The Squeaker (1963 film)
The Squeaker, known in German as Der Zinker, is a 1963 West German-French crime film directed by Alfred Vohrer and based on Edgar Wallace’s 1927 novel. It stars Heinz Drache and was part of a successful series of Wallace adaptations produced by Horst Wendlandt for Rialto Film, with French co-production from Les Films Jaques Willemetz.
The story follows Inspector Elford of Scotland Yard as he hunts the mysterious Squeaker, a crafty fence who buys criminals’ goods for a pittance and then informs the police when something is stolen. Those who oppose him are killed, often with the poison of the Black Mamba. Suspects include Mr. Sutton, a zoological store owner who also sells snakes; Mrs. Mulford, an older woman who helps ex-convicts; and her niece Beryl, a crime writer. As Elford investigates, he finds a link between Sutton’s business and the Squeaker’s notes. To coax a confession, Mrs. Mulford works with the police to trick Sutton into drinking what he believes is poisoned tea.
The film was the 12th in a popular German series of Wallace adaptations. It was co-produced with French company Les Films Jaques Willemetz, and Harald G. Petersson wrote the script, adapting the 1927 novel. To keep production strong in black and white, it was shot in Ultra-Scope and included location work in wintry London and exterior scenes in West Berlin, with interiors filmed at Spandau Studios—the first of 15 films in the series to use that studio. Filming took place January 22–February 28, 1963, and the film opens with a gunshot sequence and a colored bloodstain on the screen accompanied by an Edgar Wallace voiceover. The Squeaker was rated 16 and up by the German FSK and released on 26 April 1963, with a running time of 89 minutes. The language is German.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 11:58 (CET).