The man who didn't commit murder
| Television series | |
|---|---|
| Original title | The man who didn't commit murder |
| Country of production | Germany |
| original language | German |
| year | 1968 |
| length | 20 minutes |
| Episodes | 7 in 1 season |
| genre | Thriller |
| First broadcast | September 11, 1968 on WDR |
| occupation | |
in other roles and a .: | |
The man who did not commit murder is a German mini-series that was broadcast in September 1968 on the early evening program of WDR regional television. The template is the novel of the same name by Alexander Spoerl and describes a criminal case in Berlin in the 1930s.
action
A hammer falling from a roof kills the jeweler Felix König. All passers-by think the man is drunk. Likewise, the unemployed civil engineer Paul Wunderland, resident of an arbor colony. Paul puts the lifeless man in a gate and tries to find out the man's identity in the wallet. Startled, he notices that the man is dead and hastily flees to the bar "At Barbara". Since he knows the owner very well, Paul tells her about what he has just experienced. This persuades him to return to the scene. Not only was the body noticed there, but the wallet was also missing. Paul understands from the words of the bystanders that the thief of the wallet must also be the murderer. Now he no longer dares to report and runs away.
The next morning he was offered a job as a poster sticker. At the first advertising column, Paul realizes that he has to hang up the wanted posters for the murderer of Felix König and hands the job over to his friend Egon. Now Paul wants to mail the wallet to the police. Since the shipment was not sufficiently franked, Paul received the wallet back in the presence of his new acquaintance Marion. When Egon also brings the remaining wanted posters, she too thinks he is a murderer.
Paul's next plan is to drop off the wallet at the lost property office. On the way there he would like to help the supposedly blind "Leisen Lulli". However, this is a pickpocket who steals the wallet from his jacket. While Paul doesn’t notice anything, a detective immediately sees through the crime. When he then finds the wallet with the initials FK on the crook, the arrest follows immediately. Marion hears the announcement that the case has been resolved and now believes that Paul has been arrested. She rushes to the police station to give Paul an alibi for the night in question. When Marion is confronted with the quiet Lulli, she is confused at first, but then very relieved.
Marion visits Paul at his new job to tell him about the new development. But she is also of the opinion that Leise Lulli must by no means be sentenced to death innocently. During a boat trip, Paul Marion untruthfully declares that he had clarified the case with the police. But then she reads in the newspaper that the trial against Lulli has been scheduled for today. She gets out angrily, determined to finally do something. Paul now also realizes that he can no longer be silent.
In the meantime the trial against the quiet Lulli has started. The defense attorney tries to point to the harmlessness of his client and Lulli's inability to commit such an act of violence. It now also looks like Lulli's lawyer could convince the court of his innocence. When the lawyer's plea is over, Paul storms into the auditorium. Lulli recognizes the man from whom he stole the wallet and pounces on him. Paul flees without testifying. A little later Paul hears in Barbara's bar that Lulli has been sentenced to death.
Lulli is finished, a petition for clemency is rejected. Paul and Marion now meet in the arbor. Paul says there is no way he can surrender as he would then be sentenced to death. Marion says she will report him and goes to the police. A little later, Paul follows her. Marion has already told everything there, the only difference being that she has put her name instead of Pauls. Paul, the quiet Lulli and Marion now gather around the public prosecutor, and the story is finally cleared up because Paul tells that he first dragged the dead person from the sidewalk into the doorway and the public prosecutor is convinced. When the quiet Lulli is released, Paul and Marion are waiting for him in front of the prison. The quiet Lulli doesn't want to have anything more to do with them, while Paul and Marion decide on a future together.
background
It was directed by the veteran crime thriller Hans Quest (including: Das Halstuch , Special Department K1 , Father Brown).
The first three parts ran from September 11th to September 13th (Wednesday to Friday), the next three parts in the following week from Monday to Thursday.
The first edition of the novel appeared under the title "I have nothing to do with it".