SCHÜSSE AUS DEM GEIGENKASTEN - Peter Thomas - "The Violin Case Murders" (1965)

"Schüsse Aus Dem Geigenkasten" or "The Violin Case Murders" was the first in the series of Jerry Cotton films that started in 1965! For me, it's not the best of the bunch, because they were still figuring things out, but just like every other Jerry Cotton film, it's still a fun watch, no matter what!

The Jerry Cotton series were German films about American places and characters! Kind of like me writing stories about some guy in Kiribati, Nauru, Tuvalu, Comoros, or Vanuatu!!

Dungeon Super Hero Peter Thomas once again is the guy in charge of the music! Here's a small sample of what he came up with for this film! Besides being an amazing composer, Peter also developed and used on some of his soundtracks an instrument known as the "Thowiephon," an instrument not nearly as well known as it's cousin the Theremin, but just as cool!

"The Violin Case Murders" was also released as the catchy title "Operation Hurricane: Friday Noon," whatever the Hell that's supposed to mean!

Machine gun inside a violin case, hence "Violin Case Murders!" Pretty nifty, eh?

This is a sample of the end-product of an ancient device known as a typewriter! At one time it was as high tech as an 8 track tape player, and just a few steps forward from cave paintings!

The G Men, and the T men, and the Revenuers too, were lookin' for the place they were cookin' up the stew! Time to call Jerry Cotton out of training!

This, my friends, is a genuine Ford tail light!!

Hubba, Hubba, Happy Birthday to me!!

As in all Jerry Cotton films, green screen is used to the hilt! Sometimes hokey, and sometimes to perfection!

Just to show you how classy they are, the Violin Case gang works out of the local bowling alley! Now it's time for Jerry Cotton to try and infiltrate the gang!! This is an awesome shot of George Nader!!

Jerry takes on the persona of a drunk punk to get to the inside of the out crowd!

Next up on the hit list of people to rob is Grandpa Munster! He pisses off the robbers because he hoards all his jewels and doesn't even share the viewing of them with anyone!

Everything about this shot just absolutely screams 1965!!

This is another great shot of George Nader as Jerry Cotton!

Hey, if you're going to carry machine guns around in violin cases, it's a pretty good idea to at least have some sheet music with you as a cover!

It's going to take a lot more than a switchblade to get rid of Jerry Cotton! Remember this was only the first in the series, there were at least seven more to go!

R.I.P. - PETER THOMAS (December 1, 1925 – May 17, 2020)

 Well, I had something completely different planned for tonight, but I was just informed by Lord Litter in Berlin, that the great composer and Dungeon hero Peter Thomas has passed away at the age of 95 on May 17th.

Sadly, you probably won't even hear about it on the news in the U.S.

So here are some of the films, and one TV show, that Peter has scored that we have featured on this blog. Take a look, and you'll understand why I think he was one of, if not the best, soundtrack composers of all time!

1962 - "Das Rätsel Der Roten Orchidee" (The Secret Of The Red Orchid)

1963 - "Das Indische Tuch" (The Indian Scarf)

1963 -  Die Weisse Spinne (The White Spider)

1964 "Die Gruft Mit Dem Rätselschloß" (The Curse Of The Hidden Vault)

1964 - "Zimmer 13" (Room 13) 

1965 - "Schüsse Aus Dem Geigenkasten" (The Violin Case Murders)

1966 - "Raumpatrouille!"(German Space Patrol)
 

1966 - "Die Rechnung - Eiskalt Serviert" (Tip Not Included) 

1966 - "The Trygon Factor"  

1966 - "Um Null Uhr Schnappt Die Falle Zu"

1967 - "Die Schlangengrube Und Das Pendel" (Castle Of The Walking Dead)

1967 "Der Mörderclub Von Brooklyn" (The Body In Central Park)

1968 - Der Hund Von Blackwood Castle" (The Monster Of Blackwood Castle)

1968 - "Dynamit In Grüner Seide" (Death And Diamonds)

1968 - "Der Tot Im Roten Jaguar" (Death In The Red Jaguar)

1969 - "Der Mann Mit Dem Glasauge" (The Man With The Glass Eye)
And that's just a taste!
Peter Thomas left us with 175 composing credits to his name, and his passing is the end of an era!
Try as they may, he will never be replaced!

MORDNACHT IN MANHATTAN - "Manhattan Night Of Murder" (1965)

What I got for you tonight is the last of my Jerry Cotton movies, and it's called "Mordnacht In Manhattan" or................

"Manhattan Night Of Murder!"

If I ever had time to plan things around here, I would probably watch movies like this in chronological order, but since I'm a freakin' bozo, it's always a haphazard free form affair which causes things like this to happen! Since this was the last Jerry Cotton film I had to watch, I've been saving it for this special moment, only to be disappointed, because "Mordnacht In Manhattan" turns out to be my least favourite Jerry Cotton movie. All the right elements are there, but it's not that witty, and never really gets very exciting at all!

"Mordnacht In Manhattan was the second Jerry Cotton film released in 1965. The first film was "The Violin Case Murders," which also wasn't all that great, but I think it was a little better than this one! It wasn't til the third film, "Um Null Uhr Schnappt Die Falle Zu" also known as "The Trap Snaps Shut At Midnight," that Jerry Cotton really got cooking!

One of  "The Sweatles," the marvelous Monika Grimm was also in the next Jerry Cotton film!

Although the movie is set in New York, 90% of it is shot in Hamburg, Munich, and Landshut, Bavaria, Germany!

While fighting with Jerry, this gangster falls into a pit of coal, but it kind of looks like he's getting chewed up by Caltiki The Immortal Monster in this shot!

This is the 13th movie we've hosted with George Nader in it, what else can I say, except "which way did they go George!!"

Gangsters or sardines? Something stinks either way!

The music in "Mordnacht In Manhattan" is, as are all the Jerry Cotton films, by the genius mind and Dungeon fave, Peter Thomas! 

Jerry's a sneaky guy, and you get to see part of his Jaguar and part of the mobster's '67 Impala all in the same shot!

I'm sure somebody thought a fight scene in a bunch of cardboard boxes was going to be real exciting, but they were wrong!

It's a pretty bold move to be on your regular TV show when you've also been I.D.'d in a murder!

I found this Mexican poster for "Mordnacht In Manhattan" on a fellow blogger's site called Una Plaga De Espias, and the funny thing is I can find no other reference to this film with this title, but then that's just how these Jerry Cotton films roll! Those two cars are just too much!!

Thanx again to our man in Berlin, Lord Litter for turning me onto this series in the first place a few years ago, do yourself a favor, and go check out one of his Magic Music Show International radio shows. I guarantee you'll become just as addicted as I am!