Original Title: Eine Tür geht auf. (Komplice X.) Crime thriller 1933; 69 min.; Director: Alfred Zeisler; Cast: Hermann Speelmans, Fritz Odemar, Oskar Sima, Erika Fiedler, Lily Rodien, Hans Deppe, Peter Erkelenz, Walter Steinbeck; Ufa-Zeisler-Klangfilm.
A bank is robbed after being deceived by one of its assistant directors, with the cashier becoming the prime suspect. Later, the police focus on three criminals, one of whom is killed by his employer.
Summary
When Hans Braumüller, the long-suffering detective inspector, comes home tired in the evening after a dangerous and grueling day on duty, slips into his comfortable felt slippers, and has his mother read to him from the newspaper, he is perfectly content and completely relaxes in his well-deserved rest. But for a detective inspector, things go just like they do for a doctor: the phone rings at the most inconvenient moment, and a “patient” calls. Braumüller’s “patients” are the hardened criminals, mostly old acquaintances of his, who can’t easily fool the experienced and affable detective.
This time, it’s a terse report: “Bank break-in at Bergmann & Fichtner.” With a sigh, the inspector pulls on his boots again and hurries to the scene of the crime. The bank building is already cordoned off. Director Fichtner, one of the owners, has arrived in haste, and along with him and the officers from the emergency response unit, Braumüller enters the bank’s premises. The criminals have done a thorough job. Two men lie gagged and bound in the hallway—the guard and Director Bergmann, the other owner. They free the two men, listen to their account, and learn that Bergmann had been cleverly lured to the bank and then ambushed. The steel vault is open but undamaged—another trick by the robbers. The only clue left behind is an old, half-smoked Virginia cigarette butt! Braumüller picks it up. Virginia! That’s smoked in Austria, in Vienna.
Braumüller’s memory rapidly combs through all his “heavy hitters” and settles on one name. Could it be that this gang is involved? The infamous four-leaf clover: Franzl, with his beautiful singing voice, “My mother is Viennese…” [“Mei Muatter is a Weanerin . . .”], Jule, the Herculean man from Cologne, Acki, the daring Berliner who loves cracking nuts and safes—and the soul of the whole operation—the handsome Jonny? But how does the bank’s cashier, Kurt Ritter, suddenly show up at this odd hour? His claim that he had to finish some work sounds highly dubious. Arrest him!
During interrogation, Ritter swears he is innocent, and initially, there’s nothing to prove otherwise, but he remains a suspect. Braumüller knows that Ritter had been involved with Vera Bessel, who, through veiled hints, implicates her former lover after he left her. On the other hand, Ritter doesn’t strike a bad impression on the experienced inspector, who has a sharp eye for judging character and knows his criminals well.
The newspapers blow up the bank robbery into a sensational headline: 300,000 marks have fallen into the hands of the robbers! — “300,000 marks?” read Acki, Jule, and Franzl. What? That’s not right. Only 30,000 marks were divvied up, so that rascal Jonny must have stashed away 270,000 marks on the side. Such behavior is a betrayal of the agreement, uncomradely, and downright mean. Off to Jonny! He’s currently with Vera and isn’t at all pleased when the three show up at his door. But these are no men to mess with—Jonny knows that all too well—and he’s forced to lay his cards on the table.
The entire break-in was a set-up. The unseen orchestrator promises to bring the remaining share personally at 9 PM to Vera’s apartment, where the conspirators are waiting. Braumüller, increasingly doubting Ritter’s guilt, continues to pursue the Virginia clue. But the four crooks appear as innocent as lambs—until Jule, caught up in the heat of a gambling game, lets something slip while talking to the inspector. Now Braumüller is on the right track. Once again, Vera tries to incriminate her former lover Ritter, whom the police had released since there was no concrete evidence against him.
It indeed looks as though Ritter is about to flee, but in reality, Anni, the photographer—a sweet and honest girl—has taken him under her protection. Braumüller finds him with her, and this confirms his suspicion that Ritter was not the thief.
It’s just before 9 PM! In tense anticipation, the four crooks sit waiting for the mysterious man who is supposed to bring the money. A car pulls up. A man rushes up the stairs. Jonny goes to meet him. A door swings open. A gunshot rings out. Jonny collapses. Soon Braumüller arrives. The three burglars are arrested. But who is the mysterious mastermind, the brains behind the entire gang?
When Braumüller reaches the scene, his suspicion falls on Vera Bessel, whom he manages to apprehend shortly afterward. The inspector stands before the person who devised the diabolical plan and mercilessly shot her accomplice. A life-and-death struggle ensues. Gunshots echo. Vera rushes forward, but Braumüller triumphs. The inspector, satisfied after a job well done, can finally slip into his slippers again, and for Kurt Ritter and Anni, a door opens—one that leads to the registrar’s office.
-n.-’s review in Film Kurier No. 5 (January 5, 1933)
A safe door swings open—a gang of burglars, using a clever trick, pulls off a heist that, as is typical in crime films, ends with a descent into the clink. Meanwhile, the wrongly accused man gains the clever commissioner as a witness to clear his name.
Walter Forster and Franz Roswalt, two new writers, crafted the script for Alfred Zeisler, a director known for his thrilling crime films. Ufa’s decision to hire these two authors (with Roswalt making his debut with Contest [Kampf, 1932, directed by Erich Schönfelder]) once again reflects the studio’s effort to bring in fresh talent. They also sought out new faces for the cast: Erika Fiedler, a charming blonde, and Lily Rodien as the dark-haired vamp, while Hans Joachim Büttner, known from the stage, takes on the role of the kind, good-natured young man.
The two writers are familiar with the Wallace technique, which involves casting suspicion on the least likely suspect. True fans of Wallace’s work will therefore focus on the most harmless character. However, before things go too far, Zeisler steps in to support his writers—wherever they might fall short in creating criminal tension, he counters with his own experience. He also seizes the opportunity to add fresh elements to the crime film genre. His commissioner, played by Speelmann with lively freshness, is not the typical crime novel detective with a superior attitude; instead, he solves the case step by step.
This is where Zeisler’s meticulous work truly shines (with the support of cameramen Brandes and Bohne, set designer Hunte, sound engineer Ruhe, and music composed by Hans Otto Bergmann). His direction highlights subtle details, bringing out the atmosphere in small, individual moments, through the way he guides the actors and ensures each character stands out. Zeisler has a talent for capturing the humor of the criminal world—he never portrays anyone as a one-dimensional villain and always seeks out small, human touches. Under his direction, the gang of hardened criminals comes to life with great amusement: Oskar Sima, who is especially remarkable, along with his accomplices Fritz Odemar, Peter Erkelenz, and Hans Deppe. Zeisler also directs the two new actresses with a skilled hand.
Hermann Speelmann stands out once again with his infectious joy in acting. He portrays a rugged detective with a fondness for cozy domesticity, who can still throw a punch when needed.
Alongside him are Walter Steinbeck, who exudes jovial elegance, and other notable performers such as Curt Lukas, Therese Rauländ, and Hedwig Schlichter.
The audience eagerly follows the story of the mysterious unknown, whose identity will not be spoiled here. The film received enthusiastic applause.
