THE RACE TRACK MURDERS, is also known as THE 7TH VICTIM. Either way you slice it, both titles make sense. In this pretty good film, part of the TERROR IN THE FOG: THIE WALLACE KRIMI AT CCC collection, plenty of time is spent around horses in training days before a big race. As well, several people related to the corrupting of the race's outcome are suitably dispatched.
The producers of this krimi (German for "crime" film) once again looked to son Bryan Edgar Wallace's idea bank and this time came up with another winner.
Wallace senior was a big fan of "the sport of kings". Playing the ponies is no doubt how he lost a substantial amount of his wealth over the years. Nonetheless, he would have approved of this story.
THE RACE TRACK MURDERS opens with something you rarely see in a film: following numerous shots of a horse tearing up the turf over the opening credits, the featured horse (named Satan, of course) gallops too close to a tree where two "bad guys" just happen to be waiting for him. One of the bad guys produces a very large snake (!) and throws it in the path of the oncoming horse.
Makes you wonder how far and how accurately you could throw a snake in similar circumstances, doesn't it? Satan rears back at the intrusion of the snake and the jockey falls to the ground, dead, the first of the seven victims of the alternate title.
OK, stop right there. Logic check, please.
Bad guys know the exact route the horse will be taking: check.
Bad guys have been waiting for a considerable period of time: check.
Bad guy number one keeps a very large snake in the front of the coat he is wearing: check.
Bad guy number one takes snake out without any of the onlookers noticing: check.
Bad guy times throwing the snake so that it lands precisely in the path of the oncoming horse: check.
Horse rears at the sight of the snake and the jockey falls off and immediately dies: check.
No one seems overly concerned about the jockey-is the horse all right?
What a great opening! Logic be damned: this is grand and theatrical, with a real sense of style. There are "drawing rooms" scenes a-plenty to add to the "Englishness" with nary a likeable character in sight. Eccentric behaviour abounds as various snobs reveal their selfish motives.
Some quirky characters (such as the overweight dietician) provide welcome humour, which makes the lack of a sympathetic protagonist more acceptable. How interesting to see Germans portraying Englanders so unsympathetically, with no identifiable hero in the mix.
The entire film is thoughtfully considered, with moody lighting, great compositions and excellent pacing. The inevitable, climactic fight scenes are humorous. Nobody runs out of bullets or stops to reload, for example.
Then there is the fight scene between two shadows-in slow motion! I'm sure the middle-aged participants who performed the minimal movement required, appreciated it!
THE RACE TRACK MURDERS is very stylish, with some excellent transitions between scenes.
Oh, and you'll love the titular seventh victim!
