Die blaue Hand (1967)

Director:

Alfred Vohrer
(more)

Writers:

Herbert Reinecker (writer)
Edgar Wallace (novel)
(more)

Release Date:

1970 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Horror

Plot:

Scotland Yard is after a homicidal maniac called The Blue Hand, which is what he uses to kill his victims. |

Plot Keywords:

Snake | Murder | Insane Asylum | Twin | Secret Door

Cast

Harald Leipnitz	...	Inspektor Craig
Klaus Kinski	...	Dave Emerson / Richard Emerson
Carl Lange	...	Dr. Albert Mangrove
Ilse Steppat	...	Lady Emerson
Hermann Lenschau	...	Rechtsanwalt Douglas
Diana Körner	...	Myrna Emerson
Gudrun Genest	...	Schwester Harris
Albert Bessler	...	Butler Anthony
Richard Haller	...	Edward Appleton / Die Blaue Hand
Ilse Pagé	...	Miss Mabel Finley
Fred Haltiner	...	Wärter Reynolds
Peter Parten	...	Robert Emerson
Thomas Danneberg	...	Charles Emerson
Heinz Spitzner	...	Richter
Siegfried Schürenberg	...	Sir John
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Denise Coward	...	Nurse Warner (1987 footage) (uncredited)
Otto Czarski	...	Wärter Duck (uncredited)
Ed French	...	Bearded lunatic (1987 footage) (uncredited)
Karin Kenklies	...	Nurse Agnes Dairen (uncredited)
Helga Lander	...	Virginia (uncredited)
Harry Riebauer	...	Mr. Snobbits (uncredited)
Alfred Vohrer	...	Edgar Wallace / Boss (voice) (also archive footage) (uncredited)

Directed by
Alfred Vohrer
Samuel M. Sherman		(new footage) (uncredited)

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Fred Denger		uncredited
Uschi Haarbrücker		script (uncredited)
Harald G. Petersson		uncredited
Herbert Reinecker		writer (as Alex Berg)
Samuel M. Sherman		1987 footage (uncredited)
Edgar Wallace		novel "The Blue Hand"

Produced by
Fritz Klotsch	....	executive producer
Horst Wendlandt	....	producer
Preben Philipsen	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Martin Böttcher

Cinematography by
Ernst W. Kalinke

Film Editing by
Jutta Hering

Production Design by
Walter Kutz
Wilhelm Vorwerg

Set Decoration by
Günter Beer		(uncredited)
Günter Franke		(uncredited)

Costume Design by
Irms Pauli
Gisela Nixdorf		(uncredited)
Helmut Preuss		(uncredited)

Makeup Department
Charlotte Kersten	....	makeup artist (as Charlotte Kersten-Schmidt)
Willi Nixdorf	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Herbert Kerz	....	production manager
Wolfgang Kühnlenz	....	production manager
Harry Wilbert	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Eva Ebner	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Gerhard Müller	....	sound

Camera and Electrical Department
Joachim Gitt	....	assistant camera
Wolfgang Hofmann	....	assistant camera
Gerd-Victor Krau	....	still photographer
Max Marhoffer	....	still photographer (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Evelyn Siewert	....	assistant editor (uncredited)
Helga Stumpf	....	assistant editor (uncredited)

Other crew
Werner Schröder	....	animal trainer
Eva Ebner	....	arm double: Myrna Emerson (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Rialto Film Preben-Philipsen

Distributors

• Constantin Film (1967) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Ambassador Film Distributors (1971) (Canada)
• Front Row Video (video)
• Image Entertainment (????) (USA) (DVD) (as "The Bloody Dead")
• New World Pictures (1971) (USA) (English dubbed)
• Platinum Video (video)
• Very Strange Video (VSV) (1997) (USA) (VHS) (as "The Bloody Dead") (recut version with added footage)

Other Companies

• Pelzhaus Berger  furs

Also Known As:

Creature with the Blue Hand (USA)
The Bloody Dead (USA) (video title (recut version))

Runtime:

Germany:87 min | USA:72 min

Country:

West Germany

Language:

German

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Klangfilm-Magnetocord)

Certification:

Germany:12 (re-rating) (1991) | USA:GP | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

East Orange, New Jersey, USA

Company:

Rialto Film Preben-Philipsen

Trivia:

On the movie poster of the Italian release Diana Körner and Harald Leipnitz were credited as 'Diana Cornell' and 'Harald Leipniz'.

Movie Connections:

Edited into Out of this World Super Shock Show (2007) (V)

This is not about a lonely smurf...

Thankfully I haven't seen the re edited hatchet job that was released as The Bloody Dead that was culled from this movie. The ads on the video release did tout it as before Freddy in the Nightmare On Elm Street series.But this is another from the German krimis based on the works of Edgar Wallace.

What we have here is the old good twin/evil twin plot that has been done to death.Two brothers (played by the ever intense Klaus Kinski)are the center of a plot. One was convicted of murder and locked in the squirrel farm over his protestations of innocence.Conveniently the asylum is in the neighborhood of the family estate.

Freed by an unknown benefactor the twin flees to the family basement. Then a series of brutal killing via a spiked glove begin.Confusion abounds as the brothers bounce back and forth in cases of mistaken identity.As usual there is a fortune to be inherited as well, secret police agents and a mad doctor(is there any other kind?).

This by no means a great movie.It just happens to be rather unremarkable and somewhat predictable if you've seen enough movies in this genre.Hey, somebody has to sit through it so you don't have to.

See it only if you don't want to think strenuously.