Showing posts with label Derrick. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Derrick. Show all posts

Thursday, 1 June 2023

DERRICK - SEASON 5 ON DVD (ELEPHANT FILMS)

Derrick, the German crime drama starring Horst Tappert and Fritz Wepper, ran for 281 episodes from 1974 to 1998 on ZDF and aired in over 100 countries. Season 5 (13 one-hour episodes) is now available in France on DVD (All Zone) in the "Inspecteur Derrick - Intégrale saison 5" boxset released by Elephant Films.

Derrick was devised by producer Helmut Ringelmann and scriptwriter Herbert Reinecker as an alternative to Der Kommissar, their crime drama launched in 1969 on ZDF. Produced by Ringelmann's Neue Münchner Fernsehproduktion and set in Munich, Der Kommissar starred Erik Ode as Kommissar Herbert Keller (an investigator inspired by Maigret).  It stayed in black & white until the end in 1976 and its 97 one-hour episodes were all penned by Reinecker. In April 1977, Der Alte, Helmut Ringelmann's successor to Der Kommissar, premiered on the channel (1). The prolific Reinecker worked on the Edgar Wallace, Jerry Cotton and Winnetou film series. Interested by the psychological and social backgrounds of crime (2), he wrote each of the 281 episodes of Derrick. The main character, Oberinspektor Stephan Derrick of the Munich Mordkommission, made actor Horst Tappert recognizable all over the world. 

Tappert's first notable role was the criminal mastermind in the miniseries The Great Train Robbery (Die Gentlemen bitten zur Kasse, 1966). He played  a villain in The Hound of Blackwood Castle (Der Hund von Blackwood Castle, 1967), an Edgar Wallace movie, before switching sides as the detective in the next two: Gorilla Gang (Der Gorilla von Soho, 1968) and The Man with the glass eye (Der Mann mit dem Glasauge, 1969). Helmut Ringelmann offered him the title role in Derrick, a production of his new company Telenova (for ZDF, ORF and SRG) filmed in colour. Horst Tappert described the Oberinspektor as "devoured by the melancholy and cynicism of Humphrey Bogart" (3). An element of Der Kommissar was kept when the Kriminalhauptmeister Harry Klein, one of Keller's men, left his boss to become Inspektor and work for Derrick. 

Munich-born actor Fritz Wepper bid farewell to Der Kommissar in an episode where Harry introduced his replacement... his brother Erwin Klein (Fritz Wepper's brother Elmar Wepper). Before Derrick, Wepper shared scenes with Tappert in Der Mann mit dem Glasauge and got noticed in Cabaret (1972). He remained popular long after Derrick thanks to TV series like Zweï Brüder (1994-2000, with Elmar Wepper), Um Himmels Willen (2002-2021) and Mord in bester Geselshaft (2007-2017). The other regulars of Derrick were Willy Schäfer (Berger), Günther Stoll (Schröder, Seasons 2 to 4) and Gerhard Bormann (Echterding, Seasons 2 to 4). Helmut Ringelmann liked to work with a quasi-repertory company of guest actors. The filming of the famous series began in summer 1973 and ZDF presented it with 3 episodes aired during autumn and winter 1974. 12 episodes from the second season followed throughout the year 1975.
 
Originally, viewers knew the culprit from the start  — like in Columbo — though this was dropped for whodunnits. Occasional action sequences are another feature of these early seasons. The channel aired the first 29 episodes (Seasons 1 to 3) of Derrick out of their production order. The excellent season 5 was shown on ZDF from January to December 1978. The legendary Edgar Wallace director Alfred Vohrer helmed 5 of its 13 episodes (4). The music of composer, singer and hit maker Frank Duval can be heard in 8 episodes of this season. The theme of Derrick was composed by English musician Les Humphries.
 
- Der Fotograf. A photographer is thrown under a subway train. The impressive season premiere starts with a chase in the Munich U-Bahn. Some scenes were filmed at Trausnitz Castle, Bavaria. Christine Buchegger (Aus dem Leben der Marionetten) and actor, director and scriptwriter Jürgen Goslar (5) are amongst the guest stars. Directed by Helmuth Ashley.

- Tod eines Fans. A masterpiece helmed by Alfred Vohrer. Rockstar Harry Dugan finds a dead girl in the bed of his hotel room. Dugan is played by actor and singer Tommi Piper, who performed two songs in this episode: Born to be wild and Rock'n roll star. Actor Stephan Behrens (Ingo Grasser) played Sgt. Pepper in Der Mann mit dem Glasauge. Also with Wolfgang Wahl (Oskar Heckel), Christian Kohlund (Der Zürich-Krimi, Black Forest Clinic) as Konrad Peiss, Helga Anders (Vera Höfer), etc.

- Abendfrieden. A man comes to visit his great aunt at her retirement home. A superb episode directed by Helmuth Ashley. With Inge Birkmann (Helene Schübel) Alice Treff (Margarete Schübel), Thomas Fritsch (Alfons Ullmann).
 
- Ein Hinterhalt. A car accident in the forest was provoked because of a tree trunk left on the road. With Ruth Leuwerik (Dr. Marta Schwenn), Hans-Georg Panczak (Bruno Kolpe), Traugott Buhre (Albert Kolpe), Heiner Lauterbach, Helmut Fischer... Directed by Alfred Vohrer.

- Stein's Tochter. A classic helmed by Wolfgang Becker. Alexander Bork brings back his girlfriend Cosima Stein to her house when he's shot dead. With  Katerina Jacob (Cosima), Thomas Holtzmann (Oswald Stein), Markus Boysen (Heinz Betzky), etc.

- Klavierkonzert. The housekeeper of renowned pianist Robert van Doom is killed in his wife's bedroom. With  Maria Schell (Luisa van Doom), Peter Fricke (Robert van Doom), Jutta Speidel (Helga Kling), Austrian actor Eric Pohlmann (The Return of the Pink Panther, Die Frau in Weiß) as Carol Ostrow, Heinz Ehrenfreund (Walter Schumann), Iris Berben (Isabella), Sky du Mont (Mr. Baum). Conductor Jaroslav Opela served as the musical advisor of this episode. Directed by Helmuth Ashley.
 
- Kaffee mit Beate.  Klein goes undercover in a guesthouse. With  Helga Anders (Beate Schill), Agnes Fink (Mrs Pacha), Peter Pasetti (Serball), Christian Quadflieg (Star Maidens) as Herwig. Directed by Alfred Vohrer.

- Solo für Margarete. The police finds the dead body of a young woman. The investigation leads Derrick and Klein to a musician named Alexis. With Horst Buchholz (The Magnificent Seven) as Alexis, Lisa Kreuzer (Margarete/Ursula), Susanne Beck (Celia), Jacques Breuer (Ruff). The end title music is Ataraxia Pt. 1 by Passport, the band of jazz musician and television/film composer Klaus Doldinger (6). Directed by Michael Braun.

- Lissas Vater. Ludwig Heimer is harassing his ex-wife Elsa. Heinz Bennent guest stars as Heimer, his daughter Anne Bennent plays Lissa. Also with Ullrich Haupt (Georg Hassler), Christine Wodetzky (Elsa Hassler). Directed by Alfred Vohrer.

- Der Spitzel. Zbyněk Brynych, a talented Czech director who frequently worked for Helmut Ringelmann's productions, helmed this episode where a cop is killed while on the trail of a mobster. With Götz George (Schimanski) as Georg Lukas, Stefan Behrens, Horst Sachtleben, etc.

- Die verlorenen Sekunden. Mrs Leubel, a seamstress, must deliver a dress to a client at her appartment. A very effective 50th episode directed by Alfred Vohrer. With Elfriede Kuzmany (Mrs Leubel), Louise Martini (Hanna Schenk), Herbert Herrmann (Harro Brückner), Hans Korte (Mr. Kwien).

- Ute und Manuela. A man is shot dead in the parking garage of a disco. A classic helmed by Helmuth Ashley. With Cornelia Froboess (Ute Bilser), Monika Baumgartner (Manuela Stroppe), Gisela Uhlen (Mrs Bilser), etc.

- Abitur. A teacher gives private lessons to a student. With Peter Dirschauer, Agnes Dünneisen, Michael Wittenborn, Hans Quest, Friedrich G. Beckhaus, Volker Eckstein... Directed by Theodor Grädler.
 
Derrick arrived in France as Inspecteur Derrick in 1986 on Silvio Berlusconi's La Cinq. The 13 episodes of this fifth season from Derrick are in the DVD boxset from Elephant Films in French or German (without subtitles). Bonus material is comprised of a photo gallery and the trailers of some of the titles from Elephant Films: The Quest (the 1976 TV series), The Outcasts (1968), Whiplash (1960, starring Peter Graves), Iron Horse (1966-1968), Alias Smith and Jones (1971-1973) and The Virginian (1962-1971). German crime cult dramas Der Alte and Ein Fall für zwei are available from Elephant too and reviewed on this blog.
 
(1) Der Alte still exists today.
(4) In the 1970s, Alfred Vohrer directed 6 films based on the thrillers by author Johannes Mario Simmel, including Die Antwort kennt nur der Wind (1974).
(5) Jürgen Goslar helmed several episodes of Derrick and Der Alte.
(6) Klaus Doldinger composed the music of classics such as The Neverending Story (Die unendliche Geschichte, 1984) and Das Boot (1981) but also the themes of Tatort and Ein Fall für zwei.
 
 
See also:
 
https://tattard2.blogspot.com/2022/08/the-old-fox-der-alte-season-10-on-dvd.html (Der Alte - Season 10 on DVD)
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Tuesday, 2 May 2023

DERRICK - SEASON 4 ON DVD (ELEPHANT FILMS)

Derrick, the German crime drama starring Horst Tappert and Fritz Wepper, ran for 281 episodes from 1974 to 1998 on ZDF and aired in over 100 countries. Season 4 (10 one-hour episodes) is now available in France on DVD (All Zone) in the "Inspecteur Derrick - Intégrale saison 4" boxset released by Elephant Films.

Derrick was devised by producer Helmut Ringelmann and scriptwriter Herbert Reinecker as an alternative to Der Kommissar, their crime drama launched in 1969 on ZDF. Produced by Ringelmann's Neue Münchner Fernsehproduktion and set in Munich, Der Kommissar starred Erik Ode as Kommissar Herbert Keller (an investigator inspired by Maigret).  It stayed in black & white until the end in 1976 and its 97 one-hour episodes were all penned by Reinecker. In April 1977, Der Alte, Helmut Ringelmann's successor to Der Kommissar, premiered on the channel (1). The prolific Reinecker worked on the Edgar Wallace, Jerry Cotton and Winnetou film series. Interested by the psychological and social backgrounds of crime (2), he wrote each of the 281 episodes of Derrick. The main character, Oberinspektor Stephan Derrick of the Munich Mordkommission, made actor Horst Tappert recognizable all over the world. 

Tappert's first notable role was the criminal mastermind in the miniseries The Great Train Robbery (Die Gentlemen bitten zur Kasse, 1966). He played  a villain in The Hound of Blackwood Castle (Der Hund von Blackwood Castle, 1967), an Edgar Wallace movie, before switching sides as the detective in the next two: Gorilla Gang (Der Gorilla von Soho, 1968) and The Man with the glass eye (Der Mann mit dem Glasauge, 1969). Helmut Ringelmann offered him the title role in Derrick, a production of his new company Telenova (for ZDF, ORF and SRG) filmed in colour. Horst Tappert described the Oberinspektor as "devoured by the melancholy and cynicism of Humphrey Bogart" (3). An element of Der Kommissar was kept when the Kriminalhauptmeister Harry Klein, one of Keller's men, left his boss to become Inspektor and work for Derrick. 

Munich-born actor Fritz Wepper bid farewell to Der Kommissar in an episode where Harry introduced his replacement... his brother Erwin Klein (Fritz Wepper's brother Elmar Wepper). Before Derrick, Wepper shared scenes with Tappert in Der Mann mit dem Glasauge and got noticed in Cabaret (1972). He remained popular long after Derrick thanks to TV series like Zweï Brüder (1994-2000, with Elmar Wepper), Um Himmels Willen (2002-2021) and Mord in bester Geselshaft (2007-2017). The other regulars of Derrick were Willy Schäfer (Berger), Günther Stoll (Schröder) and Gerhard Bormann (Echterding). Helmut Ringelmann liked to work with a quasi-repertory company of guest actors. The filming of the famous series began in summer 1973 and ZDF presented it with 3 episodes aired during autumn and winter 1974. 12 episodes from the second season followed throughout the year 1975.
 
Originally, viewers knew the culprit from the start  — like in Columbo — though this was dropped for whodunnits. Occasional action sequences are another feature of these early seasons. The channel aired the first 29 episodes (Seasons 1 to 3) of Derrick out of their production order. Season 4 was shown on ZDF from January to October 1977. This fourth season is perfect in every department, from the plots to the very diverse locations.
 
- Yellow He. A young man is seduced by a young woman in a disco. Later, his uncle is shot dead. The brilliant 30th episode of Derrick was helmed by Zbyněk Brynych, a talented Czech director who frequently worked for Helmut Ringelmann's productions since Der Kommissar. With Martin Semmelrogge (Alfred "Ali" Rabes), Maria Schell (Erika Rabes), Susanne Beck (Annemarie "Yellow He" Gelberg), etc.

- Hals in der Schlinge. Heli and Ingo Giserke discover that their father hanged himself. The legendary Edgar Wallace director Alfred Vohrer and cinematographers Rolf Kästel & Michael Georg take us to the Alter Nordfriedhof and the Munich Olympic Stadium. Günter Strack (Ein Fall für zwei) plays Kless.  With Helga Anders (Heli), Willy Kowalj (Ingo), Herbert Fleischmann (Ludemann), etc.

- Eine Nacht in Oktober. The young secretary of a lawyer is murdered. The guest cast is first-class: Swiss actor and director Bernhard Wicki (Dr. Lechner), Traugott Buhre (Steinbrink), Brigitte Horney (Mrs Lechner), Carl Lange (credited Karl Lange) as Dr. Meyers, etc. There's even Iris Berben, the future Rosa Roth (1994-2013) as the victim. Directed by Wolfgang Becker.

- Offene Rechnung. A group of pensioners leaves one of them, severely injured, in the park of their retirement home. A masterpiece helmed by Alfred Vohrer. Some scenes were filmed in the Munich U-Bahn and at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater. With Rudolf Platte, Edith Heerdegen, Rudolf Fernau, Konrad Georg... Music by the illustrious German composer Peter Thomas.
 
- Tod des Wucherers. A classic directed by Zbyněk Brynych and served by the fabulous performances of Gerd Baltus (Erich Winterhammer), Agnes Dünneisen (Hilde Hensch), Peter Kuiper, etc. Music by Peter Thomas.

- Das Kuckucksei. Eberhard Horre takes a strange phone call from his wife. An episode helmed by Alfred Vohrer, with scenes filmed near Starnberg Lake. The Transrapid 04, an experimental highspeed monorail train from the Krauss Maffei company, is seen on its test track. With Ralf Schermuly (Eberhard Horre), Gerd Böckmann (Alfred Horre), etc. Last participation of Günther Stoll, who died in January 1977 only aged 52. Music by Rolf Kühn.

- Mord im TEE 91. A man is found dead in the Trans-Europ-Express in this espionage story directed by Zbyněk Brynych. With Alwy Becker (Andrea), Harry Meyen (Harris), Siegfried Rauch (Mohr), etc.

- Via Bangkok. A musician back from Thailand is beaten to death. With Thomas Holtzmann (Jakob Renz), Cornelia Froebess (Helga Renz), Christian Wolff... Directed by Theodor Grädler.

- Inkasso. A car washer discovers a dead body in this brilliant episode directed by Helmuth Ashley. Locations include the Akademie der Bildenden Künste in Munich and the Olympia Schwimhalle. With Monika Gabriel, Karl Walter Diess, Dirk Galuba, Lisa Kreuzer, etc. Music by composer, singer and hit maker Frank Duval. Duval worked regularly for both Derrick and Der Alte.
 
- Tote im Wald. An English exchange student girl is found murdered in the woods. With Martin Lüttge (Tatort) and Gaby Dohm (Black Forest Clinic).

The theme of Derrick was composed by English musician Les Humphries. Derrick arrived in France as Inspecteur Derrick in 1986 on Silvio Berlusconi's La Cinq. The 10 episodes of this fourth season from Derrick are in the DVD boxset from Elephant Films in French or German (without subtitles). Bonus material is comprised of a photo gallery and the trailers of some of the titles from Elephant, such as Les évasions célèbres (1972), Nana (1981),  the gripping French period drama Le trompette de la Bérésina (1966), From Here to Eternity (the 1979 miniseries) or La chambre des dames (1984).
 
(1) Der Alte still exists today.
 
 
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Wednesday, 8 March 2023

THE OLD FOX (DER ALTE) - SEASON 12 ON DVD (ELEPHANT FILMS)

Season 12 of the long-running German crime drama The Old Fox (Der Alte) is now available in France on DVD in the "Le Renard - Intégrale saison 12" boxset from Elephant Films (All Zone, 12 episodes).

Der Alte ("The Old Man") was launched in 1977 on ZDF by producer Helmut Ringelmann as the successor to Der Kommissar, the popular series made by his company Neue Münchner Fernsehproduktion for the pubcaster. Set in Munich, Der Kommissar ran from 1969 to 1976 and starred Erik Ode as Kommissar Herbert Keller. The first Freitagskrimi (1) of the channel lasted 97 episodes, all penned by Herbert Reinecker. The scriptwriter also wrote each of the 281 episodes of Derrick, a crime drama devised by Ringelmann and Reinecker as an alternative to Der Kommissar (2) — though set in Munich too — and aired on ZDF from 1974 to 1998. 
 
Produced by Neue Münchner for ZDF, ORF (Austria) and SRG (Switzerland), Der Alte employed several authors. Writer and producer Hans Gottschalk (Raumpatrouille Orion) conceived the main character, Hauptkommissar Erwin Köster (3) of the Munich Mordkommission II (Homicide Squad II). Siegfried Lowitz, a familiar face from the Edgar Wallace movies, became the "new Kommissar". Erwin Köster was given assistants: Gerd Heymann, played by Michael Ande (Fußballtrainer Wulff, Treasure Island), and Martin Brenner (Jan Hendriks, another Edgar Wallace regular) (4). Der Alte premiered on Easter 1977 with a pilot titled Die Dienstreise, written by Oliver Storz (Raumpatrouille Orion) & Jochen Wedegärtner (Graf Yoster gibt sich die Ehre) and directed by Johannes Schaaf. 
 
Karl Heinz Willschrei, one of the scriptwriters of the series, co-created Ein Fall für zwei (1981-2013) for ZDF. At the end of 1984, Siegfried Lowitz expressed his desire to leave Der Alte with the 100th episode (aired in January 1986) and return to theatre. Helmut Ringelmann gave the role of the new boss of Mordkomission II, Hauptkommissar Leo Kress, to Rolf Schimpf. Ringelmann noticed the actor in Der Sheriff von Lisenbach (1984) and first hired him in Mensch Bachmann, a family series he produced the same year. Schimpf was no stranger to the crime genre because he played Waldi Zeldmann in  SOKO 5113 since 1978. Gerd Heymann remained but Martin Brenner got transferred. The Polizeiarzt  ("police doctor") played by Ulf J. Sohmisch since 1983 stayed a few years more but never got a proper name.
 
Leo Kress came from Augsburg with his own assistant, Henry Johnson. This black detective (a first in the history of German TV) was based on a real-life black investigator from the Munich police named Raimund Eichner and he was portrayed by Charles M. Huber (credited Charly Muhamed Huber). A new theme intro, composed by Eberhard Schoener, replaced the theme by Peter Thomas. Sold in more than 100 countries, Der  Alte arrived in France in 1987 as Le Renard and is still aired today (on France 3). The "Le Renard - Intégrale Saison 12" 6-disc DVD boxset contains the 12 episodes of this absolutely perfect 12th season, shown on ZDF between January and December 1988. Helmut Ringelmann liked to work with a quasi-repertory company of guest actors, who often appeared twice in the same season (in different roles).

- Kein gutes Ende. The owner of a supermarket is blackmailed. A young man dies because of a jar of pickles poisoned with cyanide. An excellent episode written by Volker Vogeler and directed by Eberhard Itzenplitz. Bettina Redlich returns as Leo's daughter Sabine Kress. With Horst Sachtleben (Werner Meridit), Sebastian Koch (Hansi Wallner), Jessica Kosmalla (Hilda Wallner). Ulrich Matschoss, best known as the boss of Schimanski in Tatort, plays Schmetterling.

- Schweigen für immer. A man about to meet the prosecutor dies from a heart attack after his kidnapping. The kidnapper gets rid of the body but a young woman sees him. Scriptwriter  Bruno Hampel borrowed most of the story of this brilliant episode from his own work for an episode of Kommissar Freytag (1963-1966). With Walter Renneisen (Max Brandstetter), Ben Becker (Markus Pagel), Henry van Lyck (Arno Tucher), etc. Directed by Theodor Grädler.

- Der Tod kommt sellten allein. The recovery of some stolen jewelry is interrupted by a bomb explosion. Once again, an excellent episode written by Volker Vogeler and helmed by Eberhard Itzenplitz. Guest starring Daniela Ziegler (Vanessa Telt), Peter Bongartz (Peter Nordmann), Ralf Schermuly (Fred Bugat), etc. Leonard Lansink (Willsberg) appears in a small role.

- Eiskalt geplant. Karla Unruh is found hanged. She was terminally ill and her husband had a mistress. Christa-Maria Bandmann devised a clever plot for the first of the 17 episodes she penned for Der Alte. With Gerd Böckmann (Matthias Unruh), Marianne Wentwich (Karla Unruh), Sabine Kaack (SOKO 5113) as Solveigh Björklund, etc. Music by Martin Böttcher (the Winnetou movies). Directed by Günter Gräwert.

- Um jeden Preis. Secretary Rita Steeger is taking pictures of the plans of a submarine when she's surprised by the private investigator hired by her company. A spy thriller written by Volker Vogeler and helmed by Wolfgang Becker. The guest cast is impressive: Christine Buchegger (Aus dem Leben der Marionetten) as Rita, Karl-Heinz Vosgerau (Dr. Hensold), the great Hans-Michael Rehberg (Johan Altig), Swiss actor Christian Kohlund (Der Zürich-Krimi, Black Forest Clinic) as Lars Lindström and Horst Sachtleben (Hans Passauer).

- Brief eines Toten. The personal assistant of a best-selling author dies in the explosion of his caravan. Adolf Schröder and Günter Gräwert penned this excellent episode directed by Gräwert. With Sonja Sutter (Isolde Schilling), Udo Vioff (Heinrich Schilling), Franziska Walser (Marlis Lachmann), Sven Eric Bechtolf (Theodor Lachmann), Karl-Heinz von Hassel (Tatort) as Heinz Jacob, Eva Maria Bauer (Black Forest Clinic) as Mrs Breitner, Carin C. Tietze, etc.

- Der Tod des Uhrmachers. A watchmaker is killed during a robbery. Chased by the police forces, the robber is shot dead by Gerd. Michael Ande is given an opportunity to shine in this episode written by Volker Vogeler and helmed by Zbyněk Brynych. With Jessica Kosmalla (Monika Valentin), Cordula Trantow (Gerda Staller), Uli Krohm (Werner Staller), Ulli Kinalzik (Peter Herling), etc.

- Der Haß der Verlierer. There's a heatwave in Munich and a woman is found strangled in her appartment. The two suspects are her ex-husband and a Turkish immigrant. A brilliant episode about racism written by Leopold Ahlsen and directed by Zbyněk Brynych. The performance of Will Danin as Kerem Ödüm is remarkable. Last appearance of Bettina Redlich as Sabine Kress. The actress returned in Der Alte as different characters in 2009 and 2014. With Stefan Behrens (Kurt Berger) and Christiane Hammacher (Edith, Leo's ex-wife).

- Ein unaufhaltsames Ende. A high school teacher is murdered. Penned by Volker Vogeler, at his best this season, and directed by Helmuth Ashley. Evelyn Opela (who married Helmut Ringelmann in 1986) plays Monika Burgdof. With Hans Michael Rehberg (Burgdof),  Carin C. Tietze (Nora Falk), Amadeus August (Gerhard Becker), Eva Maria Bauer (Mrs Nagel), etc.

- Der Freispruch. A high-profile trial ends with an acquittal. The 50th script written by Volker Vogeler for Der Alte (5). With Gerd Böckmann (Christian Weigelt), Christiane Kruger (Katja Weigelt), Peter Fricke (Hubert Schatz), Christian Kohlund (Florian Balsam), Anja Jaennicke (Lisa Lottke), Pierre Franckh (Peter Lotke), etc. Werner Schnitzer (Koch) later played Hahne in Siska (1998-2008), the successor to Derrick  (6). Music by composer, singer and hit maker Frank Duval. Directed by Alfred Weidenmann.

- Blackout. An old man hears a gunshot in the middle of the night. A jigsaw puzzle crafted by Christa-Maria Bandmann and directed by Günter Gräwert. With Angelica Domröse (Britta Lambert), Jürgen Schmidt (Konrad Lambert), Jürgen Heinrich (Wolffs Revier) as Dr. Arno Schneider, etc. Music by Dietmar Kawohl and Mats Björklund.

- Ein ganz gewöhnlicher Mord. The wife of Rudolf Ballat is shot dead by a rifle. An astute script by Volker Vogeler. With Klaus Schwarzkopf (Rudolf Ballat),  Elfriede Kuzmany (Lisa Ballat), Ullrich Haupt (Hugo von Bantwig), Wolfgang Wahl (Hermann Arnsweiler), Ben Becker (Peter Arnsweiler), etc. Directed by Alfred Weidenmann.

In 1998, Leo Kress and his men appeared in the final episode of Derrick. Kress retired at the end of the 322nd episode (2007) but Rolf Schimpf returned as the ex-detective in Episode 340. He was succeeded by Walter Kreye as Hauptkommissar Rolf Herzog (2008-2012) and Jan-Gregor Kremp (Hauptkommissar Richard Voss, 2012-2022). Michael Ande decided to leave the series in 2016 after 39 years as Gerd Heymann. Charles M. Huber left in 1997 and was replaced by Pierre Sanoussi-Bliss as Axel Richter until 2015. Huber changed career for politics and humanitarian work. 
 
The episodes of the "Le Renard - Intégrale Saison 12" boxset are in French and in German (without subtitles). Bonus material consists of a photo gallery and the trailers of some other titles of Elephant Films, like Rue barrée, Nana, La voie Jackson, Les visiteurs (the 1980 French sci-fi series) and Noires sont les galaxies. The 47th season of Der Alte starts this month on ZDF and soon actor Thomas Heinze will arrive as Hauptkommissar Caspar Bergmann, the successor of Hauptkommissar Richard Voss.

(1) Friday crime drama.
(2) Unlike Der Kommissar, Derrick was filmed in colour and produced by Helmut Ringelmann's other company Telenova for ZDF, ORF and SRG.
(4) The team was later completed by Meyer Zwo (Wolgang Zerlett, 1979-1987), Löwinger (Jan Meyer, 1985-1986) and Marküs Böttcher as Werner Riedmann (1986-2015).
(6) Produced by Helmut Ringelmann.
 
http://www.frankduval.com/
 
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Friday, 16 December 2022

THE OLD FOX (DER ALTE) - SEASON 11 ON DVD (ELEPHANT FILMS)

Season 11 of the long-running German crime drama The Old Fox (Der Alte) is now available in France on DVD in the "Le Renard - Intégrale saison 11" boxset from Elephant Films (All Zone, 12 episodes).

Der Alte ("The Old Man") was launched in 1977 on ZDF by producer Helmut Ringelmann as the successor to Der Kommissar, a series made by his company Neue Münchner Fernsehproduktion for the pubcaster. Set in Munich, Der Kommissar ran from 1969 to 1976 and starred Erik Ode as Kommissar Herbert Keller. The first Freitagskrimi (1) of the channel lasted 97 episodes, all penned by Herbert Reinecker. The scriptwriter also wrote each of the 281 episodes of Derrick, a crime drama devised by Ringelmann and Reinecker as an alternative to Der Kommissar (2) — though set in Munich too — and aired on ZDF from 1974 to 1998. 
 
Produced by Neue Münchner for ZDF, ORF (Austria) and SRG (Switzerland), Der Alte employed several authors. Writer and producer Hans Gottschalk (Raumpatrouille Orion) conceived the main character, Hauptkommissar Erwin Köster (3) of the Munich Mordkommission II (Homicide Squad II). Siegfried Lowitz, a familiar face from the Edgar Wallace movies, became the "new Kommissar". Erwin Köster was given assistants: Gerd Heymann, played by Michael Ande (Fußballtrainer Wulff, Treasure Island), and Martin Brenner (Jan Hendriks, another Edgar Wallace regular) (4). Der Alte premiered on Easter 1977 with a pilot titled Die Dienstreise, written by Oliver Storz (Raumpatrouille Orion) & Jochen Wedegärtner (Graf Yoster gibt sich die Ehre) and directed by Johannes Schaaf. 
 
Karl Heinz Willschrei, one of the scriptwriters of the series, co-created Ein Fall für zwei (1981-2013) for ZDF. At the end of 1984, Siegfried Lowitz expressed his desire to leave Der Alte with the 100th episode (aired in January 1986) and return to theatre. Helmut Ringelmann gave the role of the new boss of Mordkomission II, Hauptkommissar Leo Kress, to Rolf Schimpf. Ringelmann noticed the actor in Der Sheriff von Lisenbach (1984) and first hired him in Mensch Bachmann, a family series he produced the same year. Schimpf was no stranger to the crime genre because he played Waldi Zeldmann in  SOKO 5113 since 1978. Gerd Heymann remained but Martin Brenner got transferred. The Polizeiarzt  ("police doctor") played by Ulf J. Sohmisch since 1983 stayed a few years more but never got a proper name.
 
Leo Kress came from Augsburg with his own assistant, Henry Johnson. This black detective (a first in the history of German TV) was based on a real-life black investigator from the Munich police named Raimund Eichner and he was portrayed by Charles M. Huber (credited Charly Muhamed Huber). A new theme intro, composed by Eberhard Schoener, replaced the theme by Peter Thomas. Sold in more than 100 countries, Der  Alte arrived in France in 1987 as Le Renard. The "Le Renard - Intégrale Saison 11" 6-disc DVD boxset contains the 12 episodes of this almost perfect 11th season, shown on ZDF between January and December 1987.

- Tod eines Piraten. A young man tries to break into his own house. A great episode written by Volker Vogeler and directed by Zbyněk Brynych, with excellent performances from Claude-Oliver Rudolph (Fritz) and Christoph Eichorn (Patrick Killian). Werner Schnitzer (Ruprecht) later played Hahne in Siska (1998-2008), the successor to Derrick  (5). Tobias Ringelmann, Helmut's son, appears in the (fictional) film at the beginning.

- Der sanfte Tod. A couple calls the police because their neighbour  has been listening loudly to the same song for hours. Scriptwriters Günter Gräwert (who also helmed this episode) and Adolf Schröder tackle homosexuality. The song used as a leitmotiv is Why by composer, singer and hit maker Frank Duval. Duval worked regularly for both Derrick and Der Alte. With Tobias Hoesl (Jens), Eva Kryll (Barbara), Edgar Selge (Erich), Enzi Fuchs (Mrs Heinzen) and a pre-Tatort Miroslav Nemec.

- Die Abrechnung. It's laundry day for Kress and his daughter Sabine (Bettina Redlich) when a young woman falls from a window. This death is related to a murder and drug trafficking in Malaysia. Written by Volker Vogeler and directed by Zbyněk Brynych. Tobias Hoesl returns in a different role. With Ursula Karven.

- Tod von Schalterschluß. Journalist, novelist and scriptwriter Max Pierre Schaeffer wrote this brilliant episode directed by Günter Gräwert. A bank robber kills a woman during a hold-up. Evelyn Opela (Mrs Helmut Ringelmann) plays Gitta Graf. Gert Burkhard  appeared in many episodes of Der Alte and Derrick, in different roles. The end title song is called Speech Behind Speech (1978). It's one of the collaborations of Eberhard Schoener with Sting, Andy Summers and later Stewart Copeland before The Police became famous.

- Wie das Leben so spielt. A photograph witnesses a double murder. An excellent episode written by Volker Vogeler and directed by Dietrich Haugk. Guest starring Eleonore Weisgerber, Ralf Schermuly, Udo Schenk, Ulli Kinalzik, etc.

- Werwischte Spuren. The firemen receive a strange emergency phone call. Rosel Zech (Veronika Voss, Lola) plays Gabrielle Lohmann. With Sven Eric Bechtolf and Enzi Fuchs. Written and directed by Günter Gräwert.

- Ultimo. A fabulous episode penned by Volker Vogeler and helmed by Zbyněk Brynych. Albert Kozak (Ulrich Haupt) is back from hospital after a murder attempt. Swiss actor Christian Kohlund (Der Zürich-Krimi, Black Forest Clinic) is Holger Kozak. With Susanne Uhlen, Gerd Baltus, Gerd Burkhard, etc. The song heard during the superb ending is Rhine-Bow (1978) by Eberard Schoener with Sting, Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland.

- Ein teuflischer Plan.  Another gem from Volker Vogeler, directed by Alfred Weidenmann. An accountant kills himself in his office and a bankrupt man is found dead by his wife. Edgar Selge returns in a different role. With Reinhild Solf, Harald Leipnitz, Peter Bongartz, Lisa Kreuzer, Gerd Burkhard, etc.

- Die letzte Nacht. Sentenced for rape, Hans Steiger (Will Danin) is released after years in jail. With Christine Buchegger, Sissy Höfferer, Beate Finck, Esther Hausmann, Ulli Kinalzik, etc. The melancholic song of this episode is I Want To Be Free, composed by Günther Ress and performed by Edna Bejarano.

- Alibi: Mozart. Max Pierre Schaefer and Günther Gräwert team up for this classic about the murder of a pianist directed by Zbyněk Brynych. Second guest role of Evelyn Opela this season. Also with Gerd Böckmann, Anja Jaenicke, Franz Boehm, Tommi Piper, etc.

- Der Stichtag. A conundrum from Max Pierre Schaefer and Günther Gräwert, directed by the latter. A company director takes a night train with his secretary. With Udo Vioff, a frequent guest star of Der Alte and Derrick.

- Mord ist Mord. A supermarket manager and his mistress are surprised by two robbers. Penned by Volker Vogeler and helmed by Zbyněk Brynych. Rosel Zech is back in a different role. With Thekla Carola Wied, Winfried Glatzeder, Philipp Moog, etc.

In 1998, Leo Kress and his men appeared in the final episode of Derrick. Kress retired at the end of the 322nd episode (2007) but Rolf Schimpf returned as the ex-detective in Episode 340. He was succeeded by Walter Kreye as Hauptkommissar Rolf Herzog (2008-2012) and Jan-Gregor Kremp (Hauptkommissar Richard Voss, 2012-2022). Michael Ande decided to leave the series in 2016 after 39 years as Gerd Heymann. Charles M. Huber left in 1997 and was replaced by Pierre Sanoussi-Bliss as Axel Richter until 2015. Huber changed career for politics and humanitarian work. 
 
The episodes of the "Le Renard - Intégrale Saison 11" boxset are in French and in German (without subtitles). Bonus material consists of a photo gallery and the trailers of some other titles of Elephant Films, like Hunter (with Fred Dryer), Fantasy Island, Commissaire Moulin, Ein Fall für zwei and Derrick. Next year Thomas Heinze will be the new Hauptkommissar of Der Alte.

(1) Friday crime drama.
(2) Unlike Der Kommissar, Derrick was filmed in colour and produced by Helmut Ringelmann's other company Telenova for ZDF, ORF and SRG.
(4) The team was later completed by Meyer Zwo (Wolgang Zerlett, 1979-1987), Löwinger (Jan Meyer, 1985-1986) and Marküs Böttcher as Werner Riedmann (1986-2015).
(5) Produced by Helmut Ringelmann.
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Wednesday, 12 October 2022

DERRICK - SEASON 3 ON DVD (ELEPHANT FILMS)

[Favourite of the Month] Derrick, the German crime drama starring Horst Tappert and Fritz Wepper, ran for 281 episodes from 1974 to 1998 on ZDF and aired in over 100 countries. Season 3 (14 one-hour episodes) is now available in France on DVD (All Zone) in the "Inspecteur Derrick - Intégrale saison 3" boxset released by Elephant Films.

Derrick was devised by producer Helmut Ringelmann and scriptwriter Herbert Reinecker as an alternative to Der Kommissar, their crime drama launched in 1969 on ZDF. Produced by Ringelmann's Neue Münchner Fernsehproduktion and set in Munich, Der Kommissar starred Erik Ode as Kommissar Herbert Keller (an investigator inspired by Maigret).  It stayed in black & white until the end in 1976 and its 97 one-hour episodes were all penned by Reinecker. This prolific author worked on the Edgar Wallace, Jerry Cotton and Winnetou film series. Interested by the psychological and social backgrounds of crime (1), he wrote each of the 281 episodes of Derrick. The main character, Oberinspektor Stephan Derrick of the Munich Mordkommission, made actor Horst Tappert recognizable all over the world. 

Tappert's first notable role was the criminal mastermind in the miniseries The Great Train Robbery (Die Gentlemen bitten zur Kasse, 1966). He played  a villain in The Hound of Blackwood Castle (Der Hund von Blackwood Castle, 1967), an Edgar Wallace movie, before switching sides as the detective in the next two: Gorilla Gang (Der Gorilla von Soho, 1968) and The Man with the glass eye (Der Mann mit dem Glasauge, 1969). Helmut Ringelmann offered him the title role in Derrick, a production of his new company Telenova (for ZDF, ORF and SRG) filmed in colour. Horst Tappert described the Oberinspektor as "devoured by the melancholy and cynicism of Humphrey Bogart" (2). An element of Der Kommissar was kept when the Kriminalhauptmeister Harry Klein, one of Keller's men, left his boss to become Inspektor and work for Derrick. 

Munich-born actor Fritz Wepper bid farewell to Der Kommissar in an episode where Harry introduced his replacement... his brother Erwin Klein (Fritz Wepper's brother Elmar Wepper). Before Derrick, Wepper shared scenes with Tappert in Der Man mit dem Glassauge and got noticed in Cabaret (1972). He remained popular long after Derrick thanks to TV series like Zweï Brüder (1994-2000, with Elmar Wepper), Um Himmels Willen (2002-2021) and Mord in bester Geselshaft (2007-2017). The other regulars of Derrick were Willy Schäfer (Berger, called Weber in a season 3 episode), Günther Stoll (Schröder) and Gerhard Bormann (Echterding).  Helmut Ringelmann liked to work with a quasi-repertory company of guest actors. The filming of the famous series began in summer 1973 and ZDF presented it with 3 episodes aired during autumn and winter 1974. 12 episodes from the second season followed throughout the year 1975.

Originally, viewers knew the culprit from the start — like in Columbo — though this was dropped for whodunnits. Occasional action sequences are another feature of these early seasons. The channel shown the first 29 episodes of Derrick out of their production order. Season 3 (January to November 1976) opens with one the best episodes of the series, Tod der Kolibris. A couple finds a dead asian woman in the trunk of their car. Derrick receives a phone call who leads him and Klein to Dr. Scheibnitz (Ernst Schröder) and his daughter (Sylvia Manas). The chief inspector is a tad mischievous in this episode directed by Dietrich Haugk. In the very good Tod des Trompeters, helmed by Zbyněk Brynych, a man wants to inform Derrick about a kidnapping but he's killed in a shootout where Harry is wounded. First of the 14 participations of actor Sky du Mont in the series (3).

The excellent Angst was shot by Theodor Grädler as the 11th episode, hence the murderer known from the beginning. A tyrannical businessman kills his younger mistress and pressures his unfortunate wife for an alibi, which makes Derrick angry. The performances of Hans Dieter Zeidler (Walter Hertel) and Heidelinde Weis (Franziska Hertel) are remarkable. Hertel's mistress is played by none other than Edgar Wallace alumna and future TV icon Uschi Glas. Due to the broadcast order, Bernd Herzprung appears as her new lover right after playing a musician in Tod des Trompeters. Hired for the second season episode Kamillas junger Freund, the legendary Edgar Wallace director Alfred Vohrer returns with two impressive thrillers titled Tote Vögel singen nicht and Schock (4). In the former, which starts with a dead girl found in a landfill, Derrick and Klein investigate a gallery of sordid characters. 

Doris Kunstmann, Hans Canninberg and frequent Vohrer actor Harald Leipnitz are in the guest cast. Viewers who reacted to the episode's body count (five) complained about Schock too because of the death of a child. Alfred Recke, member of a car thief gang, kills the owner of a vehicle in front of his young son. Lussek, the ruthless gang leader, wants to get rid of the sole witness. Vadim Glowna is very good as Recke, alongside Karin Baal (Cosa avete fatto a Solange?, Der Hund von Blackwood Castle) as his wife. Dirk Galuba plays Lussek, the first of his 22 appearances in Derrick (5). Last participation of Joanna von Koczian as Stephan's girlfriend psychologist Renate Konrad. The car owner is played by Dieter Eppler, who had a small part in the previous episode.

In Kalkutta, directed by Alfred Weidenmann, Derrick goes undercover in a gambling ring. With Karl Michael Vogler, Eva Christian, Pinkas Braun, singer Ricky Shayne, etc. Edgar Wallace regular Jan Hendriks, who plays the bartender, had a different role in Schock. He became Martin Brenner in Der Alte, Helmut Ringelmann's successor to Der Kommissar (which premiered on ZDF in 1977). Shot as the seventh episode in 1974, Kein schöner Sonntag has two of the most despicable criminals of the series. In this classic, Schirmer (Ullrich Haupt) tells his son Jürgen (Andreas Seyfert) that he embezzled funds from his company and he wants to burglarize its safe to pay back. Jürgen offers to help him and Schirmer provides their alibi. Directed by Leopold Lintdberg. 

In Auf eigene Faust, helmed by Zbyněk Brynych, a colleague of Derrick is killed near the police station. Horst Frank (known in France for Les tontons flingueurs) steals the episode as a counterfeiter who cooperates with Derrick and Klein. With Karl John, Helmut Käutner, Siegfried Rauch, etc. A shady man invites a tramp for a drink in his hotel room in Ein unbegreiflicher Typ, a jigsaw puzzle directed by Theodor Grädler. Actor Jürgen Goslar (Schündler) was also a scriptwriter and a director who helmed several Derrick and Der Alte. The great Hans-Michael Rehberg plays a hitman. Directed by Alfred Weidenmann, Das Bordfest epitomizes the switch to whodunnits with a disappearance during a company party on a boat. With Ernst Schröder and Mathieu Carrière.

International star Horst Buchholz (The Magnificent Seven) is Gerke, a maths teacher turned disco owner and robbery planner in Das Superding. The guest cast of this joyful caper packed by Wolfgang Becker includes Ullrich Haupt as a bank manager and Fassbinder actor Gottfried John (later in GoldenEye). Directed by Franz Peter Wirth, Risiko looks like an episode of Tatort, the ARD crime drama collection. In Pecko, helmed by Zbyněk Brynych, a young man who dreams to become a Cycle ball champion is the witness of a murder. With Pierre Franckh, Karl Walter Diess, Harald Juhnke, Stefan Behrens (Der Mann mit dem Glassauge), etc. This third season of Derrick concludes with the surprising Der Mann aus Portofino, under the direction of Dietrich Haugk.

The bold escape of a prisoner from a court of justice ends suddenly when he's murdered. Guest starring Kurt Meisel, Reinhard Koldehoff, etc. The theme of Derrick was composed by English musician Les Humphries. The work of the illustrious German composer Peter Thomas can be heard on three episodes. Derrick arrived in France as Inspecteur Derrick in 1986 on Silvio Berlusconi's La Cinq. The 14 episodes of this third season from Derrick are in the DVD boxset from Elephant Films in French or German (without subtitles). Bonus material is comprised of a photo gallery and the trailers of some of the titles from Elephant, such as Hunter (starring Fred Dryer), Fantasy Island (the original), Der Alte, Ein Fall für Zweï and Franck Riva (with Alain Delon).

(1)(2) https://www.spiegel.de/kultur/mieser-eindruck-a-c92c15d4-0002-0001-0000-000041599515
(3) About Sky du Mont's work for Helmut Ringelmann and the career of this actor (2005): https://tattard2.blogspot.com/2008/05/sky-du-mont.html
(4) See http://krimiserien.heimat.eu/alfred_vohrer.htm
(5) Dirk Galuba even played in Das Abschiedsgeschenk, the last episode of Derrick.

Seasons 1 & 2 on DVD (Review): https://tattard2.blogspot.com/2022/06/derrick-seasons-1-2-french-region-2-dvd.html

https://fr.shopping.rakuten.com/offer?action=desc&aid=11005095894&productid=8933407762
http://www.elephantfilms.com
https://fr.shopping.rakuten.com/boutique/ElephantFilm

See also:
 
http://www.martinbetz.at/diplom/reinecker.htm
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Tuesday, 16 August 2022

THE OLD FOX (DER ALTE) - SEASON 10 ON DVD (ELEPHANT FILMS)

The long-running German crime drama The Old Fox (Der Alte) is now available in France on DVD, starting with its 10th season, in the "Le Renard - Intégrale saison 10" boxset from Elephant Films (All Zone, 12 episodes).

Der Alte ("The Old Man") was launched in 1977 on ZDF by producer Helmut Ringelmann as the successor to Der Kommissar, a series made by his company Neue Münchner Fernsehproduktion for the pubcaster. Set in Munich, Der Kommissar ran from 1969 to 1976. It starred Erik Ode as Kommissar Herbert Keller, a father figure to his team of investigators inspired by Maigret. The first Freitagskrimi (1) of the channel lasted 97 episodes, all penned by Herbert Reinecker. This prolific scriptwriter also wrote each of the 281 episodes of Derrick, a crime drama devised by Ringelmann with Reinecker as an alternative to Der Kommissar (2) — though once again set in Munich — and shown on ZDF from 1974 to 1998. 
 
Produced by Neue Münchner for ZDF, ORF (Austria) and SRG (Switzerland), Der Alte employed several authors. Writer and producer Hans Gottschalk (Raumpatrouille Orion) conceived the main character, Hauptkommissar Erwin Köster (3) of the Munich Mordkommission II (Homicide Squad II). Siegfried Lowitz, a familiar face from the Edgar Wallace films, became the "new Kommissar". Erwin Köster was given assistants: Gerd Heymann, played by Michael Ande (Fußballtrainer Wulff, Treasure Island), and Martin Brenner (Jan Hendriks, another Edgar Wallace regular) (4). Henning Schlüter was Köster's chief, Kriminalrat Franz Millinger. Der Alte premiered on Easter 1977 with a 94-minute pilot titled Die Dienstreise, written by Oliver Storz (Raumpatrouille Orion) & Jochen Wedegärtner (Graf Yoster gibt sich die Ehre) and directed by Johannes Schaaf. 
 
Der Alte schlägt zweimal zu, an episode written and helmed by French novelist/filmmaker José Giovanni, stirred controversy for the methods used by the detectives in the story. Karl Heinz Willschrei, one of the scriptwriters of the series, co-created Ein Fall für zwei (1981-2013) for ZDF. At the end of 1984, Siegfried Lowitz expressed his desire to leave Der Alte with the 100th episode (aired in January 1986) and return to theatre. Helmut Ringelmann gave the role of the new boss of Mordkomission II, Hauptkommissar Leo Kress, to Rolf Schimpf. Ringelmann noticed the actor in Der Sheriff von Lisenbach (1984) and first hired him in Mensch Bachmann, a family series he produced the same year. Schimpf was no stranger to the crime genre because he played Waldi Zeldmann in  SOKO 5113 since 1978.

Gerd Heymann remained but Martin Brenner got transferred. The Polizeiarzt  ("police doctor") played by Ulf J. Sohmisch since 1983 stayed a few years more but never got a proper name. Leo Kress came from Augsburg with his own assistant, Henry Johnson. This black detective (a first in the history of German TV) was based on a real-life black investigator from the Munich police named Raimund Eichner and he was portrayed by Charles M. Huber (credited Charly Muhamed Huber). A new theme intro, composed by Eberhard Schoener, replaced the theme by Peter Thomas. Sold in more than 100 countries, Der  Alte arrived in France in 1987 as Le Renard. The French dubbing of the Erwin Köster era being unaivalable, Elephant Films releases Der Alte on DVD in France from its 10th season. The "Le Renard - Intégrale Saison 10" 6-disc DVD boxset contains the following episodes:

- Zwei Leben. The great 100th episode was written by Adolf Schröder & Günter Gräwert, who helmed it. Köster and Heymann investigate the disappearance of a woman from Gerd's circle of friends. Katja Flint, Friedrich von Thun (Die Verbrechen des Professor Capellari), Sven Eric Bechtolf and a pre-fame Christoph Waltz are amongst the guest stars. In German with subtitles.
 
- Sein erster Fall (69 minutes). A brilliant first case for Leo Kress written by Leopold Ahlsen, Volker Vogeler and Günter Gräwert under the pseudonym of Tobias Bertram. Gräwert directed the episode. A man arrested by Erwin Köster years ago is released from prison. With Klaus Löwitsch (Welt am Draht, Peter Strohm), Amadeus August and Evelyn Opela (who married Helmut Ringelmann in 1986). Last episode with Martin Brenner. Volker Vogeler wrote 181 episodes of Der Alte. In German with subtitles.

- Das Attentat. An excellent episode written by Volker Vogeler and directed by Zbyněk Brynych. The return of an old acquaintance from Kress's Augsburg days is part of a machiavellian plan. Wilfried Klaus (Behrend) was a regular of SOKO 5113/SOKO München from 1978 to 2009. First appearance of Bettina Redlich as Leo's daughter Sabine. With Herbert Stass and Peter Kuiper. In French or in German (without subtitles).
 
- Der Mord auf Zimmer 49. A man (Manfred Zapatka) who spent several years behind bars is suspected of the murder of a hotel chambermaid. Written by Bruno Hampel (Polizeifunk ruft, Kommissar Freytag) and helmed by Günter Gräwert. Third appearance of Gert Burkhard this season, in different roles. In French or in German (without subtitles).
 
- Der Trugschluß. Written by Volker Vogeler and directed by Theodor Grädler. Kress and his colleagues investigate in a market hall. With Jutta Speidel, Hans Georg Panczak and a young Hannes Jaenicke. In French or in German (without subtitles).
 
- Terzett in Gold. Written by Bruno Hampel and helmed by Wolfgang Becker. With Jochen Horst and Rainer Hunold before Balko and Ein Fall für zwei. Rosel Zech (Veronika Voss, Lola) plays Helma Köhler. The lady in the train is played by Eva Maria Bauer (Die Schwarzwaldklinik). In French or in German (without subtitles).

- Gigolo ist tot. A splendid work by Volker Vogeler. Two burglars find a dead body and Kress faces a devious adversary. Günter Lamprecht plays a Columbo-esque (and racist) villain. First appearance of Marküs Böttcher as Werner Riedmann, a role he played for 29 years. With Bettina Redlich (Sabine), Claude-Oliver Rudolph, Anja Jaenicke, etc. Directed by Dietrich Haugk. In French or in German (without subtitles). 
 
- Killer gesucht.  A chemist (Udo Vioff) has the bad idea to hire Henry to kill his wife (Christiane Hörbiger). Meanwhile, the new girlfriend of the wife's younger lover is shot dead in the street. Penned by Volker Vogeler and helmed by Alfred Weidenmann. In French or in German (without subtitles). 

- Tödliche Freundschaft. A bank robbery is a strange way to reconnect with an old school friend. Written and directed by Günter Gräwert. Based on an idea by Adolf Schröder, this episode is carried by the performances of Peter Sattmann (Hans) and Walter Renneisen (Ingmar). In French or in German (without subtitles). 

- Falsch verbunden. A young woman takes a phone call from someone who tells her he's about to commit suicide. Penned by Bruno Hampel, this episode feels like a Derrick (like Hampel's Der Mord auf Zimmer 49). Amadeus August guest starred in 7 episodes of Der Alte vs 9 for Sven Eric Bechtolf. Directed by Wolfgang Becker. In French or in German (without subtitles). 

- Floßfahrt ins Jenseits. A classic written by Bruno Hampel and helmed by Dietrich Haugk, who has an uncredited cameo. Irene Möller (Eva Kryll) tries to run the taxi company of her lazy and drinking husband Bartholomäus (Rainer Basedow). With Uwe Friedrichsen. In French or in German (without subtitles). 

- Tadverdacht. The reconstitution of an armed robbery goes wrong. Second appearance of Manfred Zapatka in Der Alte. With Lisa Kreuzer (Der amerikanische Freund), Eva Maria Bauer, etc. Written by Volker Vogeler and directed by Günter Gräwert. In French or in German (without subtitles). 

In 1998, Leo Kress and his men appeared in the final episode of Derrick. Kress retired at the end of the 322nd episode (2007) but Rolf Schimpf returned as the ex-detective in Episode 340. He was succeeded by Walter Kreye as Hauptkommissar Rolf Herzog (2008-2012) and Jan-Gregor Kremp (Hauptkommissar Richard Voss, 2012-2022). Michael Ande decided to leave the series in 2016 after 39 years as Gerd Heymann. Charles M. Huber left in 1997 and was replaced by Pierre Sanoussi-Bliss as Axel Richter until 2015. Huber changed career for politics and humanitarian work. Bonus material of the "Le Renard - Intégrale Saison 10" boxset is comprised of a photo gallery and the trailers of some other titles of Elephant Films, like Derrick, Hunter (with Fred Dryer), Frank Riva (with Alain Delon), Ein Fall für zwei and Commissaire Valence. Next year Thomas Heinze will be the new Hauptkommissar of Der Alte.

(1) Friday crime drama.
(2) Unlike Der Kommissar, Derrick was filmed in colour and produced by Helmut Ringelmann's other company Telenova for ZDF, ORF and SRG.
(4) The team was later completed by Meyer Zwo (Wolgang Zerlett, 1979-1987) and Löwinger (Jan Meyer, 1985-1986).
 
 
See also: 
 
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Monday, 6 June 2022

DERRICK - SEASONS 1 & 2 ON DVD (ELEPHANT FILMS)

[Favourite of the Month] Derrick, the German crime drama starring Horst Tappert and Fritz Wepper, ran for 281 episodes from 1974 to 1998 on ZDF and aired in over 100 countries. The seasons 1 & 2 (15 one-hour episodes) will be available in France on DVD (1) tomorrow in the "Inspecteur Derrick - Intégrales saisons 1 & 2" boxset released by Elephant Films.
 
Derrick was devised by producer Helmut Ringelmann and scriptwriter Herbert Reinecker as an alternative to Der Kommissar, their crime drama launched in 1969 on ZDF. Set in Munich, Der Kommissar starred Erik Ode as Kommissar Herbert Keller (an investigator inspired by Maigret). Ode previously guest starred as three different detectives in the ZDF anthology Das Kriminalmuseum, produced by Ringelmann between 1963 and 1970. Der Kommissar remained in black & white until the end in 1976 and the 97 one-hour episodes were all penned by Reinecker. In April 1977, Der Alte, Helmut Ringelmann's successor to Der Kommissar, premiered on the channel (2). The prolific Reinecker worked on the Edgar Wallace, Jerry Cotton and Winnetou film series. Interested by the psychological and social backgrounds of crime (3), he wrote each of the 281 episodes of Derrick. The main character, Oberinspektor Stephan Derrick of the Mordkommission, made actor Horst Tappert recognizable all over the world.
 
Horst Tappert's first notable role was the criminal mastermind of the miniseries The Great Train Robbery (Die Gentlemen bitten zur Kasse, 1966). The same year he appeared in Tip not included (Die Rechnung - eiskalt serviert), a Jerry Cotton. Tappert played a bad guy named Douglas Fairbanks in the Edgar Wallace movie The Hound of Blackwood Castle (Der Hund von Blackwood Castle, 1967) before switching sides as Inspector Perkins in Gorilla Gang (Der Gorilla von Soho, 1968) and The Man with the glass eye (Der Mann mit dem Glasauge, 1969), the next two. In 1972 he reprised his role from Die Gentlemen bitten zur Kasse in Hoopers letzte Jagd. Helmut Ringelmann offered him the title role in Derrick, a production of his new company Telenova (for ZDF, ORF and SRG) filmed in colour. Horst Tappert initially described the Oberinspektor as "devoured by the melancholy and cynicism of Humphrey Bogart" (4). An element of Der Kommissar was kept when the Kriminalhauptmeister Harry Klein, one of Herbert Keller's men, left his boss to become Inspektor and work for Derrick.
 
Munich-born actor Fritz Wepper bid farewell to Der Kommissar in an episode where Harry introduced his replacement... his brother Erwin Klein (Fritz Wepper's brother Elmar Wepper). Before Derrick, Wepper shared scenes with Tappert in Der Man mit dem Glassauge and got noticed in Cabaret (1972). He stayed popular long after Derrick, with TV series like Zweï Brüder (1994-2000, with Elmar Wepper), Um Himmels Willen (2002-2021) and Mord in bester Geselshaft (2007-2017). Imbued with Herbert Reinecker's vision of life and his experiences, the majority of the episodes of Derrick are built on a simple pattern. A sordid crime is committed amongst the small bourgeoisie or high society of Munich (or nearby) and Derrick investigates with Klein. Stephan Derrick acts in most episodes as a sort of misanthropic observer, uncompromising but with a solid sense of justice. In seasons 1 and 2, viewers immediately knew the culprit, like in Columbo, though this was dropped in favour of whodunnits. Occasional action sequences are another distinctive feature of these early episodes.
 
The filming of Derrick began in summer 1973 and ZDF presented the series with 3 episodes aired during autumn and winter 1974. The channel continued with 12 more in 1975. Mittenachtbus, the very first episode, was shown in fourth position and Waldweg, the actual fourth, as the series premiere. None of the 15 episodes were broadcast in their production order. The first couple of seasons of Derrick are in the DVD boxset from Elephant Films in French or German (without subtitles). Season 1 starts with the aforementioned Waldweg, one of the best episodes, directed by Dietrich Haugk. A female student from a hotel school is found murdered in the woods. The killing scene isn't graphic but it's quite impressive. The guest cast of Waldweg includes Wolfgang Kieling, Herbert Böttticher, Walter Sedlmayr — who later starred in Ringelmann's Polizeiinspektion 1 (1977-1988) — and Friedrich Georg Beckhaus (Raumpatrouille Orion). In Johanna, a man murders his wife to live with his young mistress. Derrick and Klein meet the woman's twin sister. The great Lilli Palmer is amazing in a double role, alongside the excellent Helmut Lohner (Babeck).
 
Stiftungsfest guest stars Siegfried Lowitz, a familiar face from the Edgar Wallace movies and the future Kriminalhauptkommissar Erwin Köster in Der Alte (from 1977 to 1986). Season 2 opens with the brilliant Mittenachtbus, directed by Theodor Grädler.  A young man kills his pregnant girlfriend and his father diverts suspicion on the disabled son of an alcoholic. Werner Kreindl (Oskar) is best known for Soko 5113, in which he starred from 1978 to 1992. Also with Hartmut Becker, Lambert Hamel, etc. Peter Kuiper is incredible as Hugo Hase in Tod am Bahngleis. Greiser is played by Günter Strack, Dr. Renz in Ein Fall für zwei from 1981 to 1988. First episode with Günther Stoll as Kriminalbeamter Schröder. The plan of an arrogant student (Thomas Fritsch) to get easy money has dramatic consequences in Nur aufregugen für Rohm. The fans of Der Alte will recognize Michael Ande as his friend. Madeira is a classic, thanks to the legendary Curt Jurgens as a "ladykiller" and La mer by Charles Trénet. Susanne Uhlen plays his niece.
 
In Zeichen der Gewalt, the late Raimund Harmstorf (Der Seewolf, Michel Strogoff) is a runaway killer chased by Derrick. Erotic icon Sybil Danning plays his wife. With Gaby Dohm (Black Forest Clinic/Die Schwarzwaldklinik) and Jan Hendriks (5). This episode has the flavour of a U.S. thriller or a French polar of the era. First appearance of Willy Schäfer as Kriminalbeamter Berger. Paddenberg is a man (Peter Pasetti) who faces his victim's wife (Anaid Iplicjan). Klaus Löwitsch (Welt am Draht, Peter Strohm) is Hoffmann in Hoffmanns Höllenfahrt. Because of the ZDF broadcast order, Willy Schäfer appears as a witness. In Pfandhaus, the third episode filmed, a pawnshop owner wants to kill the lover (Austrian actor Klaus Maria Brandauer) of his young employee and shoots the wrong man. Ein Koffer aus Salzburg looks like an episode of Tatort, the ARD crime drama collection launched in 1970 and still on the air. In fact, Bezirksinspector Wirz (Kurt Jaggberg) from Tatort appears in this story. With Ralph Schermuly and Jacques Breuer. First episode with Gerhard Borman as Kriminalbeamter Echterding.
 
Edgar Wallace director Alfred Vohrer helmed Kamillas junger Freund, guest starring Siegfried Wischnewski and Hans-Georg Panczak. Gaby is played by Ilse Pagé, Miss Finley in the Wallace movies. Season 2 concludes with Der Tag nach dem Mord and Alarm auf Revier 12. In the latter, Gerd Haucke plays a sinister burglar. Walter Sedlmayr returns in a different role. The song heard in this episode is Theo, wir fahr'n nach Lodz, performed by Vicky Leandros. Derrick's girlfriend psychologist Renate Konrad (Johanna von Koczian) and his boss, Kriminalrat Harder (Hermann Lenschau) can be seen in this second season. The other directors of seasons 1 & 2 are Leopold Lindberg, Helmut Kaütner, Alfred Weidenmann, Wolfgang Becker, Franz Peter Wirth, Helmuth Ashley and Zbyněk Brynych. The theme of Derrick was composed by English musician Les Humphries, who did the music for the first episode produced. The illustrious Peter Thomas composed the music of Waldweg. Martin Böttcher (Winnetou) scored Ein Koffer aus Salzburg. Hans-Martin Majewski composed 4 of the 15 episodes.
 
Derrick arrived in France as Inspecteur Derrick in 1986 on Silvio Berlusconi's La Cinq and suffered the comparison to a raft of American imports. Since there's a gaullic die-hard cliché about the so-called "slowness" of the series. By its nature Derrick explores wide narrative areas from stories in the line of Der Kommissar to "chabrolian" portraits of the bourgeoisie, with detours to Dostoevski, Nietszche or Kafka. This psychological (and often philosophical) study in 281 chapters about the weakness of the human soul lasted 25 seasons. Herbert Reinecker and Helmut Ringelmann maintained the series' quality all these years, helped by Horst Tappert and Fritz Wepper, a quasi-repertory company of guest actors and a group of competent directors. Horst Tappert made his exit from Derrick with class in Das Abschiedsgeschenk, the 1998 finale. His last scene, on the superb song Hey, Mr Gentleman by Helen Schneider, is a moving moment of television (6). Siska, the successor of Derrick conceived by the same writer and producer, lasted 10 years from 1998 to 2008.
 
Bonus material of the Derrick DVD boxset is comprised of a photo gallery and the trailers of some of the titles from Elephant Films, such as Mike Hammer, Matt Helm (with Tony Franciosa) or The Law and Harry McGraw. Elephant will release a DVD boxset of the first season of Ein Fall für zwei at the end of the month and a boxset of the 10th season from Der Alte in July.

(1) All Zone.
(2) Der Alte still exists today.
(5) Jan Hendriks played the Kriminalkommissar Martin Brenner in Der Alte from 1977 to 1986.
(6) The actors of Der Alte and Helmut Ringelmann himself had cameos in this episode. 
  
 
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