The Forger of London (1961)

The Forger of London (Der Fälscher von London) is a 1961 German krimi (crime film) based on an Edgar Wallace story. This is one of the krimis made by Rialto Studios which were on the whole perhaps slightly superior to the ones made by rival studio CCC. This is one of several Edgar Wallace krimis made by Harald Reinl, a fairly prolific director of mostly fun potboilers (he also helmed a couple of the Dr Mabuse films.) Reinl was, sadly, eventually murdered by his third wife.

Scotland Yard is trying to break up a counterfeiting racket. They’re rather puzzled by the fact that the most recent forgeries are obviously the work of a forger well known to them but they’re nowhere near up to his usual standards. Chief Inspector Bourke (Siegfried Lowitz) is not going to be tempted to jump to any conclusions about this point.

Somehow the forgeries are going to be tied in to the story of newlyweds Peter and Jane Clifton (played respectively by Helmut Lange and Karin Dor), and to dissolute playboy Basil Hale (who had also set his sights on marrying Jane). The marriage of Peter and Jane isn’t quite a match made in heaven. It’s more a marriage that seems to be socially suitable and financial considerations may have had more to do with it than love.

Although it seems like Jane was the one who married for money she’s the one who is resentful. And she soon realises she may have got more she bargained for in Peter. He has a dark secret. Of course he’s not the only one with dark secrets, this being the world of Edgar Wallace.

It might be just as well that Jane’s uncle is a psychiatrist. Although psychiatrists might have dark secrets also.

Scotland Yard have traced Peter as the source of one of those forged bank notes but he seems very vague as to how the note came to be in his possession. Chief Inspector Bourke is definitely very interested in the goings-on at Longford Castle, where Peter and Jane are honeymooning (in separate bedrooms).

With so many secrets at stake it’s inevitable that sooner or later someone is going to get murdered. In this case it’s the traditional blunt instrument to the skull type murder.

The plot is typical Edgar Wallace krimi stuff - very complicated and you need to have your wits about you to keep track of the twists and the multiple plot strands.

The acting is competent enough. Karin Dor adds a touch of glamour, as she did in so many of these movies (and she was an OK actress). She was at the time married to Harald Reinl (although I hasten to add that she’s not the one who stabbed him to death). Naturally Eddi Arent is on hand fir comic relief purposes, which is either a good thing or a bad thing depending on your own personal tastes. He also apparently plays an additional unexpected minor rôle (although I failed to recognise him).  Siegfried Lowitz is excellent as the enigmatic and surprising Chief Inspector Bourke.

Some of the exteriors were shot at Herdringen Castle in Arnsberg, Germany - a location that shows up in more than one Edgar Wallace krimi. These were the sorts of low-budget movies that kept the German film industry afloat but Rialto generally managed to make their productions look reasonably good.

Reinl does his usual competent job as director.

The Forger of London is not as extravagant visually as some krimis but it does have the plot extravagance that krimi fans know and love. And the plot, for all its convolutions, does make some sort of sense if you don’t panic and lose concentration. There’s a reasonably effective atmosphere of the sinister and the mysterious. And yes, there is at least one hidden passageway!

The Rialto and CCC krimis were invariably shot widescreen and until the end they were invariably in black-and-white.

Finding decent DVD releases of the German krimis can be a challenge. If you’re unlucky enough to live in Australia, as I do, it’s just about impossible. There are some very good German DVDs and Blu-Rays but of course they’re German-Language versions. Some have the English dubbed versions as well but most don’t, and some have English subtitles and some don’t. English dubbed DVDs are not difficult to find but the quality can be iffy (or even terrible). If you can get hold of the German releases and you check that they have subtitles then they’re the way to go - they’re usually very good.

All of these German krimis are enjoyable and while I wouldn’t put The Forger of London in the very top rank it’s a solid offering. Highly recommended.