"Hallo! Hier spricht Edgar Wallace!" auf Arte

A few months ago during the month of September 2011 the Franco-German cultural network "Arte" had an Edgar Wallace "Krimi" night. During that night they showed two on Edgar Wallace crime novels inspired movies together with a special about the Edgar Wallace craze during the 60's and early 7o's. What is so special about this programme is the fact that stars from that series like "Joachim Fuchsberger", best known for the giallo "What have you done to Solange?", "Karin Dor", best known as bond girl in "You'll only live twice", "Karin Baal" also known for "What have you done to Solange?" and German music composer "Peter Thomas" have been interviewed together with Italian director Umberto Lenzi, known for so many cult movies but in this entry for the giallo "Sette orchidee macchiate di rosso" for their contribution to this German cult movie series. In this programme all the characteristics of an Edgar Wallace movie are analyzed and commented by the people that played an important part at that time in their success worldwide like the famous driller killer sequence with Marisa M

ell as victim from the movie "Sette orchidee macchiate di rosso" which a few years later would be copied for the movie "Driller Killer" by Abel Ferrara.

"Edgar Wallace" by Tobias Hohmann

As a Eurocult fan I often dream about the perfect book regarding my passion! Once in a decade that book does come along and you've got to have it no matter what price! In the last decade it was Tim Lucas' opus maximus about Italian movie maestro "Mario Bava". Although this decade is still young it will probably be the book about "Edgar Wallace" written by German author Tobias Hohmann. This book has it all about the German movies based on the crime novels of British writer "Edgar Wallace" and those by his son "Bryan Edgar Wallace"! The book clocks at a whopping 866 pages full of... well, everything you ever wanted to know and see about these German cult movies of the 60's and early 70's. The next examples of pages should give you quite a good idea what I am talking about. And when you know that some of the movie memorabelia have been given for this book by some very die hard German fans you know that you are going to see many items never been seen since the release of the movies so many years ago!And of course, the fact that Marisa Mell appeared in two movies of the series "Das Rätsel der roten Orchidee" and "Das Rätsel des Silbernen Halbmonds" is the icing on the cake!Thanks to Holger Haase for pointing this one out! Holger has a phantastic blog about the Edgar Wallace-movies: http://krimifilm.blogspot.com/

Do You Wanna Party, Miss Mell?!?

On March 1st, 1962, Marisa Mell went to the premiere of her latest movie "Das Rätsel der roten Orchidee" based on the work of the British crime author "Edgar Wallace". The original title of the crime novel was "Gangster in London" but the producers thought that after the success of their latest Edgar Wallace movie "Das Geheimnis der gelben Narzizzen" it would be better to put another flower in the title in the hope to generate the same box office! Lightning did not strike twice and the movie did not do that well. The years between 1961-1963, Marisa Mell was mainly filming for the German language market while she was living in Vienna, Biberstrasse 9. On this picture, Marisa Mell is accompanied by another German movie actress Barbara Rütting. She had already a more or less established career in 1962 thanks to the enormous success of the Bavarian heimat movie "Geierwally" while Marisa Mell was still struggling to get major parts. They never made any movies together but the German language movie market and the stable of actors playing in those movies was rather limited so they all knew each other one way or the other! Although 12 years younger, Marisa Mell became good friends with Barbara Rütting during the first years of her movie career before she relocated abroad. When this picture was taken Barbara Rütting had not played in any Edgar Wallace movie but that would quickly change during the next years. In 1963, she played in the movie "Der Zinker", which was very successfull and two years later in another one called "Neues vom Hexer", a follow up to "Der Hexer", probably the most famous Edgar Wallace Krimi movie of all time. In 1967, she would finally play for the last time in a Wallace movie "Das Phantom von Soho", based on a novel by Edgar Wallace's son "Bryan Edgar Wallace". During the 60's, the career of Barbara Rütting was at it's height when she played in 1961 opposite Kirk Douglas in the movie "Town without Pity" and a very scandalous made for TV movie "Die Sendung der Lysistrata" together with Romy Schneider. Like many actors and actresses in the course of their career, Barbara Rütting could not keep up the momentum and she also had to move from movies to television. In the 70's and early 80's, her career shifted to television series like the German Krimi's "Derrick", "Der Alte" and "Ein Fall für Zwei". A lot of production people working on the German TV Krimi's had worked a decade before on the Edgar Wallace movies so it was not strange that also the actors switched to that medium when their careers didn't go anywhere movie wise. During the second part of the 80's, Barbara Rüttings' movie career did come to an end. Professionally her career shifted more and more to writing books which she had started in the mid 70's about healthy living, cooking and other practical advice! She even wrote children's books. During this period, she got more and more involved in politics and animal welfare, especially for the Bavarian Green Party and in 2003, she got elected to the Bavarian Parliament. A job she held untill April 2nd 2009. Due to health issues, at the age of 82, she resigned from her political office! She is now living in Bavaria, Germany with her animals.

Thanks to André Schneider for his valuable input!

Wien, Biberstrasse 9

Being an avid long time collector of Marisa Mell memorabilia, it is not so easy any more to get surprised or being put a smile on your face thanks to the massive number of objects one has seen and collected during hunting time. So finding an exclusive object for your collection is becoming a rarity. Finding a exclusive object with an historical significance is even more of a rarity, if not almost impossible these days where collectors are snatching up everything that comes on the memorabilia market connected to a beloved actor or actress (whatever de flavor of the month may be). But exceptions still exsist, if only because the seller doesn't know what he is dealing or doesn't care and wants only to make a return on his investment. Whatever the case, a few weeks ago I had an incredible find for me as a "Marisa Mell" fan that was not originally intended but surpises are still possible in todays hard driven movie collectors world. So what happened? Well, during an auction in Austria, there was a production photo advertised from the Edgar Wallace movie "Das Rätsel der roten Orchidee" with the main actors Marisa Mell and Adrian Hoven pictured on it.A production photo is a staged photo by the actors acting some kind of scene or very close to a scene from the movie. The photo is not taken during shooting but mostly off scene when the actors are free and waiting for an another scene to be set up by the production crew for shooting. I had not such a photo in my collection for this movie so I bought the picture.

Nothing special on first sight I hear you say! Indeed, a nice vintage picture of Marisa Mell during her production time from december 1962 untill february 1963 on the movie. When I turned the picture to see the back of it, I saw that someone had scribbled on it, probably someone from a (Austrian or German) press agency.

On the back was written in a women's handwriting:

"Gangster in London"

Marisa Mell
Wien I., Biberstrasse 9
Tel: 52-60-233

And then it hit me! The handwritting was not from some women at a press agency as I presumed but the handwriting belonged to "Marisa Mell" herself! Could this be? Upon closer inspection I noticed that the words and her name were written in her characteristic handwriting. And yes, it was all there: the flowing stream of her handwriting, the characteristic "M"s en "L"s in her name "Marisa Mell". I could not believe it! So what was the purpose of this photo and its history???

The movie later known as "Das Rätsel der roten Orchidee" was based on a novel called "Gangster in London" written by crime author Edgar Wallace. During the production of the movie everybody on the production team called the movie "Gangster in London", its official production title. It was only at the end of the production and before the opening of the movie that the producers decided to change the title to its actual known title because of the success of their previous Edgar Wallace movie "Das Geheimnis der gelben Narzizzen" from 1961. So therefore, the card most have been written by Marisa Mell before the opening of the movie and during the production of it. If not, she would have used its official title!

Marisa Mell is the stage name of Marlies Moitzi. Since the start of her career Marisa Mell wrote her name almost always in the same way or fashion with very pronounced "M"s en "L"s. In the beginning she was not very known as an actress so she had time to write her name in a very correct and clear fashion, very readable, for example her "a"s are closed at the top and are a letter "a". In later years when she got busier and had more fan cards to write, her writing would still be very distinctive but for example her "a"s would be more flatter, often open and stretched out. They somethimes looked like "o"s. If there would be any doubt about the authenticity of the writing the autograph of Marisa Mell is a certainty that it is her writing.

In late 1962, Marisa Mell was still struggling as an actress. Although the parts in her films were getting bigger and bigger, she still needed to convince the producers to accept her for a role! Her part as Lilian Granger in "Das Rätsel der Roten Orchidee" was a big step in the right direction. Being part of the Edgar Wallace franchise could mean a boost in an actor's career. So the use of a photo from that movie proved that you had a leading part, especially when your counterpart was the well known and loved actor Adrian Hoven who had already carved for himself a career in German language movies! From the writing we learn that Marisa Mell was living during the production of the movie in the 1st district of Vienna! Vienna is the capital of Austria. During the beginning of the 60's a lot of movie's were being made in Vienna for the German language market. So it was only natural that Marisa Mell, after graduation from her theatre school "Max Reinhardt Seminar", would stay in this city to get a job in the then film business. A few years later she would relocate to Rome, Italy for her career in Cinecitta. The 1st district Vienna is at present recoded as "1010" Vienna. The street where she was living is called "Biber"-strasse or in English "Beaver"-street at number "9". Take a look at the odd way she is writing the number "9". Normally a number "9" is written by putting the long stroke down from the naught on the right hand side but she makes the opposite movement and connects the long stroke down on the left hand side from the naught. I have never asked me that question but "Was Marisa Mell left handed when writing?" Today, the street still exsists, even with a number "9". The building is reformed from living quarters into an office block with a coctail bar and lounge called "Sofie's Bar", a spiritual center and a luxury car rental office! And finally we get to know her telephone number: 52-60-233. Naturally the number does not exsist anymore today and is out of order.

So what could have been the origin of this photo and the writing on the back? In my opinion, there are two possibilities. First the photo was used by Marisa Mell to be sent together with a solicitation letter and cv to a movie production firm to be concidered for a new part or audition in a future movie that she heard of. The argument against this possibility is that the picture has no staple holes from being attached to a solicitation letter but on the other hand it could have been put in an envelope together with the letter. Second possibility is that she had the picture with her and that she used it as reference card when she met some producers on a social gathering. So she wrote her name, adress and telephone number on the back of the picture together with the name of the movie she was currently working on as a reference for the producers when they later would eventually make a selection of actresses for a film part. Personally I think that the last possibility could have happened! Unfortunately we will never know.

Das Rätsel der Roten Orchidee - Lobby Cards

In 1962, Marisa Mell appeared in the movie "Das Rätsel der Roten Orchidee" based on a novel by Edgar Wallace. In this movie she appeared with a lot of other Euro-cult stars! In her first scene she plays opposite a veteran German actor named Fritz Heinrich Rasp. He was an actor who appeared in several Edgar Wallace movies before and after World War II. This was his last Wallace movie.

Marisa Mell receives in the movie an orchidee from actor Pinkas Braun. He would also become a regular player in several Edgar Wallace movies. This was his first movie adaptation of the krimi author. In 1965 she would appear again with him in the movie "New York chiama Superdragon".

And then there is of course "the" Euro-cult actor Adrian Hoven. His career ran from 1947 untill 1981 the year of his death by heart attack. His filmography is a treasure trove of cult movie titles to long to mention her. So if you are interested you can look it up but his most famous title is "Mark of the Devil" and it's follow up "Mark of the Devil II".

Das Rätsel der Roten Orchidee

After the success of the movie "Die Seltsamen Gräfin", based on a book by the British author Edgar Wallace, the new follow up movie would center around the story "Die Tur mit den 7 Schlössern". The production company "Rialto Films" published in the German press that the start of filming this new movie would begin around November 1961. But the producer of these Edgar Wallace-movies Horst Wendlandt found that the "7 Schlösser" script was much to clobbered to go into production and that it needed a rewrit badly. Another problem was that, also at the same time of the press release, the movie theatre owners had been told that the new movie would be expected in their theatres around February-March of 1962 so that they could keep their film agenda's free around that period to welcome the new movie. To honor this commitment, Horst Wendlandt was determined to keep this date. He would not postpone the premiere of his next Edgar Wallace-film. So a solution had to be found very quickly. Several scripts were in production with several screen writers but none was ready to go for the cameras. The only script based on the book "Gangster in London" or the English title "When the Gangs came to London" was found almost ready to start being filmed. It just needed a few technical adjustments.

So the strange thing happened that the complete crew, which was originally being hired to film the movie "Die Tür mit den 7 Schlössern", did the production of "Das Rätsel der Roten Orchidee" or in English "The Mystery of the Red Orchid". Production started in Hamburg (Germany) at the "Real Film Studios Hamburg Wandsbek" where most of the interior and some of the exterior filming was done dubbeling for London. Some exterior scenes were filmed in London (UK). The film was made under the working title "Gangster in London" but due to the success of the movie "Das Geheimniss der Gelben Narzissen" in 1961 the working title was retitled to "Das Rätsel der Roten Orchidee".

In the Edgar Wallace Krimi-series of movies, this movie holds a strange place. Although the production is German based with mostly German crew the actors are not. There is no German actor in the cast: Christopher Lee (UK), Klaus Kinski (Poland), Pinkas Brown (Switserland), Adrian Hoven (Austria), Eric Pohlmann (Austria), Eddi Arent (Poland) and Marisa Mell (Austria). Even the director Helmuth Ashley is from Austria.

The production sheet of that period gives us a little inside info of the production schedule. The production took 6 weeks to shoot in 28 shooting days starting on monday December 5th 1961 untill monday January 15th 1962. During the X-Mas and New Year period the production took a one week holliday. Marisa Mell was scheduled to film her part of secretairy Lilian Granger in 10 working days starting in the 3 week of production on wednesday December 14th 1961 for one day and filming all of her remaining days in new year in week 4 en 5, starting on tuesday January 2nd untill friday January 12th. The movie made it into the theaters as promised on March 1st 1962 after having recut two scenes to comply the Film Board in Germany and getting a FSK 12 rating. The DVD rating in Germany is now FSK 16.

After the premiere the critics were not very kind to this movie. They found it more of the same as in previous movies, a cold hearted movie, not really Alfred Hitchcock-material. At the box office the movie sunk and had the least total of audience attendance from all of the untill then made Edgar Wallace movies.

Marisa Mell would star in another film linked to the Edgar Wallace series in Gemany called "Das Rätsel des Silbernen Halbmonds" in 1972 under the direction of Umberto Lenzi. In reality the movie was an Italian giallo called "Sette orchidee macchiate di rosso" heavily recut to fit the Edgar Wallace series, together with the classic opening speach of Edgar Wallace "Hier spricht Edgar Wallace" which was missing from the Italian version of the movie.