In this classic German thriller, Hans Beckert, a serial killer who preys on children, becomes the focus of a massive Berlin police manhunt. Beckert’s heinous crimes are so repellant and disruptive to city life that he is even targeted by others in the seedy underworld network. With both cops and criminals in pursuit, the murderer soon realizes that people are on his trail, sending him into a tense, panicked attempt to escape justice.
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Credits: TheMovieDb.
Film Cast:
- Hans Beckert: Peter Lorre
- Frau Beckmann: Ellen Widmann
- Elsie Beckmann: Inge Landgut
- Inspector Karl Lohmann: Otto Wernicke
- Inspector Groeber: Theodor Loos
- Crime Boss Schränker: Gustaf Gründgens
- Captured Vault Robber Franz: Friedrich Gnaß
- Falschspieler: Fritz Odemar
- Taschendieb: Paul Kemp
- Bauernfänger: Theo Lingen
- Becker’s ‘Attorney’: Rudolf Blümner
- Blind Panhandler: Georg John
- Minister: Franz Stein
- Police Chief: Ernst Stahl-Nachbaur
- Criminal Secretary: Gerhard Bienert
- Damowitz: Karl Platen
- Bartender: Rosa Valetti
- Prostitute: Hertha von Walther
- Leeser: Carl Ballhaus
Film Crew:
- Director: Fritz Lang
- Screenplay: Thea von Harbou
- Set Designer: Edgar G. Ulmer
- Art Direction: Karl Vollbrecht
- Director of Photography: Fritz Arno Wagner
- Sound Editor: Paul Falkenberg
- Art Direction: Emil Hasler
- Sound Designer: Adolf Jansen
- Producer: Seymour Nebenzal
- Makeup Artist: Wilhelm Weber
- Writer: Egon Jacobson
- Production Manager: Ernst Wolff
Movie Reviews:
- Wiccaburr: The movie is classic and yet this is my first time watching this.
Peter Lorre alone is worth seeing this movie as he always played such the great villain. No music keeps your focus on the image and dialogue throughout the movie. Camera work looks pretty awesome especially when they start doing the manhunt.
This movie clocks in at almost two hours so there will be a lot of pacing and dialogue to go through. It will feel a bit dragging when Lorre isn’t on the screen but it is well worth going through the film to see how it all plays out.