THE MAD EXECUTIONERS (1963): One Of The More Notable Examples Of The German “Krimi”

The European phenomenon of the German crime film or Krimi lasted from 1959 until 1972. The vast majority of these films were inspired by the works of British mystery writer Edgar Wallace (1875-1932), and most of the rest focused on the writings of his son Bryan Edgar Wallace (1904-1971). Two production companies were involved in the making of these movies. The Italian-sounding Rialto Films made over 30 movies based on Edgar’s writings, while a rival company, CCC Films, cranked out 18 Krimis, the bulk of them based on the works of son Bryan. The CCC titles added a mild horror angle to their crime scenarios. One of CCC’s best offerings was THE HANGMAN OF LONDON (1963), released outside of Germany as THE MAD EXECUTIONERS.

HANGMAN deals with vigilante justice. Contemporary London (ca.1963) is rocked by a series of mysterious hangings. They all occur at night in out-of-the-way public places. Each victim has a long criminal record, some having committed heinous crimes, and all have managed to escape punishment through flight or legal loopholes. Adding to the mystery is the fact each is hung with Scotland Yard’s own “Black Museum” hangman’s rope which is returned afterwards, only to disappear again before each hanging. These hangings are carried out by a group of hooded Inquisition-like figures. Scotland Yard Inspector John Hillier is determined to crack the case while also tracking down a serial killer who beheads women, one of whom was his sister, and leaves their bodies in plastic bags.

The inspiration for the film is Edgar Wallace’s detective novel THE 4 JUST MEN which dates back to 1905. The cast is all German, part of an unofficial Krimi stock company, who would appear throughout the series. For HANGMAN, Hansjorg Felmy was Inspector Hillier, Maria Perschy the female lead, Dieter Borsch the principal villain, and Chris Howland the comic relief (all Krimis featured a comic relief character). The photography is suitably noirish and there are several macabre touches such as transporting the victims to the place of their death inside of a coffin, in a 19th century horse drawn hearse. Director Edwin Zbonek keeps things moving along so you must pay close attention to keep up with the dual plot lines. Avoid the English dubbed version if you can.