Das indische Tuch (1963)

User Rating:

6.4/10   

Director:

Alfred Vohrer

Writers:

Edgar Wallace (novel)
Harald G. Petersson (writer) ...

Release Date:

13 September 1963 (West Germany)

Genre:

Drama | Crime

Plot:

When a wealthy man dies, his avaricious relatives look forward to inheriting all his money. However...

Plot Keywords:

Castle | Will | Scarf | Murder | Pianist

Cast

Heinz Drache	...	Frank Tanner
Corny Collins	...	Isla Harris
Klaus Kinski	...	Peter Ross
Gisela Uhlen	...	Mrs. Tilling, geb. Lebanon
Hans Nielsen	...	Mr. Tilling
Siegfried Schürenberg	...	Sir Henry Hockbridge
Richard Häussler	...	Dr. Amersham
Hans Clarin	...	Lord Edward Lebanon
Alexander Engel	...	Reverend Hastings
Ady Berber	...	Chiko
Eddi Arent	...	Richard Maria Bonwit
Elisabeth Flickenschildt	...	Lady Emily Lebanon

Also Known As:

The Indian Scarf (USA)

Runtime:

Germany:86 min | USA:93 min

Country:

West Germany

Language:

German

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Klangfilm-Magnetocord-Eurocord)

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | West Germany:16 (f)

Filming Locations:

Berlin, Germany

Company:

Rialto Film Preben-Philipsen

Trivia:

In the first draft of the screenplay by 'Georg Hurdalek', Frank Tanner (then played by Heinz Drache) was ill during the whole film and being cared about by Isla Harris and Bonwit. This was found to be too complicated to suit the main character of a crime story who has to investigate a murder. When Harald G. Petersson rewrote the script, the idea was scrapped.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Der Wixxer (2004)

Drache does it

Heinz Drache recently died. Reason enough to watch this one again. I find that of all the movies on tape the films of the Wallace series are the ones that I watch again and again. And the "Tuch" is after "Der Hexer" the best one. It just got everything. As a rule of thumb: the ones with Drache are best, the ones with Fuchsberger are all okay. If Kinski is in it, great. But really important is the presence of Eddi Aren't and Siegfried Schuerendorf. Luckily they are in practically every of the 38 or so of the series.

Alfred Vohrer, one of the unrecognized geniuses of Film, directs his incredible cast through a story that is both negligible and a highlight of mystery. Lord Lebanon died and his greedy family is forced to spend a week in the castle, if they want to inherit. Of course, they are cut off from the outside world because of a storm or something. And so (and this is hardly a spoiler I hope) as one after the other gets strangled, they are on their own. And Frank Tanner (Drache), the lawyer, has to solve the crime. He does it with his usual light spirit. Unfortunately not to successful, for he suspects each and everyone (and is suspected by the others) and even after there are only three members of the family left - one of them the beautiful women (well not so beautiful to be honest) who has literally no other role than to bring in some female presence, he still suspects the wrong one, namely wonderful Elisabeth Flickenschildt. Well. Of course, the whole thing cannot be taken seriously and is not meant to be taken seriously. There are funny scenes throughout the film. Eddie Aren't as butler Bonwit is superb but easily overshadowed by Schuerenberg, who only has to say "Was sind denn das für Sachen?" to make my heart jump from joy. Even better when he imitates his parrot saying "Murderer, murderer" as Aren't leaves his room. At the end all the dead are present as ghosts as the will is read to the final family member, the above mentioned young lady (Gisela Uhlen). But she does not inherit, no. Guess who is the lucky one? Try to rent this one somewhere. An easy ten out of ten.