The white spider

Movie
Original title	The white spider
Country of production	Federal Republic of Germany
original language	German
Publishing year	1963
length	103 / TV 98 minutes
Age rating	FSK 16
Rod
Director	Harald Reinl
script	Egon Eis (as Albert Tanner)
production	Gero Wecker , Hans Oppenheimer
music	Peter Thomas
camera	Werner M. Lenz
cut	Wolfgang Wehrum
occupation
Joachim Fuchsberger : Ralph Hubbard / Inspector Conway Karin Dor : Muriel Irvine Horst Frank : Kiddie Phelips Werner Peters : Sergeant Meals Dieter Eppler : Summerfield Friedrich Schoenfelder : Sir James Mady Rahl : Mrs. Falk Paul Klinger : Inspector Dawson Gerhard Frickhöffer : Lord Ensfield Chris Howland : Gideon Fritz Eberth : Sergeant Gibbs Lotte Brackebusch : Penelope Hans Bergmann : Stewart Maloney

The White Spider is a German crime film from 1963 with Joachim Fuchsberger and Karin Dor in the leading roles. It is based on the detective novel of the same name by Louis Weinert-Wilton . Directed by Harald Reinl .

action

A terrible gang of criminals kills unpleasant people for a fee. At the crime scene, Scotland Yard finds a small white glass spider after every murder. This is also the case with the passionate player Richard Irvine, who is killed in a mysterious car accident. His surviving wife Muriel is completely destitute. Her husband had gambled away the entire fortune in the "Club of 55". In addition, the insurance company does not believe in an accident and therefore does not pay. When Scotland Yard inspector Dawson followed a lead into the gambling club, he was murdered with a wire noose. Then the yard finally hires the first-class inspector Conway, whom no one has seen before. Meanwhile, Muriel meets lawyer Summerfield, who has found work for her in a charitable company. There she meets the morality criminal Kiddie Phelips and the likeable Ralph Hubbard. But this one also has a criminal record ...

Special

Only at the end of the film does Inspector Conway's true identity become clear. In order not to inform them too early, Conway always stands behind the desk in his office when he receives visitors. For this purpose, the visitor is illuminated by two lamps, so that Conway always remains in the background and cannot be seen. In addition, the voice of his actor cannot be heard during scenes in Conway's office. Conway speaks here with the voice of Heinz Petruo . Only when Conway reveals himself to Muriel Irvine in his office does he speak in his own voice.

Production notes

Spandau, Fischerstrasse 26: This is where Mrs. Falk's hotel was located

The film was produced by Arca-Winston Film Corporation and Hans-Oppenheimer-Film GmbH. The shooting lasted from January 21, 1963 to March 6, 1963. Outdoor shots were taken in London, Hamburg and West Berlin. You can see u. a. the church of St. Nikolai in Spandau. The nearby house at Fischerstrasse 26 served as Mrs. Falk's hotel, although at the time it looked a bit shabby. It still exists today. The premiere was on April 5, 1963 in Munich, Cologne and Saarbrücken at the same time. In the GDR, the film was only released in cinemas on October 15, 1971. The film was first seen on TV on June 18, 1970. The citizens of the GDR had to wait 4 years longer for the first broadcast.

Reviews

This section consists only of a cunning collection of quotes from movie reviews. Instead, a summary of the reception of the film should be provided as continuous text, which can also include striking quotations, see also the explanations in the film format .

“Insurance fraud, accident or murder? Scotland Yard has yet to clarify these questions. The tracks lead to the "white spider", code name of the London underworld. Devil symbol also for a degenerate variety artist who ends up catching himself in his own network. His metamorphosis gives this crime thriller the punch line, but prematurely defuses the tension fueled by Harald Reinl. Optical and acoustic tricks are no longer of much use. The line-up [...] is tried and tested. A brilliant achievement: Dieter Eppler as a multifaceted villain. A mistake: Chris Howland as a stupid steward. "

- Hamburger Abendblatt , May 18, 1963

"The absurd story with elements of horror is staged with some entertaining cinematic qualities within the conventions of the Edgar Wallace films of those years."

- Lexicon of international film

"Even crazier than the Wallace crime novels of those years."

- Heyne Film Lexicon, 1996

literature

• Louis Weinert-Wilton : The White Spider. Detective novel . (= Masterpieces of crime literature ). Goldmann, Munich 1988, ISBN 3-442-06250-0 .

Web links

• The white spider in the Internet Movie Database (English)
• The white spider at filmportal.de
• The white spider at prisma.de

Individual evidence

1. ↑ The white spider. In: Abendblatt.de. Hamburger Abendblatt , May 18, 1963, accessed on May 27, 2018 . 
2. ↑ The white spider. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed May 27, 2018 .