The strangler from the tower

Movie
Original title	The strangler from the tower
Country of production	Federal Republic of Germany
original language	German
Publishing year	1966
length	83 minutes
Age rating	FSK 16
Rod
Director	Hans Mehringer
script	Michael Thomas
production	Urania Filmproduktion ( Erwin C. Dietrich )
music	Bruno Spoerri , Walter Baumgartner , Hans Moeckel
camera	Andreas Demmer
cut	Peter Muenger
occupation
Charles Regnier : John Clifton / Harry Clifton Kai Fischer : Grace Harrison Hans Reiser : Inspector Harvey Ellen Schwiers : Lady Trenton Adi Berber : Strangler Christa Linder : Jane Wilkins Gerhard Geisler : Dr. Livingstone Birgit Bergen : Dodo Rainer Bertram : Kiddie Albert Mol : Larry the Glad Lis Kertelge : Djaipur Edi Huber : Masters Alfred Schlageter : Sir Humphry Ruth Jecklin : Maisie Peter W. Loosli : Travers Inigo Gallo : Pietro Broggini Walter Kiesler : Sir Burley Gisela Lorenz : Mary Wilkins Hansjörg Bahl : Police officer Karl Rütsche : Police officer Walter Roderer : Guest

Der Würger vom Tower is a German crime film that was shot mainly in Switzerland and London at the end of 1965 under the direction of Hans Mehringer . The film producer Erwin C. Dietrich , who also wrote the screenplay under the pseudonym Michael Thomas , wanted to build on the success of the Edgar Wallace films with the black and white film . The nationwide cinema release was on June 2, 1966.

action

Ellen Schwiers played Lady Trenton .

The wealthy widow Mary Wilkins is strangled in the elevator of a London office building. In the process, a supposedly valuable Parvati - emerald disappears . All traces indicate that the murderer is the so-called Strangler from the Tower , an unknown contract killer. Scotland Yard's Inspector Harvey first questions Jane Wilkins, the murdered girl's daughter. Jane suspects that the stolen stone is a copy. Lady Trenton, crime writer Grace Harrison and Harry Clifton also learn about the murder from the newspaper.

Harry's brother, the dubious jeweler John Clifton, claims to the police that only Mary Wilkins, a certain Sir Humphry and himself own a comparable gemstone. A short time later, Jane Wilkins, who now owns her mother's real emerald, is kidnapped into a vault under the Tower of London . She ends up before the secret tribunal of the Brothers of Compromising Justice . Jane is accused of stealing one of the five parts of the divine Parvati emerald and locked in a dungeon. Under torture and in agony, she reveals that Harry Clifton and Lady Trenton also own such a stone. The next stone owner Grace Harrison drops the Strangler victim.

Meanwhile, Inspector Harvey finds out that the Parvati Stone, originally from the former Siam , was made by a certain Dr. Livingstone was brought to London from India . It doesn't take long before other owners of the emeralds are murdered. It turns out that Harry Clifton commissioned the murders and is head of the Brothers of Recalculatory Justice . The inspector can rescue Jane from the dungeon and arrest Clifton. However, there is still a spectacular chase on the Thames after Professor Livingstone, who is also trapped in the catacombs, shot the strangler and snatched the stones.

History of origin

prehistory

In the course of the Edgar Wallace films by Rialto Film , which have been marketed by Constantin Filmverleih since 1959 , numerous other crime films based on a similar pattern were made in the 1960s. The Swiss film producer Erwin C. Dietrich , who has worked mainly in Germany since 1962, had already brought such a work to the cinemas with Die Nylonschlinge .

production

The Hilfikon Castle can be seen in the film as Sir Humphry's estate.

At the end of 1965, when many successful crime series such as the Doktor Mabuse or the Bryan Edgar Wallace films had already been discontinued, the shooting of the film Der Würger vom Tower took place. Although it was officially a German film production by Urania-Film in West Berlin , many outdoor shots were made in Switzerland in cooperation with the Zurich- based Afiba-Film AG. The Hilfikon Castle in the canton of Aargau can be seen as Sir Humphry's estate. In addition, the film contains numerous London recordings, in which, however, no actors took part.

The film architect Nino Borghi was responsible for the production design . The actor Rainer Bertram also acted as an assistant director . Ady Berber can be seen here in one of his last film roles. He died six months before the film opened in theaters.

Some actors were not involved in the dubbing of the film, so they can be heard in the film with different voices:

• Hans Reiser , speaker: Arnold Marquis
• Inigo Gallo , speaker: Erich Fiedler
• Gerhard Geisler , speaker: Eduard Wandrey

reception

The FSK released the film on March 1, 1966 from the age of 16. It opened in German cinemas on June 2, 1966. The film was distributed by Pallas Filmverleih. According to the Internet Movie Database , the film was also shown in Austria with the title Großalarm at Scotland Yard .

Reviews

"Confused and low-tension crime thriller on the trail of the Edgar Wallace series."

- Lexicon of international film

"A cheap, by no means recommendable German crime thriller."

- Protestant film observer

Web links

• The Strangler from the tower in the Internet Movie Database (English)
• The strangler from the tower at Filmportal.de

Individual evidence

1. ↑ 83 minutes for cinema projection (24 images / second), 80 minutes for television playback (25 images / second), film length: 2266 meters
2. ↑ The Strangler from the Tower. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed March 2, 2017 .  
3. ↑ Evangelical Press Association Munich, Review No. 228/1966