Abschiedsvorstellung

A classical who-dunnit-detective-story in an unusual setting: In the retirement-home for aging stage-artists "Ewige Rampe", an overly engaged doctor discovers what seems to be a murder by poison. The victim is the only inhabitant of the home who was not on stage, but a reporter of a gossip magazine. The two investigating police inspectors soon find out that the deceased lady blackmailed most of the inhabitants with little secrets she found out in her time as a reporter - nasty, but harmless things like a little shoplifting, alcoholism, a corrected date of birth, a success one never had... but are these little old secrets reason enough to kill someone? Or is there someone with a more important dark spot in the past? And

Directed by Peter Weck, Abschiedsvorstellung leans on a strong ensemble — Eberhard Fechner, Lola Müthel, Anne-Marie Blanc — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about screen titles of 1986.