(1961) Black Gravel/ Schwarzer Kies
(In German with English subtitles)
CRIME DRAMA
Co-written and directed by Helmut Käutner that has gravel dump truck driver, Robert Neidhardt taking advantage of a situation slipping out and stealing some gravel after a dog had been killed. But before he throws the lifeless dog to be buried by the gravel itself, he would then steal it's collar while the crowd are paying attention to the fight between one of the workers and the soldiers. And while driving along the empty gravel road, he would then notice a major, John Gaines (Hans Cossy) and his wife stranded in the middle of the road and he decides to stop. And it was not until he stepped into the major's car Robert sees someone he recognizes, and she happened to be an old flame, Inge Gaines (Ingmar Zeisberg). And for the price of 10 dollars during Robert was towing the major's car back to the base of Sohnen, the rope breaks out, and they both agree Inge would ride with Robert back into town and call for a toll truck/ mechanic. And during their conversation, she then informs him she is looking for her dog to which it just happens to be the same one that was killed at the opening. Except that he has plans to use the dog's collar as a ruse to meeting her again as they had a history together before she met her current husband as he has a girlfriend, Elli (Anita Höfer) he does not care too much about. Robert is also friends with Sgt Bill Rodgers (Peter Nestler) and his girlfriend Anni Peel (Edeltraut Elsner) are going to cross paths again under unfortunate circumstances with a guy named Eric Moeller (Heinrich Trimbur). And another guy, Otto Krahne (Wolfgang Büttner) who was a part of his racket but has decided to move to Canada.
While watching this reminded me of another movie called "Night and the City" starring Richard Widmark when the center person, Robert gets himself into trouble and digs himself into a bigger hole.
For a movie such as this I think I prefer the much more ambiguous ending that was intended than the one the director had intended if according to Eddie Mueller is correct. The gravel itself could have been symbolic and metaphor since viewers are not clear where a particular two people had been buried other than the dog.
