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Voxitype Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

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Horst in Translation (filmreviews@web.de) "Das Gasthaus an der Themse" or "The Inn on the River" is another German black-and-white film based on an Edgar Wallace novel. This one is from 1962, so almost 45 years old. The runtime is also the usual as this one here stays slightly under 90 minutes. The director is Alfred Vohrer, who despite being more known for his Winnetou works, also worked on quite a few of these Wallace films. The trio of writers who adapted the novel for the film also had lots of experience with Wallace films before and after. I am generally not a big fan of these films, but that is rarely a fault of lead actor Fuchsberger or the supporting cast. It is just that the story is rarely interesting and honestly very similar in all these films. A police investigator is working on a case in search of a high-profile gangster who is usually somehow disguised. The detective and we only find out at the very end who the criminal really is. A touch of Scooby-Doo, but not half as entertaining.As for this film here, the killer appears in diving gear and kills with his harpoon. Honestly, compared to previous villains, this was a pretty stupid outfit and made it even harder for me in taking this film seriously. Of course, as usual with these films there is also a damsel in distress in there who needs protection from the detective when the killer targets her. Of course, he manages to kill everybody as always, but not the most helpless character. This is what really hurts these films in terms of credibility. So yeah, the story is weak in this one too and even the presence of Klaus Kinski before stardom cannot save this film from being honestly mediocre. I have not read Wallace, so I am not sure if the adaptations are always the problem or the base material. In any case, despite one or two memorable scenes, this is not a good watch. Thumbs down and this film is proof of how bad the 1960s were in terms of German cinema. Don't watch. Also, on a side-note, this film is officially a sequel of another Wallace movie about a "criminal frog". This does not make sense though as the Frog does not appear in here and none of the other characters from that earlier film do either. I guess they just wanted to cash in by including that reference in the title. Pretty pathetic if you ask me.

Rascar-Capac Between 1959 and 1972 a stream of 32 (!) films, based on criminal novels from famous British author Edgar Wallace had been produced by the German Rialto film company. "The Inn on the River" is an early example and surely one of the highlights of the series. The film benefits tremendously from the atmospheric black and white photography shot by cameraman Karl Loeb. There are plenty of impressive night scenes with eerie lights and shadows. Foggy canalization funnels, lonesome harbor quays, subterranean and underwater locations capture the audience from the beginning. Though some side aspects of the script seem to be far fetched and only loosely connected with the entire plot, it doesn't distract from the main story line, which is loosely based on Wallace's novel "The India Rubber Man". The film focuses on the police chasing a mysterious Jewel robber known only as the "Shark". Disguised in a black divers suit, he frequently kills in proper style with his harpoon! "The Inn on the Thames", so the exact translation of the German film title, was a huge success, when released in 1962. Apart from the suspenseful crime story, one of the reasons for this might be, that the thriller elements are complimented here more than usual by a simple but effective fairytale-like romance. The film's young heroine Leila (Brigitte Grothum: very pretty, though she seems rather limited here as an actress) is captured at the sinister harbor Inn "Mekka" just like a 20th century Cinderella. She is repressed by her evil stepmother (excellent: Elisabeth Flickenschild) and threatened not only by the "Shark", but by numerous gangsters around, some of them lustfully longing for the under aged girl. The prince coming to her rescue is of course Scotland Yard's Inspector Wade (in his usual role, handsome Joachim Fuchsberger): he even calls her "Princess" at their first encounter. Wade suspects that the "Mekka" Inn is a smuggler's nest, somehow connected with the "Shark". Among the many doubtful characters he finds here is the sneaky Russian merchantman Gubanow (great: Klaus Kinski, in one of his typical supporting roles, that became a trademark of the series)As usual in German Wallace Krimis of that time, the film wasn't shot on location. Hamburg and the Elbe river doubled in for London and the Thames. There is only few (badly fitting) original British stock footage from a rowing boat race. Other minus points are the uneven title music and the comical character of Barnaby (Eddie Arend), an eccentric fan of water sports. Arend, who can be funny at times, is allowed to overact so shamelessly, that his screen presence becomes annoying here. Nonetheless, this is a great little thriller. It's impact on filmmakers can be viewed in Dick Maas Horror action flick "Amsterdamned" (1988), which borrowed more than the idea of a killer in a diving-suit from this one.

dbborroughs Using a spear gun as a weapon of choice the Shark kills those who cross his path leaving a trail of dead in the Thames. Investigating the matters the police discover that all of the deaths seem connected to a smuggling operation.Dark and moody Edgar Wallace adaption is an enjoyable mystery. I've been making my way through the films in the series over the past couple of weeks and this is one of the more solid entries. It helps that the setting is not the typical English manor house but instead the environs in and around the river. Helping things along is a great cast, many of whom have appeared all through the series including Klaus Kinski.If one wants to see Kinski's range as an actor one need only watch the films he appears in this series since he's often very different in each one. I really recommend this film as an enjoyable film to curl up with on a dark and stormy night.(I've seen it a couple of times now and enjoyed each viewing)

udar55 This 1962 mystery is the first exposure I've had to the Edgar Wallace krimi adaptations. I enjoyed it quite a bit although the mystery was a bit too convoluted. There is even a "So and so did this because..." explanation towards the end but I still have a few questions. Anyway, the film is about a killer named The Shark who is killing people in London with a speargun. He is able to get away because he dresses in a scuba outfit and uses the city sewer lines to escape. Inspector Wade (Joachim Fuchsberger) of Scotland Yard is on the case.The film has a lot going for it, especially in the Theremin themed bits involving The Shark. The image of the killer in an all black wetsuit is atmospherically shot and suitably creepy. Dick Maas was definitely impressed by it because he used it to similar effect in the 80s action thriller AMSTERDAMNED. Another plus is a young Klaus Kinski in a major supporting role as sleazy French businessman. On the downside, the film features some awkward comic relief in the form of the bumbling Barnaby character. And, as I mentioned earlier, it does get confusing for a bit. At one point three men in black scuba suits are running around. However, the end revelation of who The Shark is pretty unexpected and director Alfred Vohrer does his best to send you off the track.