Der Täter ist unter uns

A badly lit street; a car driving too fast; squealing tires .... a car crashes into a construction site. When the police arrive on the scene, the driver is gone. In the vehicle, however, the cops find film with photos of the almost worthless stock of the closed-down Motapa Mining Firm. The originals of the stock are in a bank safe, to which only selected employees of the firm have access. So who made these pictures and what is his or her interest in them?

Directed by Herbert B. Fredersdorf, Der Täter ist unter uns leans on a strong ensemble — Paul Dahlke, Margot Hielscher, O.E. Hasse — 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 crime titles of 1944.