Es geschah am hellichten Tag [1958]

Country of Origin: West Germany / Switzerland / Spain
Year of Production:
Running Times: 100 mins
Length:
Format: 35mm
Colour Format: black and white
Ratio: 1.37:1
Sound: mono

CREDITS

PRODUCTION
Production Companies: CCC / Chamartín Producciones y Distribuciones / Praesens-Film
Produced by: Lazar Wechsler
Production Manager: Uors von Planta

SCRIPT
Script: Friedrich Dürrenmatt, Hans Jacoby, Ladislao Vajda
Story: Das Versprechen by Friedrich Dürrenmatt

DIRECTION
Directed by: Ladislao Vajda
Assistant Director: Max Haufler

PHOTOGRAPHY
Directors of Photography: Ernst Bolliger, Heinrich Gärtner
Gaffer: Albert Hächler

EDITING AND POST PRODUCTION
Editors: Hermann Haller, Julio Peña
Assistant Editor: Franzi Schuh

MUSIC
Music: Bruno Canfora

SOUND
Sound: Kurt Hugentobler
Sound Engineer: Alfonso Carvajal

MAKE UP AND COSTUMES
Make Up: Josef Coesfeld, Hans Hügi

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Art Director: Max Röthlisberger

LOCATIONS
Locations: Airport Zürich Kloten, Kanton Zürich, Switzerland; Kanton Graubünden, Switzerland; Kanton St Gallen, Switzerland

CAST
Heinz Rühmann [Oberleutnant Matthäi]
Gert Fröbe [Schrott]
Michel Simon [Jacquier]
Roger Livesey [Professor Manz]
María Rosa Salgado [Mrs Heller]
Albert Lieven [police commissioner]
Emil Hegetschweiler [mayor]
Hans Gaugler [Moser]
Margrit Winter [Mrs Moser]
Berta Drews [Mrs Schrott]
Annemarie Heller [child]
Anita von Ow [child]
Ursula Fehlmann [child]
Barbara Haller [child]
Sigfrit Steiner [Detective Feller]
Siegfried Lowitz [Lt Heinzi]
Heinrich Gretler [polizeikommandant]
Rene Magron
Max Werner Lenz
Ettore Cella [tankstellenbesitzer]
Traute Carlsen
Anneliese Betschart [lehrerin]
Max Haufler

SUMMARY

When several young children are murdered in a remote rural area, police officer Matthäi is sent to investigate. He opts to use another child as bait, hoping to draw the killer out into the open.

AVAILABILITY

Spain
Theatrical Distributors: Chamartín

USA
Theatrical Distributors: Continental Motion Pictures

CENSORSHIP HISTORY

Finland
Rating: K-16

Sweden
Rating: 15

West Germany
Rating: 12 (w)

AWARDS

1958
Berlin International Film Festival, West Germany
Golden Berlin Bear [Ladislao Vajda] - nominated

TIMELINE

1958
June
9: West Germany - theatrical release

September
29: Denmark - theatrical release

1959
February
12: Spain - theatrical release
27: Sweden - theatrical release

August
14: Finland - theatrical release

1960
September
29: USA - theatrical release in New York City

ALTERNATIVE TITLES

Brott på ljusa dagen - Swedish title
Ça s'est passé en plein jour - French title
El cebo - Spanish title
Det skete ved højlys dag - Danish title
It Happened in Broad Daylight - US title
Il mostro di Magendorf - Italian title
Rikos keskellä päivää - Finnish title

LINKS

REMAKES
The Cold Light of Day [1996]
Es geschah am hellichten Tag [1997]
The Pledge [2001]
La promessa [1979]

FOOTAGE INCLUDED IN
Die Tödliche Maria [1993]

KEYWORDS

book into film, children, forests, lynch mobs, police, psychopaths, serial killers, suicide

Last Updated: 6 March, 2007