Edgar Wallace (1875-1932) was one of the most popular authors of the 20th Century. He wrote a prodigious amount of criminal thrillers, written at a rapid pace (some started and finished in just a weekend!). Understandably, film producers took an early interest in his novels, and Wallace himself, fascinated by the new medium, became a director and screenwriter.

 As an author of international repute, his books were popular in Germany in the 1920s onward, though banned during the Nazi years. Germany had already begun filming Wallace titles in 1927, but the Nazi era stopped any further production of such films. In 1959, inspired by the British Wallace film THE RINGER (1952), Preben Philipsen A/S and Rialto Film began making their first Edgar Wallace film, DER FROSCH MIT DER MASKE, based on Wallace's THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE FROG (1925). The German Edgar Wallace "krimi" was born. (A criminal or mystery thriller is called "krimi" in Germany.) Soon a familiar cadre of actors was inhabiting the Wallace krimi world: Joachim Fuchsberger, Heinz Drache, Siegfried Schurenberg, Siegfried Lowitz, Eddi Arent (providing comic relief), and that lovable maniac Klaus Kinski, best known to American audiences for his many films outside of the krimi genre. The jazzy, innovative music, provided by such composers as Martin Bottcher and Peter Thomas, added a contemporary hipness to stylish updates of stories decades old. It is these series of Rialto films, and a couple of other films made at the same time but from different producers, that represent "The German Edgar Wallace Films," and not any productions made in the 1920s or after the early 1970s.

Because of their national and international popularity, the Wallace krimis had many imitations, some involving Wallace's son, Bryan Edgar Wallace. In articles, online sites, discussions, and video catalogs, the Bryan Edgar Wallace krimis are frequently mistaken for films based on his father's work.

 There was a substantial quotient of chilling and gruesome elements in many of these krimis, and it's not surprising that several were promoted in other countries as horror films, a sales pitch likewise used in the distribution of the Dr. Mabuse films, which shared stylistic elements and certain filmmaking talent with the Wallace thrillers. By the 1970s, the Wallace films began to merge with Italian thrillers (gialli), which clearly sought inspiration from their earlier German counterparts. Soon thereafter, the German Wallaces disappeared, done in, partially, by the competitive high production rate and unrepentant exploitation of the Italian filmmaking business.

Almost all of the German Wallace films were made available in English-dubbed versions for American audiences. Though a few saw theatrical exhibition, most were first seen on American television in the late 1960s and early 1970s, pruned of any nudity and a few distinctive elements, such as the typical introductory credit sequence of gunshots and a voiceover announcing, "Hallo, hier spricht Edgar Wallace! (Hello, this is Edgar Wallace speaking!)" Subsequently, public domain video companies released these edited films on video, sourced from 16mm elements, which did not do the films justice, but which at least kept a watchful flame burning for these important films. Germany has already released a fine video series of these films, and is beginning a superior DVD presentation. Unfortunately, all these have been presented without English-subtitles and, of course, in the European PAL format. Fortunately, American DVD releases of a few of these Wallace krimis loom in the distance, either as announced projects or speculation.

In the filmography below, films not part of the Rialto series, but in most cases no less important, are indicated by an asterisk following their German title.

 -- M.L.

KRIMI CORNER #1

The premiere issue of a four page newsletter devoted to the German Edgar Wallace films and other krimis is now available. Issue One contains a general introduction to Wallace and the krimi film and a lengthy review of Retromedia's DVD of THE MONSTER OF LONDON CITY and THE SECRET OF THE RED ORCHID. There's also a Rialto Edgar Wallace film checklist. Future issues will cover the other Wallace krimis, including the Bryan Edgar Wallace krimis and such oddities as the krimi-inspired Sherlock Holmes film with Christopher Lee, SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE DEADLY NECKLACE. There'll also be reviews of the latest krimi DVDs, ground-breaking research, rare ad mats, etc.

PLEASE NOTE: As of November 2008, I am debating whether to continue this series, as my time is limited and I have something else in mind, publishing-wise, that would possibly satisfy krimi fans. Monies will be returned on subscriptions if I decide not to continue with the zine.

Letter envelope mailing: $2 per copy/$8 for a five issue subscription.

Manila envelope mailing: $2.50 per copy/$10 for a five issue subscription.

International mailing to countries outside of the USA (mailed only in letter envelope):
$2.50 per copy/$10 for a five issue subscription.


Checks, money orders and well-hidden cash should be sent to M. Lipinski, P.O. Box 2398, New York, NY 10009. Paypal payments can also be made to Mirelski@aol.com

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