The Hoop case

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Movie
Original title The Hoop case
Country of production Germany
original language German
Publishing year 1916
Rod
Director William Kahn
script William Kahn
production William Kahn
occupation

The Hoop case is a German silent crime film directed by William Kahn .

action

Amsterdam . An injured man with a gaping head wound is admitted to the Wilhelminenspital in the Dutch capital. He was found on the street with a note in his pocket that read: “Contact home immediately, search the library”. Then Rat Anheim is called in to talk to the wounded man. The stranger says his name is Arthur Hoop. When he came out of the theater last night in a light mist and headed home to his domicile, he unlocked the apartment door with a key, which he believed belonged to his house. Entering there, he met two men arguing violently. A little later, says Hoop, he lost consciousness, and when he woke up again, a dead man was lying next to him. He panicked and wanted to flee, but his own high blood loss prevented him from getting ahead quickly. In the street, Hoop finally collapsed. The rest is known. How the note with the inscription got into his pocket, Mr. Hoop doesn't know.

The shrewd criminalist Rat Anheim begins his research. He quickly finds out that the dead man's name was Gaarden, died in his own house and was considered a rich eccentric. Anheim sticks to the recommendation found on the letter and searches Gaarden's library. There he comes across records that allow conclusions to be drawn that Gaarden was a thief named Blunder. That man had stolen valuable jewelry seven years ago and kept it all the time in the India Bank. At home, he quickly visits the bank, but has to find out on the spot that a gentleman had just turned up yesterday and completely emptied the Gaarden safe. In order to lure this last jewelry thief out of cover, Rat Anheim placed an advertisement: a certain Bely, a diamond collector in New York, who did not always put his collection together properly, shows interest in buying the diamonds. In fact, an interested party contacts the New Yorker. Since the jewelry has to be brought to the USA for this, Anheim attaches itself to the interested party, a certain Phil Obrynd, also an American citizen. Olbrynd and his friend Carlson are arrested while they are on the way to the passenger ship in Rotterdam, but Phil's travel companion Ellen escapes with the jewelry.

The Dutch terminus is also the terminus for the lady. All three suspects are held in police custody. When Anheim is careless for a moment and briefly leaves the interrogation room to talk to the police chief, Olbrynd and Carlson manage to escape. With Anheim's hat and coat, Olbrynd piles up and in this masquerade, disguised as Council Anheim, picks up Ellen from the police custody. All three towers with one vehicle, followed by Council Anheim in a special train. The car had an accident due to a defect in the controls and Olbrynd was pulled out of the rubble, seriously injured. He tells Anheim how he got involved in this matter: In dire straits, Phil let Blunder persuade him to help with the embezzlement of the jewelry. Then Blunder dived and the two men didn't see each other again until years later, when Blunder had become Gaarden. Olbrynd, plagued by remorse, urged Blunder to return the jewelry anonymously, whereupon both men got into trouble. Meanwhile an alcoholic and plagued by paranoia , Blunder became a fury towards Olbrynd. Arthur Hoop burst into this scuffle. He was wounded and Blunder was fatally injured by a gunshot from a revolver. With the last of his strength, the dying Blunder wrote the lines on the slip of paper and put them in Hoop's pocket. Anheim can close the case and return the jewelry to the rightful owner.

Production notes

The Hoop case premiered on August 1, 1916 or October 13 of the same year in Berlin's Tauentzienpalast , depending on the source . The August date may be related to the censorship clearance. In Austria-Hungary, the strip started on March 16, 1917. The film had four acts.

The film was the third in the Rat-Anheim series.

criticism

“This second film in the William Kahn series, whose ingeniously conceived plot keeps the viewer in breathless tension - as is the case, for example, with the chase of the refugee's car by a special train - can certainly claim to be called a quality picture become. But it is not only the plot alone that gives the picture this glory, an impeccable direction also contributes to it and has used her best skills to give the first-class plot a corresponding background. Finally, the excellent actors should also be mentioned, all of whom are completely up to their roles. "

- Cinematographic review of December 24, 1916. p. 274

Web links