Secret of the Red Orchid (1962) User Reviews

Christopher Lee, Klaus Kinski, and Sexy Marissa Mell make this mediocre Wallace-flick worthwhile

[Witchfinder-General-666 · 5/10 · 12 April 2008]

German Edgar Wallace flicks from the early 60s - a cheesy kind of cinema, but, as far as I am considered, also a very lovable one. Crime flicks and murder mysteries based on the writings of the British novelist Edgar Wallace were immensely popular in Germany of the 1960s, some of them were also very cool, others immensely corny, and almost all of them incredibly entertaining in one way or another. "Das Rätsel Der Roten Orchidee" (aka. "The Secret Of The Red Orchid") of 1962 would probably be one of the inferior Edgar Wallace films, if it wasn't for two ingenious actors. This cheesy crime mystery does not only star the incredibly sinister Klaus Kinski (as many other Wallace films), but also one of cinema's greatest Horror icons, the almighty Christopher Lee. Lee, who plays an American FBI agent, was dubbed in the English language version, but he can be heard speaking German in the original German version, and his German is amazingly good.

Several rich people are murdered in London, and the murders are somehow connected with a gang of blackmailers. Since the crimes seem like the work of Chicago mobsters, American FBI Captain Allermann (Christopher Lee) comes to London to help the investigating Scotland Yard Inspector Weston (Adrian Hoven).

The plot itself is quite lame, and full of illogical twists, but the film nevertheless promises pure entertainment. Christopher Lee is a great enrichment as always, but the best aspect of the movie is Klaus Kinski who shines in a very sinister role. Sexy Marisa Mell is once again stunningly beautiful in the female lead, and the comedic part goes to Eddi Aren't who plays role of the butler (once again). This is not one of the highlights in the popular series of Edgar Wallace-based films that were made in Germany between 1959 and the early 70s, but it is amusing light-hearted entertainment, and recommendable for Christopher Lee, Klaus Kinski and beautiful Marissa Mell.

Lee, Hoven, Kinski, and Mell in the same movie! It's a Euro-film lovers dream!

[bensonmum2 · 6/10 · 22 April 2006]

A series of wealthy individuals are being blackmailed throughout England. It's either pay up or die. Two different Chicago gangs are believed to be behind the blackmail schemes, but the police are unable to gather enough evidence to put them out of business. It's up to Scotland Yard Inspector Weston (Adrian Hoven) and the FBI's Captain Allerman (Christopher Lee) to put the bad guys behind bars.

The Secret of the Red Orchid is an interesting mix of comedy and crime. There's probably more comedy in this Krimi than I've seen in my limited experience with these movies and, fortunately, some of it works. Eddi Arnett's "Butler of Death" is a character that could have been really annoying in lesser hands. The rest of the cast is just as capable. In addition to Lee and Hoven, the film also features genre legend Klaus Kinski as mob boss head Gunner Steve and the always delightful Marisa Mell in an early role. Lee, Hoven, Kinski, and Mell in the same movie! It's a Euro-film lovers dream!

On the downside, there are plot holes big enough to drive a truck through. Why does it take the police so long to catch the blackmailers? They know right from the start who is responsible for the killings. Another big problem with the film is the dubbing. Lee's dubbing is horrible. He sounds as flat as can be. And the dubbing of the gangsters has them sounding like a bunch of cartoon characters. The poor dubbing certainly takes away from the enjoyment of the film.

Solid entertainment

[blumdeluxe · 7/10 · 14 January 2019]

"Das Rätsel der roten Orchidee" tells the story of rich Britains who are threathened by rivaling gangs from the states. Will Scotland Yard be able to solve the mystery before more harm is done?

The film is nothing special, in many ways it reminds of the usual Edgar Wallace adaptions and similar titles. It delivers solid crime mystery and decent acting, only the role of the humorous butler tends to get very annoying after a short while. However, the film doesn't really show lengths and is entertaining plus it meanwhile delivers a lot of vintage charme.

All in all I see the movie better than many of the other reviewers but it surely isn't a masterpiece, rather a small, nice to watch film for a boring evening for those who have a heart for older titles.

THE PUZZLE OF THE RED ORCHID (Helmuth Ashley, 1962) **1/2

[Bunuel1976 · 6/10 · 1 September 2015]

This is yet another "Krimi" pairing Christopher Lee and Klaus Kinski; the hero this time around is, like them, a Jess Franco regular i.e. Adrian Hoven, and the leading lady future "Euro-Cult" starlet Marisa Mell. The film, however, is not only inferior to THE DEVIL'S DAFFODIL (1961) – which preceded this viewing – but only marginally a genre entry…as, rather, than a sadistic masked killer (the German "Krimis" were obvious precursors to the Italian "Gialli") we get rival gangs of Chicago hoodlums who improbably relocate to London to first extort and then dispatch various wealthy elders when they invariably turn to Scotland Yard for protection! Why this is done is never quite clear, especially since they never get to collect; incidentally, we start off with one mobster eliminating his opponents – but the only survivor, Kinski, soon sets up his own unit of gun-happy thugs whilst retaining an ostensibly respectable front as a tobacconist. One of the victims bequeaths his fortune to his secretary (Mell) rather than his sole ne'er-do-well relative (who has a propensity for orchids, the only link to the title – that is to say, extremely cursory – provided by the narrative!); still, he proves to be not what he seems – with his final trapping of the heroine inside a bank vault one of the very few scenes pertaining to the form's recognizable style (another highlight has a car going off the rails after a large mirror set up along the road gave the illusion to the bewildered driver of an imminent head-on collision).

Lee does not have much of substance to do as an F.B.I.(!) agent, but he at least gets to display his quick two-gun draw in a shoot-out with one of the baddies. Somewhat more prevalent, regrettably, is a comic-relief butler who happens to have served each of the murdered parties immediately prior to their untimely demise…and, ultimately, even offers his would-be expert services to both one of the perpetrators – who promptly winds up dead himself – and the Police!

More like Rotten Orchid

[evilskip · 19 November 1999]

Another film in the series based on novels by Edgar & Bryan Wallace.It seems that 2 rival Chicago gangs have come to London.They are extorting money from wealthy men.Pay up or die.

Christopher Lee plays a FBI agent sent to London to investigate the gangs.A supposedly dead gang leader is rumored to be alive and running his business.

I knew this movie was in trouble within the first 4 minutes. The great voice of Christopher Lee was horribly dubbed.The dubbing will set your teeth on edge.

The movie is dull and you can have the answers figured out within the first 30 minutes.

This gets a 2 only because Lee is in it.This orchid is wilted.

Marissa!!!

[feindlicheubernahme · 7/10 · 4 September 2023]

I'll admit straight up that it's virtually impossible for me to be objective about this film. When I saw Christopher Lee and Klaus Kinski in the prelude, I got happy. Then the opening credits rolled and I saw Marissa Mell's name. I almost creamed my... spinach! I love Marissa Mell. She's one of my absolute favourite 60s/70s Italian (okay, I know she was Austrian, but her career was in Italy) actresses.

So it may be my Mell bias which leads me to like this entry in the Edgar Wallace series a lot more than most other reviewers here, but I really did enjoy it. The story was entertaining, even if more unbelievable than usual. The reveal of certain documents and identities late on was very well done. I, for one, didn't see it coming. I do wish that the ending hadn't been so rushed, though. The shorter than usual running time didn't do us any favours.

Romances in films in general, and particularly in this series, are a bugbear of mine. They tend to be shoehorned in where they don't belong, be nauseatingly sweet or take too much time away from the main plot. Here, Mell keeps on subtly hitting on Hoven but his mind is fixed on his job. I applaud you, makers of this film, for doing something different. I would ask how you could cast Marissa Mell in the one film in the series where no one really seems that interested in the leading lady, but I've read that she and quite a few of the other actors were originally meant to do a different EW film but ended up doing "Orchid" because the other script wasn't ready in time.

Another reason why I might have liked it more than others did is that I saw the Spanish-dubbed version, so while I didn't get to hear Lee's great German again, I did hear a well-done dub, which can make a big difference in enjoyment of a film.

So it's a thumbs up from me. The film was good and I had a great time staring at the impossibly gorgeous Marisa Mell. What more could I ask?

Despite Christopher Lee and Klaus Kinski a weak Edgar Wallace adaptation

[dbborroughs · 3/10 · 24 December 2006]

Yet another film in the long running cycle of Edgar/Bryan Wallace films that flowed out of Germany in the 1960's and early 1970's. This time the story concerns a blackmailer who threatens very rich men with death if they don't pay up. The bodies of those that don't pay are dumped in front of Scotland Yard. As with many of these films its a bit confusing at first with several plot threads wandering through the story (Chicago gangsters, FBI agent, the blackmail scheme) before coming together at the end. Unfortunately this really isn't a story where its worth seeing how it all comes together. The plot is more than a bit unfocused, even by this series standards,There are too many characters and too much comedy so that the film fails to be compelling. My unhappiness with the film could be the result of the English dub which has even Christopher Lee and Klaus Kinski dubbed by other actors who's vocal performances don't even approximate how Lee or Kinski would have done it themselves. The result is that you never really buy whats going on screen. Certainly this would be perfect if you stumbled on it at 2am on late night TV, but I would be hard pressed to suggest actually renting or buying this on DVD and putting it on willingly.

The Secret of the Red Orchid (1962)

[trimbolicelia · 7/10 · 6 August 2022]

Not bad early 60's West German-made, English-dubbed Edgar Wallace Krimi crime thriller. Not as good as the more spooky mystery entries though. A bunch of Chicago crime lords take their act to London when the heat gets too hot in the colonies. I got the Severin Films Blu-Ray and it is excellent quality. I wish more of these films would be released to good quality Blu-Ray.

Secret of the Red Orchid

[Scarecrow-88 · 5/10 · 10 December 2007]

The lieutenant of a Chicago crime syndicate shot down by rival gangster boss Kerkie Minelli's(Eric Pohlmann)hoods, Gunner Steve(Klaus Kinski)sets up new roots in London and is suspected of blackmailing wealthy aristocrats threatening through the use of mailed letters written in block newspaper/magazine clippings not to report to the police or else. Minelli himself, along with his gangster clan, decide to take up residence in London themselves splitting the city in two. Scotland Yard Inspector Weston(Adrian Hoven)convinces his superiors to join forces with American(!)FBI agent Captain Allerman(Christopher Lee),a cunning investigator who understands the methods of these Chicago crime families and their history offering a brand of expertise needed to take down these hoodlums who have possibly led to the murder of several wealthy citizens already. But, are these crime families really responsible for the blackmailing and murders of those aristocrats? Or, are they merely the perfect cover for another schemer? In an important sub-plot, Lilian Ranger(Marisa Mell)watches with her buffoon butler, Parker(Eddi Aren't, the comedy relief of this crime thriller..a running gag has him labeled the "death butler" for he winds up under the employ of every single aristocrat murdered by the blackmailing killer)as her employer, Elias Tanner(Fritz Rasp)is gunned down by hoods in his own home passing themselves off as Scotland Yard guards. His bachelor nephew, Edwin(Pinkas Braun), one known for being quite the playboy and ne'er-do-well, comes home supposedly from Brazil to hopefully receive an inheritance from his uncle's will. Edwin is known as an orchid hunter/enthusiast and often drops by to see Lilian, even after he finds out that his uncle has left the entire inheritance to her. Can Edwin be trusted? Or, is he possibly secretly plotting something? He always brings a unique orchid for Lilian when he visits her.

To be honest, this crime/gangster thriller is only notable for it's cast, particularly Lee and Kinski. But, they can not save themselves from the rather dull plot or the atrocious dubbing which causes one to wince..whoever was responsible for the voice-work, which is indeed a travesty to listen to, shouldn't have been paid a dime. It's interesting seeing Mell in this before she'd go on to become an icon in Italian cinema. One thing that just drove me bonkers was the way hoods would shoot people and the camera would close in to show that the victims of bullet-fire had no wounds or even a hint of blood..the effect of Minelli's fate, for instance, is ruined because of a close-up showing not the slightest hint of bodily damage. The film itself is rather a bore, I must admit. But, seeing Lee and Kinski opposite each other, even if for just one scene, is quite a thrill. The film's main mystery is practically ruined by the title!

Potential not fulfilled

[Horst_In_Translation · 4/10 · 29 April 2016]

"Das Rätsel der roten Orchidee" (sucks this isn't in color doesn't it?) or "The Secret of the Red Orchid" is a West German black-and-white film from the early 1960s, so this one is already over 50 years old. It is a fairly early addition to the famous German-language Edgar Wallace series. Director Helmut Ashley has not worked on other films from the franchise, so I believe this is probably his biggest achievement. Writer Egon Eis is a name I have not heard before, but he has a fairly decent body of work, also including titles that may still be somewhat famous over half a century later. And the cast includes a couple decent names too, mostly Christopher Lee playing the lead detective in here. And the best thing is, he was fluent in German and we really hear his voice. Adrian Hoven and Eddi Aren't may be known too to German audiences. The biggest female character is played by the stunning, tragically short-lived Marisa Mell. And last but not least, Klaus Kinski plays a mysterious antagonist(?) as he does in some other Edgar Wallace movies. In any case, he is a scene stealer. But all these talented actors are not enough if the script and story in here is so underwhelming as it is here. What a disappointment. This film had potential for so much more. I cannot say if it's Eis' or Wallace's fault, but the plot was just never interesting and the reference in the title (not yet the antagonist as later on) feels pretty random. I have to give this one a thumbs down. Not recommended and I am glad it runs for only slightly over 80 minutes.

I can't see much reason to see this one...

[planktonrules · 2/10 · 14 November 2009]

Terrible Dubbing Alert!! This DVD of MYSTERY OF THE ORHCID is terrible, as it only has the very poorly dubbed English version. The original German dialog is not an option and this is a shame, as I would have loved to hear Christopher Lee speaking German. Plus, the dubbing was done so badly I just hated the film. Oddly, while Lee and Klaus Kinski speak English, neither does their own dubbing and voices that sound nothing like theirs are used instead. Often, the silliest voices are used--sounding very fake and stupid. However, take note--my review is ONLY for this dubbed version. The original film might be a lot better and worth seeing--especially since some dubbings actually change around the plot and even produce a very different movie from the original.

The film is a gangster flick--just the sort of thing you wouldn't expect to see with Christopher Lee--especially since he plays an American FBI man. It begins with one gang of mobsters wiping out another. Then, the mobster who was responsible is shown being deported. Soon after, various rich folks start receiving extortion letters--they either must pay or die! Oddly, in a mistranslation, they call it 'blackmail'--a slightly different crime.

Frankly, this is an incredibly dull film from start to finish--despite its extortion plot. With lousy dubbing, bad music and lousy writing, I can't see much reason to waste your time with this one.