Die weiße Spinne (1963)

Director:

Harald Reinl

Writers:

Louis Weinert-Wilton (novel)
Egon Eis

Release Date:

5 April 1963 (West Germany)

Genre:

Crime | Drama

Plot Keywords:

Intrigue | Assassin | Private Detective | Beautiful Woman | Landlady

Cast

Joachim Fuchsberger	...	Ralph Hubbard
Karin Dor	...	Muriel Irvine
Horst Frank	...	Kiddie Phelips
Werner Peters	...	Sergeant Meals
Dieter Eppler	...	Summerfield
Friedrich Schoenfelder	...	Sir James
Mady Rahl	...	Mrs. Falk
Paul Klinger	...	Inspector Dawson
Gerd Frickhöffer	...	Lord Ensfield
Lotte Brackebusch	...	Penelope
Chris Howland	...	Gideon
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Hans Bergmann	...	Stewart Maloney (uncredited)
Fritz Eberth	...	Sergeant Gibbs (uncredited)
Dietrich Kerky	...	Opfer (uncredited)
Erik Radolf	...	Polizist (uncredited)

Directed by
Harald Reinl

Writing credits
Louis Weinert-Wilton		(novel)
Egon Eis		(as Albert Tanner)

Produced by
Werner M. Lenz	....	executive producer
Gero Wecker	....	producer

Original Music by
Peter Thomas

Cinematography by
Werner M. Lenz

Film Editing by
Wolfgang Wehrum

Production Design by
Ernst H. Albrecht

Costume Design by
Irms Pauli

Makeup Department
Herta Schwarz	....	makeup artist
Ludwig Ziegler	....	makeup artist (as Lutz Ziegler)

Production Management
Hans-Joachim Bracht	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Charles Wakefield	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Heinz Weissert	....	sound
Gunther Kortwich	....	sound assistant (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Wolfgang Hannemann	....	assistant camera
Klaus Jahnel	....	assistant camera
Roman Stempka	....	key grip

Production Companies

• Arca-Winston Films Corp.
• Hans Oppenheimer Film

Distributors

• Constantin Film (1963) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Exportfilm Bischoff & Company
• Something Weird Video (SWV) (2002) (USA) (VHS)
• UCC (19??) (USA) (TV) (dubbed)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

103 min

Country:

West Germany

Language:

German

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

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

Filming Locations:

Hamburg, Germany

Company:

Arca-Winston Films Corp.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in German Grusel - Die Edgar Wallace-Serie (2011) (TV)

Good German made mystery thriller in the Edgar Wallace vein about a woman caught in the web of mystery left in wake of her husbands suspicious death.

This film has been identified as one of the German series of Edgar and Bryan Wallace based films made in the 1960's. While it may have been made as part of the series since the film plays very much like the other films, it really can't be considered a Wallace film since its not based on a book by either Bryan or Edgar Wallace.

The plot of the film centers around a woman who's husband has died in a fiery car crash outside a gambling club. Broke from her husbands gambling debts and the cost of the funeral she tries to cash in her husbands insurance policy. The insurance company is suspicious, partly because the amount of the policy was recently raised and partly because there have been other suspicious deaths recently. Making matters worse is a lawyer who shows up on her door step wanting to be paid for covering some of her husbands debts. Unable to pay anyone the lawyer gets her a job working for a reform society that helps convicts get back into society. The woman also attempts to confront the people in the gambling club for what she feels is the real responsibility for her husbands death. All of this leads her down the rabbit hole as she comes face to face with the White Spider, a gang of murder for hire killers. She also is haunted by the police who thing she may have had something to do with her husbands demise and a recently released convict who seems to want to do more than help.

This is a good little thriller that is a nice way to spend an evening in front of the TV. The plot moves along nicely, isn't too complicated, or so complicated that we can't feel superior that we're a couple of steps ahead of the characters on the screen. Its well acted (though slightly less well dubbed) and moves along at a good clip. It does have that uniquely German feel of the Wallace films which are suppose to be set in England and London's Soho district, but look and feel nothing like Soho or anywhere else in England for that matter.

If you like the German Wallace films this is a must. If you like neat little thrillers with a smart edge and witty dialog this is also a must. Anyone else looking for a good excuse to spend two hours eating a bag of popcorn in front of the TV should also try this movie since its a very good mystery thriller for an evenings entertainment.

7.5 out of 10, raised to 8 out 10 for IMDb purposes.