La taverna dello squalo

This is another in the series of German krimi's based on the works of Edgar Wallace.After sitting through several less than average of these this one rises above the water(pun intended) a bit.

There is a killer called The Shark terrorizing the Thames.He has a propensity to shoot folks with a spear gun.The Shark is also the criminal mastermind behind a gem smuggling ring that is driving Scotland Yard up the wall.Inspector Wade of the River Police is put in charge of the case.

Most of the action centers around a waterfront dive called Mekka.The owners smuggle in contraband whiskey and are tied up with the Shark somehow.Red herrings and double indentities are as usual plentiful.There is also a plot to attain one of the greatest inheritances in England.

The black & white photography adds a lot of flavor to this film. The Thames at night looks to be a place that you don't want to be. The use of night fog is pretty eerie.The sets are well done. You do feel like you're in a very seedy waterfront dive.The plot moves along well and the movie is ably directed. You have to take the acting at face value as you can never really tell with the dubbing.The same stable of actors is used from film to film which is always fun to see them in different roles.

As usual there are some drawbacks. The opening title theme is hysterically funny. It is punctuated with yells, screams and a cuckoo clock.In fact there are so many badly done songs in the first ten minutes you think you're watching a musical. As usual Eddie Arndt plays the broad comic relief which while a staple in this series never fails to irritate.

All in all a small cut above the average in this series.