DAS VERRÄTERTOR - "Traitor's Gate" (1964)

"Das Verrätertor," now that's a mouthful, and the English translation as "The Traitor's Gate," or the betrayed gate, are words that just don't go together well, and I think that just kinda sets the mood for this Edgar Wallace Wednesday feature. Actually, when I got this, it was labeled "Trailor's Gate," and I was really have a hard time trying to figure out what in the Hell that meant!

 

"Das Verrätertor," was made in 1964, and is a little different from many of the Edgar Wallace films of the same time period, because they don't use the same players as much.

"Das Verrätertor" was a novel written by Edgar Wallace, but the screenplay was by Hammer's Jimmy Sangster credited as John Samson.

Something else that's different about this film is that it was directed by Dungeon fave Freddie Francis.
 

Gary Raymond was a co-star on the popular 60's TV show "The Rat Patrol" as Sergeant Jack Moffitt, but I think this was the only Edgar Wallace film he was in.

 

You just can't hardly have an Edgar Wallace movie without Klaus Kinski in it. There are a few, but usually he's lurking around in there somewhere!

Another unfamiliar face in Edgar Wallace films is Catherine Schell. This was only Catherine Schell's second on screen appearance, the first being "Lana, Queen Of The Amazons." She would later be in "Moon Zero Two," "On Her Majesty's Secret Service," and appear as Maya in "Space:1999." Catherine came from a royal bloodline, and her Father was a Baron, but World War II put and end to all that.

Margot Trooger was also not in a lot of the Edgar Wallace films, except for this one and "The Mysterious Magician," and "Again The Ringer."

Same thing with Albert Lieven, besides this film he was in "The Devil's Daffodil," and one episode of "The Edgar Wallace Mystery Theatre."

Und....(That's German for 'And' for you non-German speakers. It took me three years of high school German class to figure that out!).............Eddi Arent, who like Klaus Kinski was in almost every Wallace film!

(And personally, sometimes I wish he wasn't.)

The basic story here is that a group of crafty thieves try and steal the Crown Jewels which are housed in The Tower of London!

Maestro Peter Thomas was once again responsible for the music, and that's reason enough in my book, to watch this film!

Other than that, there's a lot of this..............."Hilf Mir!!"

 

"Was meinst du damit, dass ich albern aussehe?"

 

"Keine Sorge Boss, das wird ein Kinderspiel."

Just using the keys would have been the simplest solution!

But you just can't go wrong with a team of guys with cutting torches. Just ask anybody who has ever had their catalytic convertor stolen! Very Effective!

DER UNHEIMLICHE MÖNCH - "The Sinister Monk" (1965)

 

It's a Sinister Saturday Night Special down in The Dungeon with another Edgar Wallace tale of woe, "Der Unheimliche Mönch," oder auf Englisch................................

 

 

........."The Sinister Monk!"

 

"We know where to find him, it's right about here, in London some place!"

And this would be the him in question! This is a story of cold-blooded murderer, and what happens after a young girl is murdered in a famous English boarding school.

 "The Sinister Monk" has an all-star cast that includes:

Harald (The Brides Of Fu Manchu) Leipnitz as Inspector Bratt, the man who has to untangle the whole mess!

 

Perennial Dungeon favourite Karin Dor is Gwendolin Gilmore, the girl who inherited the money, because of course, there has to be a girl who inherits the money, and a seriously nasty family who all want to get their mitts on it!

"The entire country lives in terror. The newspapers call the mad killer "The Sinister Monk."

Siegfried (The Mysterious Magician) Lowitz is the villainous Sir Richard.

Ilse (The Curse Of The Hidden Vault) Steppat is Lady Patricia.

 

Hartmut (Überfahrt) Reck is the sniveling Ronny.

Uta (The Oblong Box) Levka is Lola.

Rudolf (The College Girl Murders) Schündler is the eccentric mask making in house artiste!

Dieter (Curse Of The Blood Ghouls) Eppler is Sir William. 

There are a lot of Sirs in this film, but not many gentlemen!

"Who is "The Sinister Monk?"

Siegfried (Room 13) Schürenberg is back as Sir John, a role he would play for at least six more movies after this. "The Sinister Monk" was also the last of this series of Edgar Wallace films that was in black and white.

Und..........Last but not least is Eddi Arent as Smith, who if I counted correctly was in eighteen of these Edgar Wallace masterpieces!

 

Let us not forget the man who wrote this show, Mr. Edgar Wallace!

And his Co-star, the man who wrote the score, the always astounding, Maestro Peter Thomas!

THE VAULT OF HORROR - "Below The Crypt Lies Death's Waiting-Room" (1973)

Tonight's Saturday Night Special is called "The Vault Of Horror" and like it's predecessor, "Tales From The Crypt," it's based on E.C. comics! These vignettes are written by Al Feldstein, and William M. Gaines!

The short story format of comics is perfect for an anthology of tales like this!

 They do a pretty fair job, but it's hard to compete with the original in the sicko department!

"The Vault Of Horror" is a movie about five guys trapped in a room together with a bunch of booze, and stories about their worst nightmares!

The first tale features Daniel (Warlords Of The Deep) Massey, and is titled............

.........."Midnight Mess!" 

He seems to have found himself in a vampire restaurant, and he's the main course!

The next bad dream is called "The Neat Job," and features the always marvelous Terry-Thomas as the most anal retentive OCD asshole on the planet!

But you have to admit that he's got a pretty damn cool bar!

The lovable Glynis (Lady Penelope Peasoup) Johns is the unfortunate wife who can't do anything right! I love that checkered ashtray!

She finally manges to put something in the right place!

(Now this shot in pure E.C.)

Next up is "This Trick'll Kill You" featuring Curd (Circus Of Love, Prisoners Of Love) Jürgens as a scheming magician and his equally greedy wife as played by Dawn (The Vampire Lovers) Addams.

Of course he kills the snake charmer and just like in "Cult Of The Cobra" .........

.........Somebody has to pay the price!

This would be a great postcard from Transylvania!

The fourth story called "Bargain In Death" features Michael (Mysterious Island) Craig as a man with a plan to fake his death and get buried alive to collect insurance money that fails, and a couple of shout outs to E.C. comics too!

The last nightmare titled "Drawn And Quartered" stars Tom (Dr. Who) Baker as a tortured Gauguinish artiste!

It seems that what he paints comes true!

Well, you probably saw that coming!!

This just seemed like the prefect place to end it, so while we're having a pensive moment, just in case you ever wondered, I'd just like to tell anybody who leaves comments, I know it's annoying, but even we have to prove we're not robots!

Thanx for tuning in!