Breakfast with death
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| Original title | Breakfast with death |
| Country of production |
Germany Austria |
| original language | German |
| Publishing year | 1964 |
| length | 84 minutes |
| Age rating | FSK 16 |
| Rod | |
| Director | Franz Antel |
| script |
Albert Thomas Thomas Alden after the novel Confess, Mr. Prosecutor of Day Keene |
| production | Gero Wecker for team film (Berlin), Wiener Stadthalle (Vienna) |
| music | Gert Wilden |
| camera | Werner M. Lenz |
| cut | Wolfgang Wehrum |
| occupation | |
| |
Breakfast with Death is a German-Austrian crime drama by Franz Antel from 1964 with Wolfgang Preiss and Sonja Ziemann in the leading roles.
action
In the fictional US city of Newtonville in the 1960s. The established public prosecutor Ted Talbot is married to the lawyer Jane Painter-Talbot. Both are professionally in competition. His current case is tough. Talbot is convinced of the guilt of the defendant James Conley, who is accused of bank robbery with the result of death, and obtained with his plea for the maximum sentence that the accused is sentenced to death. The urgent request of Beth Conley, the wife of the death row inmate, to grant a stay in the execution of the sentence, Talbot does not comply because he has no new information. As soon as the sentence has been carried out, the public prosecutor learns of a written confession left by a suicide. In the letter he claims to have committed the act. Talbot is gripped by sheer horror, he is unable to believe that he has made the wrong decision. After all, he tries to make amends for the Conley widow and offers her financial support. But the attractive blonde angrily rejects the prosecutor's request, as if he wanted to buy his own guilt with this sum of money.
Talbot's marriage also suffers greatly from the wrongful decision made by the public prosecutor. Jane Painter-Talbot, who was also Conley's attorney, files for divorce. Professionally, the prosecution's representative is going downhill from now on. A series of strange events relating to himself ultimately lead to Talbot being forced to resign. His successor will be his deputy Hall Young, and he seems no less relentless in his administration, not even towards Talbot. The noose is tightening around Ted Talbot's neck; after all, he is even suspected of having killed Conley's widow after he was found on the doorstep with her body in his arms. Talbot, who is now suspected of murder, flees and goes into hiding with the tough police lieutenant Keller on his neck. Now only the young Vickie Paul, who owes him thanks, stands by his side. She firmly believes in his innocence. Vickie makes Talbot think that he's caught up in a web of intriguing intrigue. He has to swing his fists several times to find out the truth. The motel owner Larry in particular seems more than opaque. Attacks are committed on Talbot and Vickie. Vickie is hit by a bullet and Talbot is shot too. His suspicions soon focus on his still-wife, Jane, who pulls the strings. Her motive: blind ambition.
production
Breakfast with Death was written in Berlin in spring 1964. In order to get an attractive stripper for a nightclub scene, the unit manager combed all of the relevant Berlin establishments. When, after a successful search and the corresponding recordings, director Franz Antel wanted to get to know his new discovery without film censorship, she only showed interest in the fee and signed with the first name "Jakob", which she identified as transgender .
Rolf Kalmuczak was involved in the script under the pseudonym Thomas Alden . Karl Spiehs was in charge of production. Otto Pischinger designed the film structures . Gunther Kortwich was responsible for the sound. For Arno Paulsen this was the last role in a movie.
The premiere took place in Germany on June 5, 1964, exactly one week later the film celebrated its Austrian premiere in Vienna.
Reviews
“This is Franz Antel's first crime thriller production. In recent years he has only made light, happy, amorous films. Now he has submitted to the prevailing film fashion and has also switched to crime thriller. Based on the novel "Do you confess Mr. Public Prosecutor" by Day Keene, Franz Antel took on this directorial work with a well-known cast in front of and behind the camera. "
"Transparent detective film that confuses tension with brutality."
“When you look at it later, it all seems well constructed, but exciting as long as the film is rolling. With a good cast and unnecessarily American milieu, musically illustrated and technically balanced. "
Web links
- Breakfast with death in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- Breakfast with death at filmportal.de
Individual evidence
- ^ Franz Antel: Twisted, in love, my life , Munich, Vienna 2001, p. 154 f.