Das Gasthaus an der Themse (The Inn on the River)

From 1959-1972 German company Rialto Film produced a whopping 38 films based on Edgar Wallace stories. When I was a kid, many of them would show during early afternoons on Sundays. I remember watching quite a few of them and as a consequence not being able to sort the stories apart in my head. I did vaguely remember a story with a killer using a harpoon to off his victims. Turns out, this is the one.

The personnel in many of the films - as well as this one - were similar, often including Joachim Fuchsberger as the good guy and on occasion the great Klaus Kinski as the bad one (or seemingly bad, on occasion). Comic relief (not that the film needed it) came from the wonderful Eddi Arent.

Of course, the stories are repetitive and the acting is not top of the line but the films offer are always quite enjoyable. Das Gasthaus an der Theme is actually one of the better in the series.

And the murderer turns out to be the one you least expect.

Ah, childhood memories!

7/10