Sign In / Sign Up

Emil and the Detectives

Emil and the Detectives
Release date: 1935-02-05
Rating: 5
Votes: 3
Genres: Comedy, Crime
Erich Kästner’s beloved novel has been adapted for film or television six times since its publication in 1929; this 1935 British version was the first in English. Believed lost for decades, it was recently rediscovered by the BFI and has now been restored. The film moves the action from Berlin to London, where Emil goes to stay with his grandmother and cousin. Thereafter, the tale of Emil’s adventures with a gang of streetwise London children faithfully follows the original plot.

Reviews

CinemaSerf

CinemaSerf

John Williams is "Emil", a young lad who is the victim of a robbery whilst travelling on a train to visit his grandmother. Suspicious of the "Man in the Bowler Hat" (George Hayes) it falls to him and group of London street urchins to recover this quite substantial amount of cash. Some British cinema-goers may recall the Children's Film Foundation films, and this comes across very much as they do. Essentially for children, this adventure gives a collection of youngsters the chance to have some fun on screen and for the Saturday morning audience to join in. The oddly placed audio effects spoil it rather, but it is still a well produced little effort with a solid cast, a little scripted humour and Williams and Clare Greet as his grannie manage to keep this moving along quite well. Not really for the grown ups, but as an example of what kept us all amused almost a century ago, it is still worth a gander

Movie Recommendation

  • Infernal Affairs III
    Infernal Affairs III
    2003-12-12
    While Yeung Kam Wing is trying to remove all connections between the mob and him, his actions are being carefully observed by Lau Kin Ming, who bears a personal grudge against him.
    More...
  • Austin Powers in Goldmember
    Austin Powers in Goldmember
    2002-07-26
    The world's most shagadelic spy continues his fight against Dr. Evil. This time, the diabolical doctor and his clone, Mini-Me, team up with a new foe—'70s kingpin Goldmember. While pursuing the team of villains to stop them from world domination, Austin gets help from his dad and an old girlfriend.
    More...
  • Another 48 Hrs.
    Another 48 Hrs.
    1990-06-08
    For the past four years, San Francisco cop Jack Cates has been after an unidentified drug kingpin who calls himself the Ice Man. Jack finds a picture that proves that the Ice Man has put a price on the head of Reggie Hammond, who is scheduled to be released from prison on the next day.
    More...
  • Object: Alimony
    Object: Alimony
    1928-12-22
    Ruth Butler, a clerk in an emporium, marries Jimmy Rutledge and thereby greatly displeases his mother, the owner of the emporium, because of Ruth's lowly origins. Renaud Graham, one of Mrs. Rutledge's friends, becomes interested in Ruth, forces his way into her apartment, and attempts to make violent love to her. Jimmy walks in on their embrace and, suspecting the worst, leaves Ruth. In the family way, Ruth finds refuge in a boardinghouse where she meets Al Bryant, an aspiring writer. Ruth tells Al her life story, and he makes it into a bestselling novel and then into a play. Jimmy sees the play and comes to his senses, winning Ruth's forgiveness.
    More...
  • Valiant
    Valiant
    2005-03-25
    Set in 1944, Valiant is a woodland pigeon who wants to become a great hero someday. When he hears they are hiring recruits for the Royal Homing Pigeon Service, he immediately sets out for London. On the way, he meets a smelly but friendly pigeon named Bugsy, who joins him, mainly to get away from clients he cheated in a game of find-the pebble, and helps him sign up for the war.
    More...
  • I Want to Live!
    I Want to Live!
    1958-11-18
    Brazen perpetual offender Barbara Graham tries to go straight but she finds herself implicated in a murder and sent to death row.
    More...
  • Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles
    Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles
    2001-04-12
    After settling in the tiny Australian town of Walkabout Creek with his significant other and his young son, Mick "Crocodile" Dundee is thrown for a loop when a prestigious Los Angeles newspaper offers his honey a job. The family migrates back to the United States, and Croc and son soon find themselves learning some lessons about American life -- many of them inadvertent
    More...
  • 2012: Ice Age
    2012: Ice Age
    2011-06-27
    A volcanic eruption in Iceland sends a glacier towards North America, causing everything in it's path to freeze. A family man struggles to escape the onslaught of the coming ice age.
    More...
  • Recep Ivedik 2
    Recep Ivedik 2
    2009-02-13
    When his grandmother takes ill, foolish brute Recep tries to satisfy her wishes by getting a job and attempting to find a suitable wife.
    More...
  • Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked
    Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked
    2011-12-14
    Playing around while aboard a cruise ship, the Chipmunks and Chipettes accidentally go overboard and end up marooned in a tropical paradise. They discover their new turf is not as deserted as it seems.
    More...
  • Matrix
    Matrix
    1998-12-31
    The film is composed of receding planes in a landscape: a back garden and the houses beyond. The wooden lattice fence, visible in the image, marks the border between enclosed and open, private and public space, and forms both a fulcrum for the work and a formal grid by which the shots are framed and organised.
    More...
  • The Good Witch's Garden
    The Good Witch's Garden
    2009-02-07
    Middleton prepares for its bicentennial, and Grey House is to be the party venue. Good witch Cassie is remodeling it as B&B. her first and only guest, Nick Chasen, claims to be a distant relative. He produces papers to prove he's the heir of the builder, colonial era captain Hamblin, while the Grey lady was his mistress and stole it. Police chief and lover Jake Russell goes all the way to motivate her to fight and disprove the claim before she's effectively disowned. Brandon is dared to pass a rascals-initiation by local brat Steve and Duke. George's gardening skills lead to romance.
    More...
  • Men
    Men
    2017-06-23
    Men will be men.
    More...
  • How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
    How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
    1966-12-18
    Bitter and hateful, the Grinch is irritated at the thought of a nearby village having a happy time celebrating Christmas. Disguised as Santa Claus, with his dog made to look like a reindeer, he decides to raid the village to steal all the Christmas things.
    More...
  • The Legend of 1900
    The Legend of 1900
    1998-10-28
    The story of a virtuoso piano player who lives his entire life aboard an ocean liner. Born and raised on the ship, 1900 learned about the outside world through interactions with passengers, never setting foot on land, even for the love of his life. Years later, the ship may be destroyed, and a former band member fears that 1900 may still be aboard, willing to go down with the ship.
    More...
  • Balto III: Wings of Change
    Balto III: Wings of Change
    2004-04-14
    Balto and the other sled dogs are feeling dejected because the mail that used to be delivered by dogsled is now being delivered by airplanes. But when a mail plane crashes in the mountains, the dogs come to the rescue.
    More...
  • Stroszek
    Stroszek
    1977-05-20
    Bruno Stroszek is released from prison and warned to stop drinking. He has few skills and fewer expectations: with a glockenspiel and an accordion, he ekes out a living as a street musician. He befriends Eva, a prostitute down on her luck and they join his neighbor, Scheitz, an elderly eccentric, when he leaves Germany to live in Wisconsin.
    More...
  • Absolut
    Absolut
    2005-04-20
    Two guys against globalization want to plant a virus in the network of a finance corporation. On the day of the attack Alex has an accident and cannot remember anything. Visions and reality are thrown together in a confusing maze. Alex tries to escape from this muddle but what he discovers turns out to be rather frightening…
    More...
  • The Forbidden City
    The Forbidden City
    2025-03-08
    In the suburbs of Rome two very different souls intersect. One is the son of a restaurant owner who disappeared with his lover. The other is a young mysterious woman who has arrived from China in search of her missing sister.
    More...
  • Rushmore
    Rushmore
    1998-12-11
    When a beautiful first-grade teacher arrives at a prep school, she soon attracts the attention of an ambitious teenager named Max, who quickly falls in love with her. Max turns to the father of two of his schoolmates for advice on how to woo the teacher. However, the situation soon gets complicated when Max's new friend becomes involved with her, setting the two pals against one another in a war for her attention.
    More...

Similar Movies