The beginning is memorable: a lady is rescued in a dramatic shoot-out, the words "THE END" appear - and when the camera zooms back, we realize this is a cinema, and one member of the audience has been murdered... Unfortunately, this first scene is already the best in the movie that goes on like this: an old gangster decides before his death to donate all his money to the daughter of a former victim. However, the treasure is locked behind a mysterious door, and every move of the girl is watched by other gangsters. The cast includes the usual suspects like Werner Peters (excellent!),Harald Leipnitz and the ubiquitous Kinski, but for the two very important roles of the heiress and the inspector, Judith Dornys and Harry Meyen were chosen who never appeared in a movie of the Wallace series before or after, and they are just not Dor and Fuchsberger. Meyen looks like a bank clerk rather than a law enforcer. But also for the story and more reasons, "Die Gruft mit dem Rätselschloß" by F.J.Gottlieb is not quite on the same level as the movies directed by Reinl or Vohrer for the series, simple truth.

I love these German adaptations of Edgar Wallace novels, really do, but I just wished they had been a bit more creative and out-of-the-box when it came to their casting choices. It's the 10th, or so, Krimi that I've seen, and Eddi Arent stars as the excessively talking and irritating comic relief character... again. Klaus Kinski stars as the mysterious but relentless and silent killer ... again! Other than that, though, "The Curse of the Hidden Vault" is a very decent and enjoyable thriller with a compelling plot, far-fetched but imaginative twists and a number of ingenious gimmicks, booby-traps and killing methods. The story seems complex but is actually fairly straightforward. Now that he has reached his final years, a former gangster and dubious casino owner becomes remorseful and intends to donate his entire fortune to the daughter of a man he wronged many years ago. All his previous partners, enemies and competitors know the entire inheritance is stored in a secret, hi-tech and heavily booby-trapped vault that no one ever managed to even reach. Now the word is out that the vault will soon be opened, every gangster in London wants to use to girl to get to the fortune. Good pacing, regular action and solid performances from the ensemble cast (also including the great Werner Peters) ensure this is an above average and very entertaining Krimi.

"Die Gruft mit dem Rätselschloß" or "Curse of the Hidden Vault" is a German black-and-white film from 1964 (over 50 years old) and if I mention the names Gottlieb, Peters, Kinski and Leipnitz to you, then you maybe already know that this is another installment from the West German very prolific Edgar Wallace franchise. The title is a mix of creepy (beginning) and funny (ending) to me. The last word actually sounds like taken from a kids film. But this is, of course, not what this is about. Wallace always means a mix of horror and crime with villains and antagonists, and a very rare moment of comedy. And there is a bit of a treasure hunt in here too, a bit of an exception to the rule in terms of Wallace. I am of course biased with Wallace, but I also must say that this film here had almost nothing to offer in terms of memorable value during its 90 minutes. And once again, the script does not do justice compared to the cast. I suggest you to watch something else instead.