The Black Abbot (1963)

Sadly Over-hyped

Absolutely Fantastic

Very interesting film. Was caught on the premise when seeing the trailer but unsure as to what the outcome would be for the showing. As it turns out, it was a very good film.

It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

"Der schwarze Abt" is a German black-and-white sound film from 1963, so this one is already over 50 years old as well. Writer and director is Franz Josef Gottlieb and he also worked on many other of these old Edgar Wallace films. Sadly, I must say, despite the title which sounds like a promising main antagonist, that this was a pretty boring and mediocre watch. Then again, I may be a bit biased in terms of the whole thing as I almost liked none of the Edgar Wallace films I watched and I saw almost all of them. This was probably a bit of a missed opportunity here as the cast includes quite a few big names, such as Blacky Fuchsberger, Borsche, Aren't, Boettcher and, last but not least, Klaus Kinski. But Kinski is already the perfect example of how mediocre these Wallace films are. He was definitely a gifted actor, but the characters he played in these films were extremely interchangeable, just like the whole stories and antagonists. I give "The Black Abbot" a thumbs-down. Not recommended.

This one is closer to the straight drama of the British Edgar Wallace series, despite the presence of the ubiquitous Eddi Aren't, whose presence serves to lighten the tone; on this occasion he's the assistant to the investigating police officer, and displays an unexpected talent for wrestling.It features so many characters and subplots - swindlers and forgers, gold-diggers and blackmailers; to name just four - that it's quite easy to get lost in the plot, or sub-plots, but as long as you concentrate on the main plot thread that treasure is buried in the grounds of Lord Chelford's estate; that it is being protected by a mysterious 'Black Abbott' figure; and that literally everybody wants to get their hands on it, you can settle back and let the proceedings unfold. It helps,also, that the investigating officer seems to have an uncanny knack of getting to the heart of the matter - without seemingly doing much investigating - and thus does all the figuring out for you.Aren't aside, it boasts wonderful ensemble playing from actors, many of whom I've come to know and love as staples of the series, including Joachim Fuchsberger, as Dick Alford; Werner Peters, as Fabian Gilder, and a young Klaus Kinski, as an ex-con butler.The film has a number of good nocturnal chase scenes, excitingly filmed. It also boasts a wonderfully kitschy soundtrack.Ratings-wise, I'd probably say 7/10: the first-third of the film where too many characters are introduced causes it to drag, unduly; the final third more than makes up for it in my book; as does the ensemble playing, the chase and fight scenes; the music, and the nocturnal cinematography.

Atmospheric Edgar Wallace thriller, about a large treasure hidden in an old country estate. Several persons show up, who happen to be employed by the lord of the estate, but only to get their hands on the treasure. However, a black-hooded killer soon makes his entrance, and begins killing those who know the secret. This is one of the better Edgar Wallace thrillers I've seen to date, and features some really spooky scenarios.

Superior Edgar Wallace thriller.We have a spooky estate with a haunted abbey;there is of course The Black Abbot,madness,double crosses, triple crosses, a treasure and several murders tossed in to spice things off.What is unusual about this krimi is this really isn't a whodunit.You have to pay close attention to what is going on to stay abreast of the plot.So if you're looking to nod off find another movie.Nice night photography,great use of locations, a spooky ruins, great house and nice use of seemingly autumnal weather.Fast pacing and a good cast put this one near the top.Enjoy!