald Sheridan, director of the "United Trans Oil Company", is after the microfilm with the formula as is a certain Mary Lou, who runs an international agent ring in the London nightclub "Chinese Carnation" . A short time later, Bexter is murdered.
The scientist was able to send the film to his niece Susan in time. The private detective Donald Ramsey, who protects Susan and the film and wants to avenge the murder of a friend, conducts his own investigations in which his life is in danger. But Scotland Yard and the Secret Service also investigate independently of each other. Ramsey is kidnapped by the spies together with the agent Legget. In the end, the two can break free. The spies and Reginald Sheridan are arrested, Mary Lou and Cecil Wilkens, who was convicted of murdering the professor, die in a car chase. The formula is saved.
History of origin
prehistory
In addition to the extremely successful Edgar Wallace films, Constantin Filmverleih, which marketed this series, saw the subject of crime films by far not exhausted in the 1960s. Thus, among other things, four film adaptations of detective novels by the Bohemian-born writer Louis Weinert-Wilton (1875–1945) were made. The material rights were owned by the distributor, so that the responsible chief dramaturge, Gerhard F. Hummel , was able to commission various film producers to produce the films. The release dates of the Weinert-Wilton films were chosen so that they did not start in the cinema parallel to the Edgar Wallace films.
The third film in the series, The Secret of the Black Widow (director: Franz Josef Gottlieb ), was the last film production at Constantin that Hummel had a direct influence on, since he moved to WDR as head of production at the end of 1963 . According to plans, the film adaptation of the Weinert-Wilton novel The Chinese Carnation should come to the cinemas in autumn 1964 . Wolf C. Hartwig was chosen as the producer , who, in contrast to the previous classic crime films , wanted to create a contemporary spy film . The director was Rudolf Zehetgruber , who also wrote the script.
Paul Dahlke was seen in the leading role . With Dietmar Schönherr , Horst Frank and Klaus Kinski they also engaged some well-known genre actors. Other roles included the Czech sex symbol Olga Schoberová and the American action actor Brad Harris . They met while filming and married in 1967.
production
The film was shot in and around Prague in mid-1964 . The studio recordings were made in the Barrandov film studios . All London recordings came from the archive.
synchronization
The German version of the international co-production was completely dubbed . Paul Dahlke, Dietmar Schönherr and Klaus Kinski can be heard with their own voices. Other well-known speakers and their roles were:
| role | actor | Voice actor |
|---|---|---|
| Lieutenant Legget | Horst Frank | Helmo Kindermann |
| Donald Ramsey | Brad Harris | Heinz Engelmann |
reception
publication
The FSK released the film on September 25, 1964 for ages 16 and up. In contrast to its predecessors, the film, which premiered in Germany on October 9th of the same year, did not achieve the business hoped for. The film series was not continued. However, director Rudolf Zehetgruber was later able to direct two successful agent films: Inspector X - Three Yellow Cats (1966) and Inspector X - Three Green Dogs (1967).
The secret of the Chinese carnation started in Italian cinemas on December 26, 1964 under the title Il segreto del garofano cinese . In France the film, which was called FBI contre l'oeillet chinois there , did not appear until 1965. The German television premiere took place on July 4, 1970 in the first . The DVD was released on December 13, 2013.
Reviews
"Another turbulent and opaque story prepared according to a recipe, [...] in a somewhat 'gray' photograph."
"A solid crime film that offers entertainment that is acceptable for the not-too-spoiled taste, less through suspense or sophistication than through technically solid structure, comedy and parody."
"Crime that strives for tension, is not very logical and full of improbabilities."
literature
- Louis Weinert-Wilton : The Chinese Carnation. Detective novel . 10th edition. Goldmann Verlag, Munich 1988, ISBN 3-442-00053-X .
Web links
- Secret of the Chinese Carnation in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- The secret of the Chinese carnation at Filmportal.de
- Illustrated film stage 1964
Individual evidence
- ↑ 90 minutes for cinema projection (24 images / second), 86 minutes for television playback (25 images / second), film length: 2464 meters
- ↑ Joachim Kramp: Hello! This is Edgar Wallace speaking. The history of the crime film series from 1959 to 1972. Third, revised and expanded edition . Schwarzkopf & Schwarzkopf, Berlin 2005, ISBN 3-89602-645-3 , p. 456-458 .
- ↑ The Secret of the Chinese Carnation . In: Paimann's film lists . No. 2898 , November 5, 1964 ( Reizfeld.net ).
- ↑ Ev. Munich Press Association, Review No. 53/1964
- ↑ The Secret of the Chinese Carnation. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed March 2, 2017 .
