This West German production is the second film based on the Edgar Wallace novel of the same name (the first was the 1940 Chamber of Horrors). The story -- which owes a great deal to The Cat and the Canary -- concerns the potential heirs to an eccentric's fortune, whose potential wealth (and fate) is tied to the acquisition of seven keys that will purportedly unlock a secret treasure vault. When the heirs begin turning up dead with said keys in their possession, a Scotland Yard inspector (Heinz Drache) attempts to assemble ...
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This West German production is the second film based on the Edgar Wallace novel of the same name (the first was the 1940 Chamber of Horrors). The story -- which owes a great deal to The Cat and the Canary -- concerns the potential heirs to an eccentric's fortune, whose potential wealth (and fate) is tied to the acquisition of seven keys that will purportedly unlock a secret treasure vault. When the heirs begin turning up dead with said keys in their possession, a Scotland Yard inspector (Heinz Drache) attempts to assemble the puzzle. Things are further complicated by a series of abductions involving a sadistic mad scientist and his diabolical experiments. This threadbare but lively pulp thriller benefits from effective black-&-white photography and features an early appearance by Klaus Kinski. Cavett Binion, Rovi
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