Ruth LEUWERIK and Peter van EYCK in an Austrian Thriller

Austrian horror crime thriller with Ruth Leuwerik and Peter van Eyck

Three years after their joint appearance in the Renate Müller biopic "Liebling der Götter / Liebling of the Gods" (1960), this dream couple of German cinema could be seen together again in a film. The career of the West German super star Ruth Leuwerik had suffered a few blows in the meantime (her appearance as "Die Rote" at the Berlinale 1962 was mercilessly destroyed), so this time it should be a crime thriller riding on the Edgar Wallace wave of success. And the film, shot in Vienna and in the Rosenhügel studios there, turned out to be very interesting. The script comes from the Derrick (famous German crime series from 1974 to 1998) legend Herbert Reinecker, the director was Alfred Vohrer, who not only Quentin Tarantino considers to be "a genius".

Ruth Leuwerik (1924-2016) plays Dr. Maria Rohn, a public defender. Efficient in his job and happily married to the architect Günther Rohn (Peter van Eyck, 1913-1969), who promoted the expansion of Vienna's satellite cities. One day, the clever Rohn gets the case of a truck driver who is involved in a strange accident that looks like a mysterious man was deliberately run over. At first she doesn't believe her client's assurances at all, but gradually the public defender uncovers a plot in which her own husband also appears to be involved.

Charles Regnier (1914-2001), who was most recently married to the wonderful Sonja Ziemann, and Sieghardt Rupp (1931-2015) and Hannelore Elsner (1942-2019) shine in other roles in this unusual film as an unscrupulous married couple.

The superficial crime plot skilfully plays with the dark shadows of the recent past. This is exciting and dramatically staged in this black and white film. Ruth Leuwerik impresses as usual as a modern and independent woman, but here she finds herself in a hopeless situation. Sieghardt Rupp also plays great, who perfectly embodies the demonic depths of his character despite, or perhaps because of, his good looks. This paved the way for casting in international productions such as "Among Vultures" and "For a Fistful of Dollars". For the great Hannelore Elsner, this film was one of the first appearances in her long and successful career. Her performance as "Die Unberührbare / The Untouchable" (2000), with which she also caused a sensation at the Cannes Film Festival, will never be forgotten.

Unfortunately, this film was not particularly successful at the box office. Ruth Leuwerik's great film career ended during this time. The audience was now more into Edgar Wallace-typical horror thrillers with bizarre murders and funny nonsense to relax in between.

If you want to admire Ruth Leuwerik in another crime thriller role, the Derrick episode "Ein Hinterhalt / An Ambush" (1978) is highly recommended.

German cinema is famous for its historical depth, expressionist aesthetics, and social-political engagement. It has moved from Expressionism to political reckoning, from New German Cinema's raw realism to contemporary genre experiments. Its legacy lies in both technical innovation and deep explorations of history, morality, and philosophy.

The crime genre features criminal activities, investigations, law enforcement, crimes, and the pursuit of justice. Crime stories often revolve around the planning, execution, and consequences of criminal acts, as well as the efforts to solve and prevent such acts. They explore various aspects of criminal behavior, motives, and the moral dilemmas faced by both perpetrators and those seeking to uphold the law.

James Gandolfini, Edie Falco, Sharon Angela, Max Casella, Dan Grimaldi, Joe Perrino, Donna Pescow, Jamie Lynn Sigler, Tony Sirico, and Michael Drayer in The Sopranos (1999)

The drama genre is a broad category that features stories portraying human experiences, emotions, conflicts, and relationships in a realistic and emotionally impactful way. Dramas delve into the complexities of human life, often exploring themes of love, loss, morality, societal issues, personal growth, with the aim to evoke an emotional response from the audience by presenting relatable and thought-provoking stories.

Mahershala Ali and Alex R. Hibbert in Moonlight (2016)

Ruth Leuwerik and Peter van Eyck in An Alibi for Death (1963)

The Biggest Movies and TV Coming in September

See which big screen releases you can watch from the comfort of your couch.

Theatrical Releases Coming to Streaming

Get a closer look at these actors from their many TV and streaming series roles.

Streaming Stars, Then and Now

Hannelore Elsner in An Alibi for Death (1963)

Ruth Leuwerik and Charles Regnier in An Alibi for Death (1963)

Ruth Leuwerik, Sieghardt Rupp, Charles Regnier, and Peter van Eyck in An Alibi for Death (1963)

Hannelore Elsner and Sieghardt Rupp in An Alibi for Death (1963)

Hannelore Elsner, Sieghardt Rupp, and Peter van Eyck in An Alibi for Death (1963)

Ruth Leuwerik and Sieghardt Rupp in An Alibi for Death (1963)

Hannelore Elsner, Ruth Leuwerik, and Sieghardt Rupp in An Alibi for Death (1963)

An Alibi for Death

Photos14

Top Cast16

User reviews3

More like this

Related interests

Storyline

Top picks

Details

Tech specs

Contribute to this page

More to explore

Recently viewed