Nicholas G. Schlegel: German Popular Cinema and the Rialto Krimi Phenomenon

Just finished reading Nicholas G. Schlegel's new book German Popular Cinema and the Rialto Krimi Phenomenon, the first full length English language book dedicated to the 32 films that make up the Rialto Edgar Wallace series.

A proper review will be published elsewhere (and then also announced here) but in short: This is a quintessential book for anyone even remotely interested in those films. It's an academic publication but in no way a dry read. The only drawback is its price which will be unaffordable for most but if you can make do without a few meals to pick up the required shekels to purchase this, do. Else, see if you could at least possibly get a loan of it from a public or university library.

Kiss Kiss, Kill Kill (German Film Program)

Illustrierter Film Kurier 101

In contrast to a lot of the more common four-page programs that mainly displayed collages of images together with in-depth plot synopsis often revealing major spoilers, this 12-page program for Kommissar X - Jagd auf Unbekannt/Kiss Kiss, Kill Kill (1966) also contained a number of short articles:

• Teaser plot written from the perspective of a majorly annoyed Tom Rowland 
• How Tito supported the production in Yugoslavia by also offering the use of his private villa as well as filming in a power plant
•  Tony Kendall's film career. He first role was seemingly in 1951 (sic!) in The Whip and the Body (1963) by "Y.M. Old" (even Mario Bava's alias John M. Old was mixed up)
• An interview with Maria Perschy who bemoans the fact that she is always considered a starlet and not a genuine actress
• A stunt by Brad Harris gone wrong in front of 5000 spectators while filming in Dubrovnik