Im Stahlnetz des Dr. Mabuse (1961)

Director:

Harald Reinl

Writers:

Marc Behm (writer)
Ladislas Fodor (writer)

Release Date:

1966 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Mystery | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Plot:

Commissioner Lohmann is already planning his holidays. An unexpected phone call calls him back to work...

Plot Keywords:

Romantic Subplot | Fat Cop | Father Daughter Relationship | Pretty Girl | Gunfight

Cast

Gert Fröbe	...	Kommissar Lohmann
Lex Barker	...	Joe Como alias 'Nick Scappio' alias 'Bob Arco'
Daliah Lavi	...	Maria Sabrehm
Fausto Tozzi	...	Warden Wolf
Werner Peters	...	Böhmler
Wolfgang Preiss	...	Dr. Mabuse
Rudolf Forster	...	Professor Julius Sabrehm
Rudolf Fernau	...	Pfarrer Briefenstein
Joachim Mock	...	Detective Voss
Laura Solari	...	Mrs. Pizarro
Ady Berber	...	Alberto Sandro
Henry Coubet	...	Blinder
Jean-Roger Caussimon	...	Küster
Albert Bessler	...	Trödler
Lou Seitz	...	Mrs. Lohmann

Also Known As:

F.B.I. contro dottor Mabuse (Italy)
In the Steel Cabinet of Dr. Mabuse
In the Steel Net of Dr. Mabuse
Le retour du docteur Mabuse (France)
Phantom Fiend
The FBI vs. Dr. Mabuse
The Phantom Meets the Return of Dr. Mabuse (USA) (alternative title)
The Return of Dr. Mabuse (USA)

Runtime:

89 min

Country:

West Germany | France | Italy

Language:

German

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Germany:12 | Finland:K-18 | West Germany:16 (nf)

Filming Locations:

Berlin, Germany

Company:

Central Cinema Company Film (CCC)

Trivia:

The original German title referred to the successful TV series "Stahlnetz" (1958), which is based on the US police series "Dragnet" (1951) (it even used the famous "Dragnet" theme song). The German theatrical trailer showed the actual title "Im Stahlnetz des Dr. Mabuse", whereas the voiceover of the trailer announces "Das Stahnetz des Dr. Mabuse" (which means "The steel net..." instead of "In the steel net...").

Movie Connections:

Followed by Das Testament des Dr. Mabuse (1962)

Reasonably Good Outing!

I had heard that Gert Frobe was a pretty good actor. Most of us remember him in "Goldfinger," of course. He plays a multi-dimensional police detective who must pursue the wily Dr. Mabuse (whoever he might be). Working with a man imprisoned for his experimentation, a series of alleyways and twists and turns, leading to prisons, narrow escapes, and death, Frobe stays on the path, even though he doesn't seem to be respected by his adversary. The scientists daughter becomes a pawn in the game and complicates things. The pacing is pretty good and there are some surprises. And, as we know, super villains aren't all that easy to kill. Still, I liked the low key performance of Frobe and the way he is never intimidated by his discoveries.