A CASE FOR TWO (EIN FALL FÜR ZWEI) - SEASON 1 ON DVD (ELEPHANT FILMS)

 To Monique Planson.

 

The cult German crime drama A Case for Two (Ein Fall für zwei) ran for 300 episodes from 1981 to 2013 on ZDF. Its  first season (5 episodes) is now available in France on DVD in the "Un cas pour deux - Intégrale saison 1" boxset from Elephant Films.

Ein Fall für zwei was born from an idea by scriptwriters/producers Georg Althammer and Karl Heinz Willschrei, who wanted to make a crime drama whose main character wouldn't be a cop or an amateur sleuth. Experts in their craft, both worked for Bavaria Atelier on detective dramas like Der Nachtkurier meldet... (1964-1966) or  Graf Yoster gibt sich die Ehre (1967-1976). Karl Heinz Willschrei wrote the espionage series Alexander Zwo (1972). He also penned several episodes of Tatort (1) and Der Alte (between 1977 and 1979). Althammer and Willschrei founded their own production company, called Monaco Film, in 1976. A subsidiary named Galmon-Film (later Odeon Film) was set up in 1981 to produce Ein Fall für zwei for the Freitagskrimi (Friday crime drama) line-up of ZDF. The concept pitched to the channel was a duo composed of a young lawyer and an experienced private eye. When Georg Althammer and Karl Heinz Willschrei were told that the great actor Günter Strack (The Odessa File, Torn Curtain) wanted to be in a TV series, they changed the tandem for an experienced lawyer — to be played by Strack — and a young detective.

Georg Althammer gave the role of the P.I. to Claus Theo Gärtner. Regularly on stage like Günter Strack, Gärtner won of the Deutscher Filmpreis of the Best young actor for the film Zoff (1972). He played in the 1977 sci-fi TV movie Operation Ganymed and starred in the series Die Straße (1978).  Ein Fall für zwei was launched by ZDF in September 1981 (2) with a 75-minute pilot titled Die große Schwester. Josef Matula (Gärtner), a 31-year old police officer in Frankfurt am Main, starts a romance with the sister of a young delinquent against whom he testified in court. The behaviour of his girlsfriend's brother, defended by lawyer Dr. Dieter Renz (Strack), puts his career in jeopardy and he decides to quit the force. Renz, who finds Josef sympathetic, hires him as his private investigator. Günter Strack left Ein Fall für zwei in 1988 after 60 episodes and the billiard player detective teamed up with three other lawyers during the impressively long run of the series: Dr. Rainer Frank (Rainer Hunold, 1988-1997), Dr. Johannes Voss (Mathias Hermann, 1997-2000) and Dr. Markus Lessing (Paul Frielinghaus, 2001-2013). 

In autumn 2011, Claus Theo Gärtner expressed his desire to leave after 30 years as Josef Matula. The duo Matula-Lessing bowed out with Letzte Worte, the 300th episode, in March 2013. Surprisingly, ZDF decided to revamp Ein Fall für Zwei around attorney Benjamin "Benni" Hornberg (Antoine Monot, Jr.) and private detective Leo Oswald (Wanja Hues). The new version started in May 2014, with the same title and even a cameo of Claus Theo Gärtner (in 2015) but minus the famous theme intro by jazz musician and television/film composer Klaus Doldinger. Founder of the band Passport, Doldinger composed the music of classics such as The Neverending Story (Die unendliche Geschichte, 1984) and Das Boot (1981) or the theme of Tatort. Sold in more than 50 countries, the original Ein Fall für Zwei arrived in France in 1991 and the series is still repeated there. For a long time, Klaus Doldinger's work was replaced by a local intro but it was restored for repeats. The "Un cas pour deux - Intégrale saison 1" 3-disc DVD boxset from Elephant Films, which has the right theme, contains the following episodes (one-hour except for the pilot):

- Die große Schwester (65-minute version). Written by Karl Heinz Willschrei and directed by Wolfgang Storch (Star Maidens). With Daniela Ziegler (Laura Schneider), Michael Drescher-Stierhofer (Paul Schneider), Eva Pflug (Raumpatrouille Orion) as a judge, Ludwig Haas (Wunderlich), etc. Music by Rolf Kühn (The Vengeance of Doctor Mabuse/La venganza del doctor Mabuse). In French or in German (without subtitles).

- Fuchsjagd. A brilliant episode written by Plym Pahl (Graf Yoster gibt sich die Ehre, Okay S.I.R.) & Enno Hollrath and directed by Reinhard Schwabenitzky. Claus Brinkstedt, a former horse riding champion, tells his friend Dr. Renz that he wants to divorce his wife Charlotte. After he dies during a fox hunt event, an insurance company asks Matula to investigate. With Hannelore Cremer (Charlotte), Dietmar Schönherr (Raumpatrouille Orion) as Claus, Joachim Wichmann (Dr. Rasch), Henry Van Lyck (Dr. Schultzen), Dirk Galuba (Dr. Muller-Adorni), etc. In German with subtitles.

- Das Haus in Frankreich. A masterpiece penned by Willshrei. Produced and helmed by Hans Peter Renfranz (Der Alte). Birgit Weißenborn, an old flame of Dieter Renz, asks him to serve as an intermediary for the sale of her family house in France. She wants to use the money to buy a paint factory without telling her husband. Fans of the Edgar Wallace film series will recognize Barbara Rutting as Birgit. With Karl Heinz Vosgerau (Konrad Weißenborn). The music is from American composer Sam Spence (the NFL films, Wie ein Blitz). In French or in German (without subtitles).

- Todfreunde. Another piece of brilliance from Karl Heinz Willschrei. Directed by Michael Braun (Graf Yoster gibt sich die Ehre, Raumpatrouille Orion). Dr. Renz receives Matula and some guests for dinner at his home when a young man named Armin Fest wants to see the lawyer. He says he has just killed his girlfriend. Alexander Radszun is fabulous as Armin. Also with Brigitte Grothum (Prosecuting attorney), Hans Häckermann (Horst Senftleben), Siemen Rühaak (Lutz Hegart), etc. Music by Klaus Doldinger. In French or in German (without subtitles).

- Brandstiftung. This excellent episode, written by Werner Doering and helmed by Peter Weck, is actually the first of Season 2. Hans Hohmann, an alcoholic, is accused of burning down the car rental company of his ex-employer. With Ilse Neubauer (Margot Hohmann), Dieter Hufschmidt (Hans Hohmann), Karl-Heinz von Hassel (Tatort) as Ellerwein, Dieter Prochnow (Bender). Music by Andre Bauer. In French only.

Besides Ein Fall für Zwei, Georg Althammer and Karl Heinz Willschrei continued to provide their expertise in the crime genre with three episodes of Eurocops (in 1989, 1990 and 1991), private channel Sat.1's hit Wolffs Revier (1992-1999) or A.S. (1995-1998). Althammer produced Die Kommissarin (1994-2006), starring Hannelore Elsner. From 2017 and 2019, Claus Theo Gärtner returned to his signature role for three 90-minute specials. Season 8 of the revamped Ein Fall für zwei was shown recently by ZDF. Bonus material of the "Un cas pour deux - Intégrale saison 1" boxset is comprised of a photo gallery and the trailers of some other titles of Elephant Films, like the German crime drama Derrick, Hunter (with Fred Dryer), Fantasy Island, The Virginian and The Quest (with Kurt Russell and Tim Matheson). After Derrick and Ein Fall für zwei, Elephant will release a boxset of the 10th season from Der Alte in July.

(1) The crime drama collection of ARD, launched in 1970 and still aired today. Karl Heinz Willschrei penned 10 Tatort TV movies, including the most watched episode ever, Rot - rot - rot (26.57 million viewers on January 1, 1978).
(2) ZDF aired the first season of Ein Fall für zwei from September 11, 1981 to December 18, 1981 in alternance with Der Alte and Derrick.

https://fr.shopping.rakuten.com/offer?action=desc&aid=10473716413&productid=8492160797
http://www.elephantfilms.com/
https://fr.shopping.rakuten.com/boutique/ElephantFilm
https://tattard2.blogspot.com/2022/06/derrick-seasons-1-2-french-region-2-dvd.html (Derrick on DVD)

See also:

https://tattard2.blogspot.com/2017/04/matula-zdf_28.html (Matula #1)
https://tattard2.blogspot.com/2018/04/matula-der-schatten-des-berges-zdf.html (Matula #2)
https://tattard2.blogspot.com/2019/04/matula-tod-auf-mallorca-zdf.html (Matula #3)