The Black Abbot (1963 film)

1963 film

The Black Abbot

Film poster

Directed by| Franz Josef Gottlieb
Screenplay by|

* Johannes Kai
* Franz Josef Gottlieb[1]

Based on| The Black Abbot
by Edgar Wallace
Produced by|

* Horst Wendlandt

Preben Philipsen[1]

Starring| Joachim Fuchsberger[1]
Cinematography|

* Richard Angst
* Rudolf Sandtner[1]

Edited by| Hermann Haller[1]
Music by| Martin Böttcher[1]

Production
company

Rialto Film Preben Philipsen GmbH & Co. KG[1]

Distributed by| Constantin Film

Release date

* 5 July 1963 (1963-07-05)

Running time

| 88 minutes[1]
Country| West Germany[1]

The Black Abbot (‹See Tfd›German: Der Schwarze Abt) is a 1963 West German mystery film directed by Franz Josef Gottlieb and starring Joachim Fuchsberger.[2] Adapted from the 1926 novel of the same name, it was part of a very successful series of German films based on the writings of Edgar Wallace.

## Plot

[edit]

The ruins of Fossoway Abbey are supposed to conceal the legendary treasure of the Chelford family, sought by Harry Chelford, last of his line, with fanatical zeal. Due to a hereditary disease, he is liable to fall victim to insanity at any time. His fiancée, Leslie Gine, is more attracted to Dick Alford, Harry's cousin and steward at Chelford Manor. Meanwhile, her brother Arthur, a London lawyer is being blackmailed by his chief clerk Gilder, who wants Leslie for himself. Gilder has purchased some bills of exchange on which Arthur forged the signature of Lord Chelford to pay for his own gambling debts. There is also the 'Black Abbot', a mysterious figure who is seen moving about in the old ruin and supposedly guards the treasure. Inspector Puddler of Scotland Yard and his assistant Horatio are called in when a man is found stabbed to death and they try to solve the mystery. Among the suspects is the butler Fortuna who Puddler recognizes as a former inmate of Dartmoor prison. Mary Wenner, who used to be secretary of Lord Chelford (and an aspirant to become his wife), joins forces with Gilder to find the treasure. They manage to discover some scroll cases containing maps of the abbey but are driven off by the Black Abbot. They later return to find the maps gone. Wenner is shot and killed by Arthur Gine, who himself is later killed in a confrontation with Gilder. Leslie Gine calls off the wedding with Lord Chelford. Lord Chelford, plagued by his deteriorating sanity, completely loses his grip on reality when he encounters his mother (whom he believes to be dead) in the grounds of the manor. Lord Chelford shoots his mother and the Black Abbot, takes Leslie as a hostage and hides with her in the tunnels beneath the abbey after also killing Gilder. It turns out there have been two Black Abbots: one was the butler working as an agent for Gilder, the other was Alford, working with the family doctor Loxon to care for the insane Lady Chelford whom they had kept hidden from her son. There is a shoot-out with the police and Lord Chelford is killed by a cave-in. Among the stones falling on the last Lord Chelford are some chests that contain the treasure.[1][3][4]

## Differences from the novel

[edit]

The film follows the novel quite closely over long stretches. However, in the novel Harry and Dick are brothers. Lord Chelford is looking for the elixir of youth that is supposedly part of the treasure, not for the gold. Mary Wenner proposes to marry Arthur Gine as part of a deal to get at the treasure—which in the novel is said to include 15 tons of gold. The novel does not start with a murder like the film. Sergeant Puttler (=Inspector Puddler) initially comes to the castle as a favour to Alford, he is on vacation and wants to spend it doing some light investigative work concerning the strange goings-on around the estate. There is no police assistant in the novel, or comic relief of the kind provided by Arent's character in the film. In fact, the first character to be killed is Thomas, who dies in his Black Abbot costume, just like in the film. Lord Chelford is found to have disappeared from his room, signs of a fight remain behind. Arthur Gine goes abroad after tricking Gilder into signing a large cheque. Later, Leslie Gine is kidnapped. Gilder finds out that Alford is the Black Abbot—he later confesses to it, saying that he used the costume to scare his insane and at times violent brother into staying inside the estate. The end is relatively close to the film with a pursuit through the tunnels and Lord Chelford's death. However, in the novel there is not just a happy ending for Leslie Gine and Dick Alford, but also for Wenner and Gilder who get engaged. Doctor Loxon and Lady Chelford do not appear in the novel at all—she has actually died years before.[5]

## Cast

[edit]

* Joachim Fuchsberger as Dick Alford
* Grit Boettcher as Leslie Gine
* Dieter Borsche as Lord Harry Chelford
* Charles Régnier as Detective Puddler (as Charles Regnier)
* Eva Ingeborg Scholz as Mary Wenner
* Werner Peters as Fabian Gilder
* Alice Treff as Lady Chelford
* Harry Wüstenhagen as Arthur Gine
* Friedrich Schoenfelder as Dr. Loxon
* Eddi Arent as Horatio W. Smith
* Klaus Kinski as Thomas Fortuna

## Production

[edit]

Schloss Herdringen, used as Chelford Manor in the film

Der Schwarze Abt was the 13th in a series of films based on works by Edgar Wallace made in the late 1950s and 1960s by producer Horst Wendlandt for Rialto Film.[4] The script to the film was adapted by Johannes Kai and Franz Josef Gottlieb from the Edgar Wallace novel The Black Abbot (1926).[1] An earlier film version had been made in Britain in 1934. This was the fourth script Kai (a pen name for Hanns Wiedmann) had written for a Wallace film and the plot remained relatively close to the original novel.[4] F.J. Gottlieb had just directed The Curse of the Yellow Snake produced by competitor Artur Brauner and had previously worked on Wallace scripts for Constantin Film.[4] He reworked the script, trying to improve the odds of receiving a favourable age rating from the FSK.[4]

It was one of the earliest films of the series emphasizing the "gothic" elements that came to be a hallmark of the series but were not to be found in Edgar Wallace's original material.[3] Principal cinematography took place from 17 April to 28 May 1963. Interiors and some exteriors were shot at the Spandau Studios in West Berlin. Schloss Herdringen near Arnsberg was used as Chelford Manor.[1] The film was shot in 'Ultra-Scope', a form of CinemaScope. It features opening credits in colour but is otherwise in black-and-white.

The FSK gave the film a rating of 12 and up and found it not appropriate for screenings on public holidays. This was changed from the first rating of 16 and up after some scenes were edited (the killing of Wüstenhagen, Borsche dragging around the unconscious Böttcher and final twitches by Borsche after being buried by masonry).[4]

## Release

[edit]

The Black Abbot was distributed theatrically in Germany on July 5, 1963, by Constantin Film.[1]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "Der schwarze Abt". Filmportal.de. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
2. ^ Sandra Brennan (2011). "New York Times: The Black Abbot". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Archived from the original on 20 May 2011. Retrieved 19 October 2008.
3. ^ a b Pauer, Florian (1982). Die Egar Wallace-Filme (German). Goldmann. pp. 190–195. ISBN 3-442-10216-2.
4. ^ a b c d e f Kramp, Joachim (2001). Hallo—Hier spricht Edgar Wallace! (German). Schwarzkopf & Schwarzkopf. pp. 104–109. ISBN 3-89602-368-3.
5. ^ Wallace, Edgar (1959). Der Schwarze Abt (German). Wilhelm Goldmann Verlag, München.

## External links

[edit]

* The Black Abbot at IMDb

* v
* t
* e

Edgar Wallace

Novels|

* The Four Just Men (1905)
* Angel Esquire (1908)
* The Council of Justice (1908)
* Captain Tatham (1909)
* The Duke in the Suburbs (1909)
* The Nine Bears (1910)
* Private Selby (1912)
* The Fourth Plague (1913)
* Grey Timothy (1913)
* The River of Stars (1913)
* The Man Who Bought London (1915)
* The Melody of Death (1915)
* A Debt Discharged (1916)
* The Tomb of Ts'in (1916)
* The Just Men of Cordova (1917)
* The Secret House (1917)
* The Clue of the Twisted Candle (1918)
* Down Under Donovan (1918)
* The Man Who Knew (1918)
* Those Folk of Bulboro (1918)
* The Green Rust (1919)
* Kate Plus Ten (1919)
* The Daffodil Mystery (1920)
* Jack O'Judgment (1920)
* The Book of All Power (1921)
* The Law of the Four Just Men (1921)
* The Angel of Terror (1922)
* The Crimson Circle (1922)
* The Flying Fifty-Five (1922)
* Mr. Justice Maxell (1922)
* The Valley of Ghosts (1922)
* The Clue of the New Pin (1923)
* The Green Archer (1923)
* The Missing Million (1923)
* The Dark Eyes of London (1924)
* Double Dan (1924)
* The Face in the Night (1924)
* Room 13 (1924)
* The Sinister Man (1924)
* The Three Oak Mystery (1924)
* Blue Hand (1925)
* The Fellowship of the Frog (1925)
* The Mind of Mr. J. G. Reeder (1925)
* The Strange Countess (1925)
* The Three Just Men (1925)
* The Avenger (1926)
* Barbara on Her Own (1926)
* The Black Abbot (1926)
* The Northing Tramp (1926)
* The Terrible People (1926)
* The Yellow Snake (1926)
* The Big Foot (1927)
* Terror Keep (1927)
* The Traitor's Gate (1927)
* The Squeaker (1927)
* The Forger (1927)
* Again the Three (1928)
* The Gunner (1928)
* Four Square Jane (1929)
* The Green Ribbon (1929)
* The India-Rubber Men (1929)
* The Calendar (1930)
* The Clue of the Silver Key (1930)
* The Lady of Ascot (1930)
* The Man at the Carlton (1931)
* The Guv'nor and Other Short Stories (1932)

Plays|

* An African Millionaire (1904)
* M'Lady (1921)
* Double Dan (1927)
* The Terror (1927)
* The Man Who Changed His Name (1928)
* The Calendar (1929)
* Persons Unknown (1929)
* On the Spot (1930)
* The Mouthpiece (1930)
* Smoky Cell (1930)
* The Old Man (1931)

Screenplays|

* The Valley of Ghosts (1928)
* The Hound of the Baskervilles (1932)
* King Kong (1933)

Adaptations|

| J. G. Reeder|

* Mr. Reeder in Room 13 (1938)
* The Mind of Mr. Reeder (1939)
* The Missing People (1940)
* The Mind of Mr. J.G. Reeder (1969, TV series)

|

The Four Just Men|

* The Four Just Men (1921)
* The Four Just Men (1939)
* The Four Just Men (1959, TV series)

Edgar Wallace Mysteries|

* Urge to Kill (1960)
* Clue of the Twisted Candle (1960)
* The Malpas Mystery (1960)
* Marriage of Convenience (1960)
* The Clue of the New Pin (1961)
* Man at the Carlton Tower (1961)
* The Fourth Square (1961)
* Man Detained (1961)
* Attempt to Kill (1961)
* Clue of the Silver Key (1961)
* Never Back Losers (1961)
* Partners in Crime (1961)
* The Sinister Man (1961)
* Time to Remember (1962)
* Playback (1962)
* Solo for Sparrow (1962)
* Locker Sixty-Nine (1962)
* Incident at Midnight (1963)
* Return to Sender (1963)
* Ricochet (1963)
* Accidental Death (1963)
* Five to One (1963)
* The Verdict (1964)
* We Shall See (1964)
* Act of Murder (1964)
* Change Partners (1965)

Rialto Films|

* Der Frosch mit der Maske (1959)
* The Crimson Circle (1960)
* The Avenger (1960)
* The Terrible People (1960)
* The Green Archer (1961)
* The Dead Eyes of London (1961)
* The Devil's Daffodil (1961)
* The Forger of London (1961)
* The Strange Countess (1961)
* The Puzzle of the Red Orchid (1962)
* The Door with Seven Locks (1962)
* The Inn on the River (1962)
* The Curse of the Yellow Snake (1963)
* The Squeaker (1963)
* The Black Abbot (1963)
* The Indian Scarf (1963)
* Room 13 (1964)
* The Curse of the Hidden Vault (1964)
* Der Hexer (1964)
* The Traitor's Gate (1964)
* Neues vom Hexer (1965)
* The Sinister Monk (1965)
* The Hunchback of Soho (1966)
* The Trygon Factor (1966)
* Creature with the Blue Hand (1967)
* The Monk with the Whip (1967)
* The Hound of Blackwood Castle (1968)
* Im Banne des Unheimlichen (1968)
* The Gorilla of Soho (1968)
* Double Face (1969)
* The Man with the Glass Eye (1969)
* The Body in the Thames (1971)

Other|

* The Man Who Bought London (1916)
* The Green Terror (1919)
* Pallard the Punter (1919)
* Angel Esquire (1919)
* Wanted at Headquarters (1920)
* The River of Stars (1921)
* The Crimson Circle (1922)
* Down Under Donovan (1922)
* Melody of Death (1922)
* The Diamond Man (1924)
* The Flying Fifty-Five (1924)
* The Green Archer (1925 serial)
* The Great Unknown (1927)
* The Terror (1928)
* Mark of the Frog (1928 serial)
* Chick (1928)
* The Forger (1928)
* The Terrible People (1928 serial)
* The Ringer (1928)
* The Man Who Changed His Name (1928)
* The Flying Squad (1929)
* The Crimson Circle (1929)
* The Clue of the New Pin (1929)
* Red Aces (1930)
* The Squeaker (1930)
* The Yellow Mask (1930)
* The Ringer (1931)
* To Oblige a Lady (1931)
* The Calendar (1931)
* The Old Man (1931)
* The Squeaker (1931)
* The Flying Squad (1932)
* The Frightened Lady (1932)
* The Ringer (1932)
* The Menace (1932)
* White Face (1932)
* Giallo (1933)
* The Jewel (1933)
* Before Dawn (1933)
* The Double (1934)
* Mystery Liner (1934)
* The Green Pack (1934)
* The Feathered Serpent (1934)
* The Lad (1935)
* Sanders of the River (1935)
* Born to Gamble (1935)
* Chick (1936)
* Educated Evans (1936)
* The Crimson Circle (1936)
* Prison Breaker (1936)
* Strangers on Honeymoon (1936)
* The Frog (1937)
* The Squeaker (1937)
* The Gaunt Stranger (1938)
* Dangerous to Know (1938)
* Kate Plus Ten (1938)
* Thank Evans (1938)
* The Terror (1938)
* The Return of the Frog (1938)
* Flying Fifty-Five (1939)
* The Dark Eyes of London (1939)
* The Case of the Frightened Lady (1940)
* The Door with Seven Locks (1940)
* The Flying Squad (1940)
* The Green Archer (1940 serial)
* The Missing Million (1942)
* The Calendar (1948)
* The Ringer (1952)
* The Avenger (1960)
* Death Drums Along the River (1963)
* Coast of Skeletons (1964)
* Circus of Fear (1966)
* Five Golden Dragons (1967)
* The Devil Came from Akasava (1970)
* The Bloodstained Butterfly (1971)
* What Have You Done to Solange? (1972)
* Seven Blood-Stained Orchids (1972)

Television|

* Educated Evans (1957–58)
* The Mixer (1992)

Family|

* Mary Jane Richards (mother)
* Marriott Edgar (half-brother)
* Bryan Edgar Wallace (son)

* v
* t
* e

Films directed by Franz Josef Gottlieb

* My Niece Doesn't Do That (1960)
* Season in Salzburg (1961)
* The Forester's Daughter (1962)
* The Black Abbot (1963)
* The Secret of the Black Widow (1963)
* The Curse of the Yellow Snake (1963)
* The Curse of the Hidden Vault (1964)
* The Seventh Victim (1964)
* The Phantom of Soho (1964)
* A Holiday with Piroschka (1965)
* Spy Today, Die Tomorrow (1967)
* When the Mad Aunts Arrive (1970)
* When You're With Me (1970)
* Rudi, Behave! (1971)
* The Mad Aunts Strike Out (1971)
* Aunt Trude from Buxtehude (1971)
* Trouble with Trixie (1972)
* Crazy – Completely Mad (1973)
* No Sin on the Alpine Pastures (1974)
* The Secret Carrier (1975)
* Lady Dracula (1977)
* Popcorn and Ice Cream (1978)
* She's 19 and Ready (1979)
* Death Stone (1987)

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