Sure this entertaining little flick never wrote movie history and won't ever do. On a camp and exploitation level however it scores very fine. Forget about the story, it's the bearded 'dangerous secret formula' stuff, spiced with plenty of 'mysterious' cases of murder and a row of usual suspects and red herrings. Like all flicks of the infamous German "Edgar Wallace" circle (this one being an entry based upon a pulp novel by Louis Weinert-Wilton) it provides cheap thrills in a usually foggy London Town, featuring clichés such as the smart knows-it-all Scotland Yard inspector (sure with bowler hat, pipe & umbrella), the even smarter and more dynamic private eye or secret agent, the mysterious night club by the Thames or in a dark Piccadilly sidestreet. Right here's where you find the center of all evil proceedings, the "Chinese Carnation" inn, run by a wicked but sexy eurasian lady. She is introduced with a cheesecake shot of her high-heeled legs, lying on her divan, seductively scored with an itchy hammond organ sound. That hammond sound will accompany us and provide relentless cheesiness throughout the whole movie. But don't get it wrong: this is tacky fun and highly entertaining, mainly due to the unique pairing of the three great icons of Euro exploitation cinema of the 1960s: Brad Harris, Klaus Kinski and Horst Frank. Recommended - if only for fans.
4 Reviews
Frantic search for a microfilm containing a revolutionary new oil formula.
larryanderson25 June 2017
The F.B.I send agent 00X2 (Brad Harris) to secure the secret formula. During filming Brad met his real-life wife Olly Schoberova (Olinka Berova). Brad Harris did all of his own stunts during the exciting car chase at the end. A very early Euro-spy movie that tries to mix international intrigue with a lot of punch-ups and car chases. Most of the action takes place in the bar called The Chinese Carnation. Definitely worth seeing by action fans and Brad Harris followers alike. Larry Anderson, Canada
Weinert-Wilton Horror Thrillers, Fourth Attempt with Olga SCHOBEROVA and Brad HARRIS
ZeddaZogenau20 October 2023
Fourth entry in the Weinert-Wilton horror thrillers with Brad Harris and Olga Schoberova
This German-French-Italian crime film (1964) was shot by producer Wolf C. Hartwig's Rapid-Film in the Barrandov Studios in Prague by Rudolf Zehetgruber (born 1926). The Constantin distributor brought it to West German cinemas from October 9th, 1964. The black-and-white film is part of the series based on motifs by the crime writer Louis Weinert-Wilton (1875-1945), which was intended to compete with the even more successful Edgar Wallace horror thrillers.
What's it about? Professor Bexter (Corrado Anicelli) and his smart assistant Dr. Cecil Wilken (Dietmar Schönherr) have developed a formula for generating energy and hidden it on microfilm. Of course, all of the city's criminals are also after this sensation: the wealthy Reginald Sheridan (Paul Dahlke) and the mysterious Mary Lou (Dominique Boschero) with her accomplice Speranzo (Klaus Kinski). With so much criminal energy, the professor is afraid for his beautiful niece Susan (Olga Schoberova), whom he has the well-trained private detective Donald Ramsey (Brad Harris) guarding. When the professor is finally murdered and Susan is kidnapped, Lieutenant Legget (Horst Frank) and Inspector Traves (Pierre Richard) arrive on the scene. The turbulent hunt for the promising microfilm can begin...
Director Rudolf Zehetgruber, who was supposed to make two more films from the KOMMISSAR X series and the Dudu films, enriches the crime thriller elements with all sorts of spy film inserts. He has a true dream cast at his disposal. It's not every day that you see Horst Frank (unfortunately dubbed, but with a great variant of defusing the bomb) and Klaus Kinski together in a film. Peplum star Brad Harris (1933-2017) and Czech sex bomb Olga Schoberova (born 1943) met and fell in love while filming in Prague. Many more films together ("Die schwarzen Adler von Santa Fe / The Black Eagles of Santa Fe" and "Le calde notti di Poppea / Poppäa - The Empress of the Gladiators"), an unfortunately failed marriage and a daughter named Sabrina were to follow. In their first scene together on screen, you can see how the extremely strong Brad Harris simply puts the unreasonable, rebellious Olga Schoberova, whom he caught provocatively skinny dipping, over his knee. The amorous game between the two lovebirds playing practical jokes can begin. Dietmar Schönherr (1926-2014), who was also seen alongside Brad Harris in "Weiße Fracht für Hong Kong / White Freight for Hong Kong", convinces in a rather obscure role.
All in all, a very entertaining crime thriller that doesn't need to shy away from comparison with the generally better-known Edgar Wallace crime novels.
This German-French-Italian crime film (1964) was shot by producer Wolf C. Hartwig's Rapid-Film in the Barrandov Studios in Prague by Rudolf Zehetgruber (born 1926). The Constantin distributor brought it to West German cinemas from October 9th, 1964. The black-and-white film is part of the series based on motifs by the crime writer Louis Weinert-Wilton (1875-1945), which was intended to compete with the even more successful Edgar Wallace horror thrillers.
What's it about? Professor Bexter (Corrado Anicelli) and his smart assistant Dr. Cecil Wilken (Dietmar Schönherr) have developed a formula for generating energy and hidden it on microfilm. Of course, all of the city's criminals are also after this sensation: the wealthy Reginald Sheridan (Paul Dahlke) and the mysterious Mary Lou (Dominique Boschero) with her accomplice Speranzo (Klaus Kinski). With so much criminal energy, the professor is afraid for his beautiful niece Susan (Olga Schoberova), whom he has the well-trained private detective Donald Ramsey (Brad Harris) guarding. When the professor is finally murdered and Susan is kidnapped, Lieutenant Legget (Horst Frank) and Inspector Traves (Pierre Richard) arrive on the scene. The turbulent hunt for the promising microfilm can begin...
Director Rudolf Zehetgruber, who was supposed to make two more films from the KOMMISSAR X series and the Dudu films, enriches the crime thriller elements with all sorts of spy film inserts. He has a true dream cast at his disposal. It's not every day that you see Horst Frank (unfortunately dubbed, but with a great variant of defusing the bomb) and Klaus Kinski together in a film. Peplum star Brad Harris (1933-2017) and Czech sex bomb Olga Schoberova (born 1943) met and fell in love while filming in Prague. Many more films together ("Die schwarzen Adler von Santa Fe / The Black Eagles of Santa Fe" and "Le calde notti di Poppea / Poppäa - The Empress of the Gladiators"), an unfortunately failed marriage and a daughter named Sabrina were to follow. In their first scene together on screen, you can see how the extremely strong Brad Harris simply puts the unreasonable, rebellious Olga Schoberova, whom he caught provocatively skinny dipping, over his knee. The amorous game between the two lovebirds playing practical jokes can begin. Dietmar Schönherr (1926-2014), who was also seen alongside Brad Harris in "Weiße Fracht für Hong Kong / White Freight for Hong Kong", convinces in a rather obscure role.
All in all, a very entertaining crime thriller that doesn't need to shy away from comparison with the generally better-known Edgar Wallace crime novels.
Dismal
feindlicheubernahme8 September 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Fourth and final installment in the Louis Weinert-Wilton film series.
Karin Dor's been kidnapped by an evil best boy grip who leads a secret organisation of platinum-smuggling tobacconists and Joachim Fuchsberger's gone to her rescue, so they're both absent. We're instead left with Brad Harris and Olga Schoberova (the two would get married in 1967 and divorce two years later.) It's not a good sign when your leads are an American who couldn't make it in Hollywood and a starlet no one's ever heard of outside of the ex-Czechoslovakia. At least Klaus Kinski's in it, playing a silent bad guy, just for a change.
The Secret of the Chinese Carnation is all about various groups' attempts to get their hands on a microfilm containing a revolutionary energy formula. It's far more a Eurospy production than an Edgar Wallace-style krimi.
And it's bad.
The one-sentence summary description I've given above pretty much covers the entire plot. Harris is a charisma-free tree trunk who looks like he was educated at a 'special' school. If Schoberova has any acting talent, she's far too modest to show it. The author of the few murders at the beginning is exactly who we thought it was. The big set piece is a bar room brawl which is, quite frankly, embarrassing. The stopping of a bomb's countdown clock with the aid of chewing gum is ridiculous. And the climax, with people jumping from car to car in front of a background projection, avoids all risk of being in any way competently done or exciting.
Honestly, the only interesting thing about The Secret of The Chinese Carnation is IMDB's trivia section's quotes from Kinski's autobiography about his fun times during filming. I'll say no more, but check it out. It'll give you a chuckle.
Karin Dor's been kidnapped by an evil best boy grip who leads a secret organisation of platinum-smuggling tobacconists and Joachim Fuchsberger's gone to her rescue, so they're both absent. We're instead left with Brad Harris and Olga Schoberova (the two would get married in 1967 and divorce two years later.) It's not a good sign when your leads are an American who couldn't make it in Hollywood and a starlet no one's ever heard of outside of the ex-Czechoslovakia. At least Klaus Kinski's in it, playing a silent bad guy, just for a change.
The Secret of the Chinese Carnation is all about various groups' attempts to get their hands on a microfilm containing a revolutionary energy formula. It's far more a Eurospy production than an Edgar Wallace-style krimi.
And it's bad.
The one-sentence summary description I've given above pretty much covers the entire plot. Harris is a charisma-free tree trunk who looks like he was educated at a 'special' school. If Schoberova has any acting talent, she's far too modest to show it. The author of the few murders at the beginning is exactly who we thought it was. The big set piece is a bar room brawl which is, quite frankly, embarrassing. The stopping of a bomb's countdown clock with the aid of chewing gum is ridiculous. And the climax, with people jumping from car to car in front of a background projection, avoids all risk of being in any way competently done or exciting.
Honestly, the only interesting thing about The Secret of The Chinese Carnation is IMDB's trivia section's quotes from Kinski's autobiography about his fun times during filming. I'll say no more, but check it out. It'll give you a chuckle.
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