A stormy night forces various travelers to take shelter at the Black Raven Inn, a hostelry located near the Canadian border and run by Amos Bradford, aka the Raven (George Zucco), who is said to be able to smuggle those on the lam across the border. Among those cast together at the inn: an eloping …
Double Face (1969)
In the wake of his wife’s death in a suspicious car crash, a businessman (Klaus Kinski) explores a seedy scene and uncovers secrets about her — and suggestions that she may still be alive. What is really going on? A serviceable thriller, with Kinski effective as the lead. Mildly recommended. Otto judiciously thinks this movie …
The Five Billion Dollar Legacy (1970)
A billionaire confined to a wheelchair sends letters to three young women around the world, identifying them as his daughters and inviting them to visit him (with the prospect of inheriting his wealth dangling in front of them). Of course, no such gathering is without strife, and infighting and murder soon follow their arrival. But …
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Die blaue Hand (1967)
Murders committed by a strange figure with a metallic claw follow the escape of a man (Klaus Kinski) committed to an asylum after the murder of his gardener, which he consistently claims he did not do. Could the killer instead be one of the other members of the family: his mother, his twin, his other …
The Crime Doctor’s Diary (Columbia, 1949)
Parolee Steve Carter (Stephen Dunne), who had been convicted of arson, gets out of prison determined to track down the person who really set the fire at the record company where he worked: Was it someone else who worked there, such as suspicious-seeming Carl Anson (George Meeker) or the owner’s goofy brother (Whit Bissell), who …
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The Secret of the Black Widow (1963)
People in some way connected with a South American expedition are being murdered via poison darts tipped with rubber spiders. What is the motive for the crimes, and just who is responsible?Despite the unusual means of killing, a good-sized role for the appealing Karin Dor, and the presence of both Klaus Kinski and Eddi Arent, …
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London by Night (MGM, 1937)
In order to go on vacation, a reporter (George Murphy) with a dog tries to solve the mystery of the “Umbrella Man,” suspected in some murders in London. His investigation soon leads him to cross paths with a young woman (Rita Johnson) with a short-tempered father (Montagu Love). Virginia Field has a good role as …
The College Girl Murders (1967)
Someone is using inmates from a nearby prison to conduct murders, and the killings are centered on a nearby college. Meanwhile, a mysterious figure dressed as a monk in scarlet kills people with a whip. (The original title of the movie was Der Mönch mit der Peitsche.) Inspector Higgins (Joachim Fuchsberger) investigates, but will he …
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La bambola di Satana (1969)
A young woman (Erna Schurer) inherits a castle from her uncle but is urged to sell it, and various creepy — or simply odd — happenings, including murder, follow, in this fairly atmospheric Gothic thriller, also known as The Doll of Satan. Certainly not the best of this sort of movie, but a decent lead …
Der Mann mit dem Glasauge (1969)
This later German Edgar Wallace Krimi packs plenty of both action and humor into its running time, as Scotland Yard investigates murder tied to a nightclub, as well as drug dealing and human trafficking. Inspector Perkins (Horst Tappert) is the lead investigator; his boss, Sir Arthur (Hubert von Meyerinck) takes a hand from time to …
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