Horst Wendlandt Movies
A former WWII POW whose productions laid the groundwork for one of Germany's biggest local box-office hits, producer Horst Wendlandt hit a nearly five-decade-long stride with his numerous adaptations of the works of writers Edgar Wallace and Karl May. Born Horst Gubanow to Russian parents in 1922, the future producer became an apprentice at Tobis Filmkunst at the age of 15. Subsequently captured and forced into labor in the French coal mines, Wendlandt joined Arthur Brauner's CCC following the war. Wendlandt's next fateful move would be to Rialto, the company he would eventually run, in 1961. Taking control of the company that had recently acquired the rights to the entire catalog of Edgar Wallace's detective thrillers in 1972, the following years found roughly 30 books translated into films under Wendlandt in the coming years. Serving as a popular showcase for up-and-coming German talent, the Wallace films also proved a lucrative draw at the box office throughout the 1960s. Soon thereafter approached by his son with the idea of adapting 19th century writer Karl May's series of Wild West adventures, a series of popular Eurowesterns followed. Those films, many of which were international co-productions, would eventually lay the foundation for the wildly popular 2002 parody Manitu's Shoe. In late August 2002, Wendlandt succumbed to cancer in Berlin, Germany. He was 80. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide- 1969
This psychological drama finds Helen (Margaret Lee) wanting a divorce from her adoring husband John (Klaus Kinski). She leaves him and is killed in an auto wreck. John finds himself the target of a police investigation to determine if the death was an accident, murder or suicide. His wife had owned 90% interest in a British auto company and John is the main suspect should foul play be evident. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Klaus Kinski, Margaret Lee, (more)
- 1980
- R
Produced and directed for German television, Ingmar Bergman's From the Life of the Marionettes starts out in color and switches almost immediately to black-and-white. This cinematic self-indulgence is ideally suited to the subject matter: the horrible consequences of a rapidly disintegrating marriage. The husband, Peter Egerman (Robert Atzorn) is unable to articulate his frustration through normal channels. Warped by his repression, Egerman ends up raping and murdering a prostitute. This outrage occurs at the very beginning of the film; the rest of the footage is devoted to a semi-documentary study of the failed marriage, the police investigation, and the husband's twisted psyche. Once again, Bergman's vision is superbly realized by the camerawork of Sven Nykvist. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Christine Buchegger, Martin Benrath, (more)
- 1961
In this detective film, a Chinese detective breaks up a drug smuggling ring and tries to find the "Daffodil Killer." The drug smugglers had devised the ingenious method of smuggling heroin from Hong Kong in the stems of daffodils. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Christopher Lee, Marius Goring, (more)
- 1961
Even while a series of British second features based on the works of Edgar Wallace was flourishing in the 1960s, Germany was grinding out its own Wallace series. Secret of the Red Orchid top-bills British actor Christopher Lee in a story of a joint effort between the FBI and Scotland Yard. The target of these combined forces is a far-reaching crime syndicate. The stellar international cast includes Klaus Kinski (a semi-regular in the Wallace series), Marissa Mell, and silent film veteran Fritz Rasp. Secret of the Red Orchid was originally titled Puzzle of the Red Orchid. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1981
The humor in this film centers around a man in his pajamas and bathrobe who goes out to buy some cigarettes on the corner and encounters a series of events that have him chased by some inept policemen, an angry husband, a taxi driver, and so forth. Things continue to deteriorate from there, and for some viewers, their funny bones will be picked dry after the first few scenes. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Otto Sander, Peter Fitz, (more)
- 1969
A Scotland Yard detective investigates a series of murders of gangsters and girls. Inspector Perkins (Horst Tappert) is the prim and proper but cynical sleuth who knows the killings are drug-related. The trail first leads to Yvonne (Karin Huebner), a former victim of the white slave trade who seeks revenge on those who sold her into human bondage. Perkins must convince his stuffy superior Sir Arthur (Herbert von Meyerinck) that there is more to the case than is first apparent. Perkins dodges bullets, deals with double-crossing gangsters, and jealous career-minded agents as he searches for the man with the glass eye in this suspenseful crime thriller. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Horst Tappert, Karin Huebner, (more)
- 1962
Although filmed by a joint German-Yugoslav crew, this European western is set in the Southern United States and involves an oddly-named hero, Old Shatterhand (Lex Barker of Tarzan fame). O.S. has a sidekick, Winnetou, an Apache chief played by a rather understated Pierre Brice. The fuel behind the drama is a hidden map that shows where a secret treasure is buried somewhere around Silver Lake. A gang of outlaws headed by Cornel Brinkley (Herbert Lom) is intent on retrieving the map and the treasure. Just as intent on stopping them are Old Shatterhand, Winnetou, and Fred Engel (Goetz George) whose father was killed by the outlaws' leader. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Pierre Brice, Lex Barker, (more)
- 1963
This mystery is based on an Edgar Wallace tale and centers upon an enigmatic, seemingly supernatural abbot who lives in a tower connected to an abandoned old country manse said to contain a fabulous treasure. It is the black-hooded monk's duty to keep thieves at bay. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1963
The German The Squeaker is the third film version of the Edgar Wallace mystery novel of the same name. The title character is an omnipotent "fence" who has cornered the diamond-smuggling racket. The fence travels in polite society under the guise of a wealthy philanthropist. A Scotland Yard detective pretends to be an ex-convict in order to infiltrate the Squeaker's gang and to track down the stolen gems. The Squeaker was one of several German Edgar Wallace adaptations of the 1960s, ground out simultaneously with Britain's long-running Wallace B-picture series. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Heinz Drache, Barbara Rutting, (more)
- 1965
In this western, the sixth in the European-produced "Winnetou" series, Old Surehand and his Apache sidekick Winnetou endeavor to capture the outlaws who killed their friend the wagon master. To do so, Winnetou volunteers to guide the leaderless wagon train across the treacherous Indian land himself. Sure enough, they encounter Navajos, but fortunately Winnetou manages to get them safe passage until an avaricious oil swindler tries to cheat local settlers out of their land and ends up killing the Navajo leader's son. Naturally the Indians assume that Winnetou has betrayed them and go to war against the settlers. Fortunately, Surehand rides to the rescue. He is accompanied by the swindler whom he captured. Peace is restored. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Stewart Granger, Pierre Brice, (more)
- 1970
This sentimental story is taken from the novel by Heinrich Spoerl but strays from the original. Teachers and students are the focus of the plot, with Hans (Walter Giller) in love with Marion (Nadja Tiller). Uschi Glass and Hans Richter also star in this remake of the 1944 classic by Helmut Weiss. Richter plays a teacher in this production after starring as a student in the earlier version. The student-teacher theme seems to be an inexhaustible vehicle for Teutonic filmmakers. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Walter Giller, Uschi Glas, (more)
- 1970
In this crime comedy, Herbert Zaenker (Martin Held) is the retired judge who is called on to monitor the movements of a shady criminal masking as a boxing promoter. Bruno "Dandy" Steigler (Mario Adorf) has just returned to Berlin and plans a series of robberies with his criminal cronies. Herbert uses his experience to recruit former criminals to thwart the efforts of the gang, who manage to stay one step ahead of the puzzled Dandy. Herbert continues to befuddle the crime boss as the legal dragnet tightens around the gang. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Martin Held, Walter Giller, (more)
- 1961
In this mystery, a young countess almost loses her life. Investigators soon discover that the attempt is linked to a murder that occurred 20-years ago. The plot is based on an Edgar Wallace story. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1969
Dr. Fabian (Hans-Joachim Kulenkampff) is a dedicated physician at a Berlin hospital in this light comedy. He and his cohort Professor Spalke (Martin Held) often golf together, but their lives could not be more different. Spalke has been divorced five times and looks for wife number six while Fabian eagerly awaits his initial marriage to his fiancee. The two medicos go through a series of comedy capers in the confines of the workplace. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Hans-Joachim Kulenkampff, Martin Held, (more)
- 1972
This German comedy is a starring vehicle for beloved entertainer Peter Alexander. Here he plays a school teacher who has a chance to be given his dream house, if only he will arrange for the daughter of a wealthy businessman to pass her exams. However, just now it is the summer holiday, and he'd rather dream about his house than receive payola for dishonest deeds. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- 1970
Jochem Brinkman (Georg Thomalia) is a bachelor again. Now there are no barriers to he and his two friends (Peer Schmidt and Hans Juergen Diedrich) having a good time. Just as they are getting into the spirit of their bachelorhood, along come three highly marriage-minded women to complicate their lives. Among them is the woman (Terry Torday) Jochem has just divorced! This is clean family entertainment for German speakers (no dubbing or subtitles). Featured songs include In the Summertime sung by Ricky Shayne. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- 1962
This light comedy concerns psychiatrist Lilli Koenig (Maria Schell). Her practice revolves around idle, wealthy women with too much time on their hands who imagine they are suffering from a bevy of complexes. She catches the eye of fashion-photographer Martin Bohlen (Paul Hubschmidt), who longs to zoom in on her with more than just his camera lens. In the darkroom of his lovestruck mind, he develops a scheme to get near the doctor by pretending to suffer from a variety of ailments. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Maria Schell, Paul Hubschmid, (more)
- 1967
If you happened to catch Joachim Fuchsberger in a late-60's film, chances are he was appearing in a Edgar Wallace mystery. The German Hand of Power is no exception to this rule. Fuchsberger plays an inspector in search of an elusive criminal who uses a scorpion-shaped ring, filled with poison, to dispatch his victims. As is customary in films of this nature, the villain is a lot more colorful than his dedicated but drab Scotland Yard pursuers. But Edgar Wallace was averse to promoting a "crime pays" message, so rest assured that the Hand of Power is stilled by the time the film's alotted 88 minutes has passed. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1968
A female reporter masquerades as a high school student to write a story on the youth of today. The students spend the majority of their time playing practical jokes on their peers and teachers. The reporter falls for Dr. Wagner, the idolized and idealistic educator who is the favorite of the student body and who, out of respect from the students, is usually exempt from their pranks. Other teacher types that nearly every high school student has encountered are accurately portrayed: there's the severe disciplinarian, the narcissist, the reactionary, and the one just hanging on hoping to retire with no further trouble before the pension goes into effect. At one point in the movie, the journalist/student is subjected to a mild spanking at the hands of her peers for a minor infraction, hence the title of this light comedy. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Walter Giller, Anita Kupsch, (more)
- 1982
The French/German Ace of Aces stars Jean-Paul Belmondo as a dauntless World War One flyboy. Nearly 20 years after cessation of hostilities, Belmondo attends the 1936 Berlin Olympics as manager of the French boxing team. Through a series of plot twists too incredible to relate, Our Hero finds himself shepherding a group of Jewish refugees to safety. Alas, his sense of direction isn't so hot, and the refugees end up at Hitler's mountain retreat! Originally titled L'As De As, Ace of Aces is a black comedy in the Mel Brooks tradition. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jean-Paul Belmondo, Marie-France Pisier, (more)
A retired football great heads back to the gridiron to coach a fledgling team and prove he still has that magic touch in this classic Bud Spencer sports comedy. "The Bulldozer" (Spencer) was a football giant with an ego the size of Texas. Refusing to believe that he could ever be defeated out on the gridiron, "The Bulldozer" eventually turned his back on the sport lest he risk being proven wrong. While the former star did prove successful at ducking out of the limelight and beginning a career as an anonymous fisherman, things took a turn for the worst when his boat was destroyed by a submarine. Subsequently unemployed, "The Bulldozer" reluctantly accepted a position coaching a minor-league team. Regardless of his "has been" status, however, "The Bulldozer" still knows that he's the best football player there is, and he's prepared to prove it to the entire world. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- 1981
- R
Part of Rainer Werner Fassbinder's The Entire History of the German Federal Republic trilogy, Lola stars Barbara Sukowa in the title role, a seductive cabaret singer and dancer in the 1950s who is romantically involved with Von Bohm (Armin Mueller-Stahl), a straight-as-an-arrow building inspector. Recently appointed Building Commissioner, Von Bohm is committed to eradicating corruption. Consequently, he's given quite a shock when he is called into inspect the brothel where Lola works and discovers her dancing there. With that, Von Bohm is left to question whether he is more loyal to the woman he loves so passionately or the career he believes in so strongly. The other entries in the trilogy are Veronika Voss and The Marriage of Maria Braun. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Barbara Sukowa, Armin Mueller-Stahl, (more)
