Emil and the Detectives

Trailer—Emil and the Detectives

source: Emil and the Detectives

In the past there were two type of Disney movies, or so it seemed. There were the absolute classics - movies that have not dated at all and still retain and deserve their status as legends. Mary Poppins, which was released the same year as this, is an example. So to are animated movies such as Snow White, Bambi and The Jungle Book. Secondly, there were the movies that were just plain ordinary. Fun, but ordinary. Emil and the Detectives is an example of the latter group. I came across this movie unexpectedly recently and remembered watching it many, many years ago, possibly on the Disneyland or World of Disney TV program. Remembering that I enjoyed this movie when I was a child, I gathered the kids around and decided to watch. Sadly, unlike other Disney movies, Emil and Co has not aged well. Also, it's not nearly as much fun as I remember, not even close. Still, a lot of years have passed since I first saw this movie and I am no longer the target audience. That takes us more or less to the critical summary I have for this movie:- There is not much here for adults unless, like me, you want to indulge in some nostalgia (a desire that will be satiated after about 20 minutes); similarly teens won't get much out of this unless they want to watch it for the sheer curiosity value; kids under 11 however, will probably enjoy it, and they're the target audience away so no more needs said.

"Emil and the Detectives" is the type of kids adventure stories that Walt Disney Studios made several of in the 1950s and 1960s. They were always fun and somewhat interesting, though no one ever thought any real harm would come to the heroes. Still they could keep kids on the edge of their seats at times. This is a fun family film that youngsters especially should enjoy. Although older kids who are addicted to video games and non-stop action films will have to learn how to sit still to enjoy it. The only actor of any note in this film is Walter Slezak, an Austrian-born character actor who played in dramas, thrillers and comedies. He will be most familiar for his roles in films about WW II when he usually played German officers or high-ranking officials. Bryan Russell was a fine young actor, playing Emil in this film. But he made only one movie after this, and after a TV series in the mid-1960s, he quit acting. An interesting aside in this film was its shooting locations in Germany. This was 1964, and it shows some of the rubble yet from World War II. I can attest to that fact, having served in the U.S. Army in Germany from 1962 to October of 1964. I was stationed near Mainz, Germany, and that city still had partial blocks in rubble that had not yet been cleaned up and rebuilt. While Walt Disney began his film-making dynasty with Mickey Mouse and animated films, Disney moved into real-life film later. He developed a mixed genre that incorporated some animation within live action film. A classic example of that was "Mary Poppins."

This is the third movie version of Eric Kastner's oft-filmed story I've seen in the last few years. Once again, Emil, in the form of Bryan Russell, is on his way to spend the summer with his grandmother and cousin in the big city of Berlin; again, the Man In The Bowler Hat steals the money he is carrying for grandma; again, he encounters local kids, who organize and eventually bring justice. In this Disney version, a major subplot is added (or perhaps restored; I've never read Herr Kastner's story). The Man With The Bowler Hat is involved in a bank robbery ringled by Walter Slezak. There's a nice amount of the effectiveness of gangs of children versus gangs of adults (including the stodgy and thoughtless police), with the points going to the kids; adults refuse to take them seriously at their peril. The movie is shot in a bright and clean world that emphasizes the benign nature of reality for children, while the bank robbers toil in the grim underworld, trying to tunnel to the bank. the score by Heinz Schreiter is full of woodwinds which constantly informs the audience of the harmless silliness of this particular cinematic universe -- a mistake, I think, but what's a composer to do? In the end, this is another pleasant version of the story, adding little to it of moment, but giving it a contemporary, 1960s air. I think the best version I've seen remains the original version, released in German in 1931, in no small part because the world in that movie is not so sunny, but the children ignore that in favor of their own constructed world.

First saw this in a movie theater when I was 11 years old and just saw it again this week on Turner Classic Movies. It made a big impression on me when I was a kid and I'm pleased the experience stood up. Understand that this is completely a kids movie. The characters are very broad and actually quite cartoonish (though the same could be said for Quentin Tarantino movies). Gender stereotypes are consistent with the period. The plot is wildly implausible, like many children's books, but who cares? So what did I like about it so much? All the main actors had charisma to spare and the minor actors were quirky and more than a little unusual. Bryan Russell and Walter Slezak are particular favorites. Though I hardly understood World War II as a child I now appreciate seeing Berlin less than 20 years after that war ended. And the attitudes towards Germany at this time. The photography is vividly colorful and flattering to Berlin. The bouncy score is happy-making and infectious. Mostly, I loved the sense of ebullient, delirious adventure and camaraderie among the detectives. Really echoes my idea of the limitless adventure of childhood at its best. Bravo!

One of the most dreadful adaptations of a book I've seen in a long time. Disney took the delightful and touching 1929 novel by Erich Kästner and turned it into something utterly ridiculous. In the first half-minute I knew something was going to be off when they revealed straight away who the robber was for certain, thus destroying any sense of mystery and tension the book had. Moreover they made the Grundeis character so grossly unbelievable as a person, it was hardly watchable. And the detectives...all the charm and comradery of the group of boys who help Emil in the book was lost in this film. In the film, they were basically hired for a tenner.

A respectable and watchable film. I do feel 'Emil and the Detectives' could've been bigger and better, there's a load of good ingredients there. With that said, it is still a film that has its pluses. One is how it looks, with cool shots of 1960s Berlin. Another is the humour which is pretty solid. The cast is where it gets underwhelming, not in terms of the actors but just in regards to the characters and their respective developments. Heinz Schubert, Walter Slezak and Peter Ehrlich are suitable choices to portray Grundeis, The Baron and Müller. However, they never really get out of second gear. I personally wanted more from the trio. Then you have the child actors, for which there are many - probably too many as none of them, aside from Emil (Bryan Russell) and Gustav (Roger Mobley), get much development or even serious screen time. As for the premise, it's entertaining. Like with what I've already noted, it's all just a bit safe and mild. It definitely could've been greater. I still had a fun enough time with this, though.

In West Germany, Ten-year old Emil Tischbein (Bryan Russell) travels by bus to Berlin, carrying an envelope containing 400 marks that his mother has sent him to deliver to his grandmother. While on the bus, Emil is hypnotized by a shady man (Heinz Schubert) who pickpockets then envelope. Emil wakes up in time to spot the thief and follows him through the streets of Berlin unable to get any assistance from the police who write off his claims as flights of fantasy. A local boy named Gustav (Roger Mobley) offers his services as a Private Detective, and obtaining a clue from the thief, the two rendezvous with other detectives at their headquarters (a flat belonging to one of the boy detectives). As the Detectives track down the thief, they find themselves stumbling on a much larger caper in the works. Emil and the Detectives is the fourth Official adaptation of the children's book of the same name by Erich Kastner. First published in 1929, the book became Kastner's first major success with its English translation in 1931 being released to equal success. The book's first Weimer Republic adaptation in 1931 is known mainly for being one of the earlier works by Billy Wilder before Wilder moved to the United States for his successful Hollywood crossover. The Book was officially adapted twice more (once in Britain and again in West Germany) with two unofficial adaptations in Japan and Brazil. Emil and the Detectives marks Disney's second time adapting one of Kastner's works with the 1961 adaptation of Lottie and Lisa resulting in the critical and commercial hit The Parent Trap. Disney probably sought to replicate the success by adapting one of Kastner's other works the decision to go with a widely known work (at the time) like Emil and the Detectives. Unfortunately, the 1964 adaptation of Emil and the Detectives is a decidedly lesser effort for Disney. The plot is pretty standard children's fare with country boy Emil being entrusted with delivering money for his grandmother only for the money to be stolen by a crook and Emil must enlist the help of citywise boys to help reclaim his stolen money and bring the thief to justice. At it's core it's a straightforward moral of not trusting strangers (especially since in the original novel Emil falls asleep because of a drugged chocolate given to him by the thief) but it's not unworkable for a film to have some charm and heart. Unfortunately the 1964 version of Emil and the Detectives is overly slow in its pacing and broad in its humor. The movie makes the thief in this adaptation very "mime-ish" for lack of a better word with a very broad borderline pantomime approach that along with a directorial style and musical delivery that's overly self-aware with tired usages of whistle stairs, kettle drum stings for bumping into things, and a general feeling of pandering to the audience in overselling every gag. Admittedly it's not unbearable as I've seen stuff like Million Dollar Duck that went past the point of tolerance into levels of obnoxiousness, but when compared to something like That Darn Cat or The Moon-Spinners that had similar types of plots but actually respected their audience Emil and the Detectives just comes off as rather lacking. Even Roger Mobley's take on Gustav with his Detectives feels like Mobley's been directed to ape Bobby Driscoll's take on Peter Pan with a lot of similarities in tone and deliver to how Peter Pan and the Lost Boys interacted. Emil and the Detectives is broad and silly, but without engaging central performances or tight pacing it becomes a rather tiresome viewing. Maybe young children might enjoy it, but that's assuming they don't get bored by the slow pacing.

Enjoy a step back in time to West Berlin, Germany, during the early 1960s when Germany was divided and skrinks were invading. Real scenery, real buildings, real vehicles -- it's not an imagining in a fantasy land, it's what actually did exist at one time and some of it still does today. (Note the tall hexagon-shaped building and old church in the background when Gustav and Emil meet; it's the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church located at Lietzenburgerstrasse 39, 10789 Berlin) 1960s style, fashion, costumes -- each character's outfit defines them and adds to the charm of the story; whether it's an actual character in the script or a nameless passerby in the background, the styles and colors are captivating. Story narrator, opening credits, film effects, editing -- enjoyable features that add to the story and help it move along; even during the slower-moving moments of the film, I'm still intrigued by the scenery, the background, the music, the writing, or other subtle elements that could be edited away but it wouldn't necessarily make the film better, just shorter. Young detectives, innocent loyal do-gooders, solving problems together in a more adult manner than adults in modern films. Score, background music, sound effects -- I don't have to watch every second to know what's going on because the sounds and music tell the story too; while it's not a musical, the music is essential to the movie. Dry humor, no swearing, witty insightful writing with good moral lessons and silly words that should get used more, like 'skrink' and 'skrunky'. Stunts, physical work -- not high-impact but highly enjoyable. Cartoonish villains that aren't animated and don't cause serious harm to anyone as much as they try -- similar to the Apple Dumpling Gang or the bad guys in That Darn Cat; other good titles would be the Apple Streusel Gang or That Darn Skrink. Worst thing about movie: I didn't know it existed the first 41 years of my life. Thanks to TCM and their Disney Vault series for making these movies available without commercials, and with captions too!