Robert Adolf Stemmle Movies

The fine line between drama and real life is crossed with tragic results in this German horror mystery film that is set in modern London and centers on a stage production of Jack the Ripper's life. During the run of the play, a series of murders, eerily similar to Jack's, occur. This doesn't bother the lead actor too much until he discovers that his fake knife has been replaced by a real one during a performance. Horrified, he flees the theater. Pursued by Scotland Yard, he must somehow prove his innocence lest he be sent to the gallows. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

This quirky crime thriller stars Hansjörg Felmy as an intrepid Scotland Yard inspector tackling two seemingly disparate cases. He is officially assigned to investigate an underground society of vigilantes who take the law into their own hands, trying criminals in their own "Star Chamber"-style kangaroo court. On his own initiative, he is also pursuing a serial sex-killer who decapitates his victims. Felmy's dogged devotion to this case turns out to be personal, since his sister was among the killer's victims. The vendetta eclipses all other concerns, as the inspector even uses his own fiancee (Maria Perschy) as bait to trap the madman -- who suddenly falls into the clutches of the hooded vigilantes and is whisked away for a speedy trial. No prizes will be issued to viewers who guess the identity of the judge. This German production was also released as The Mad Executioners. ~ Cavett Binion, Rovi

Evil genius Dr. Mabuse hypnotizes the director of an insane asylum in this remake of Fritz Lang's 1933 cinematic landmark. Noted German actor Wolfgang Preiss stars. ~ Jonathan Crow, Rovi

In this drama, a doctor must clear his name after his mistress is murdered. Of course, the married M.D. is the prime suspect in the case as the woman's body was found at the site of their frequent trysts. The media soon sensationalizes the case and the police decide that the doctor will take the fall, regardless of his innocence. Another murder occurs. As a result the doctor is cleared of wrong doing. Unfortunately he must now live within a community that spurns him, and a depressed wife who recently tried to kill herself. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Die Suendige Glenze (Border of Sin) is set in a shabby, poverty-stricken German border town. Facing starvation, a group of schoolchildren participate in a profitable smuggling operation. The village's new teacher (Dieter Borsch) hopes to put an end to the kids' criminal activities and find another means of replenishing the local economy. Along the way, he falls in love with local girl Marianne (Inge Egger). Much of the film is corny and contrived, save for the riveting performance by Jan Hendricks as the unregenerate teen-aged leader of the smuggling ring. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The German The Affair Blum is based on a true 1926 incident that helped sow the seeds of anti-Semitism that Hitler so effectively exploited. A poverty-stricken wretch kills a man during a robbery. But the German authorities aren't interested in "small potatoes"; they've already made up their minds that a prominent Jewish industrialist, Dr. Jacob Blum (Claus Becker), is the guilty party. Once they determine the true identity of the killer, the police use the culprit to build up a circumstantial-evidence case against the industrialist. Only the intervention of an honest cop saves the innocent Blum from falling victim to blind prejudice. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The English-language title of this German musical satire is The Man Who Was Sherlock Holmes. That immensely popular German star Hans Albers plays Morris Flint, a slaphappy private detective who enjoys pretending to be Holmes; likewise, Flint's assistant, Macky McPherson (Heinz Rühmann), gets a charge out of posing as Dr. Watson. During the 1936 World Exposition in Paris, "Holmes" and "Watson" come to the aid of two young ladies in their efforts to retrieve a valuable stamp. Morris Flint is arrested in the course of his investigation, on a charge of impersonating Sherlock Holmes (evidently a grave offense in Paris, given the solemnity of the subsequent trial). Our hero is saved at the last minute by a mysterious "Laughing Man" who has been weaving in and out of the picture. The mystery man turns out to be Arthur Conan Doyle, who jovially gives Flint permission to continue impersonating Holmes -- so long as he makes it clear that he's an impostor. Interestingly enough, The Man Who Was Sherlock Holmes was filmed without any permission of any kind from the Conan Doyle estate. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In this frothy romantic adventure, Marlene Dietrich plays Madeleine de Beaupre, a devious jewel thief. After sneaking a valuable string of pearls away from jeweler Aristide Duval (Ernest Cossart), Madeleine attempts to flee Paris, leaving a trail that will instead implicate psychiatrist Dr. Pauquet (Alan Mowbray). While headed for the Spanish border, she nearly runs into Tom Bradley (Gary Cooper), an American auto engineer vacationing in Europe. Madeleine spots Tom again as she waits to go through Spanish Customs; worried that the stolen pearls will be found in her handbag, she slips them into Tom's pocket. After they both make their way through inspection unscathed, Madeleine flirts with Tom in an attempt to get the valuables back; he's too shy to respond in kind, so she gets his attention by trying to "repair" the engine of her car with a hammer. Madeleine lures Tom to the San Sebastian estate of her partner in crime, Carlos Margoli (John Halliday). It doesn't take long for Tom to figure out what Madeleine and Carlos are up to; however, he also knows that he's fallen in love with her, and he is willing to play along if it allows him to be near her. Carlos was originally to have been played by John Gilbert; Halliday was a last-minute replacement after the one-time silent screen star died a week before shooting was to begin. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi