Although not necessarily a personal favorite or an absolute must-see, "The Face of the Frog" is one of those movies I'll remain eternally grateful to, simply because they played an essential role in the founding of what eventually became my favorite exploitation/horror sub-genre. This was the first one of the German so-called "Krimis"; - a series of 30+ movies inspired by the writings of Edgar Wallace and practically always revolving around either the search for a sadist killer or relentless crime syndicates planning a massive heist. Out of these adaptations would later evolve the Italian gialli, with an even bigger emphasis on the whodunit aspect via flamboyant killers and their sickening modus operandi. Not every Krimi is great, mind you, but they are all worth seeking out. "The Face of the Frog" was the first, and paves the road with stylish elements and conceptual trademarks that would recur throughout the whole series. And, on the bright side, this film does not yet contain too many annoying comic relief aspects.
Scotland Yard is on the hunt for a criminal gang led by a relentless murderer/master thief only known as "The Frog", since he always wears a mask and not even his most loyal accomplices ever saw his face. In the end, the identity of the Frog wasn't too hard to guess for me, but that's probably because I saw hundreds of gialli, Agatha Christie whodunits and teen slashers. I know what to pay attention to, in other words, but I'm sure that certain revelations must have shocked the audiences in 1959. There are a few astounding moments, notably the brute and totally unexpected killing of a defenseless girl near the climax and two or three really clever red herrings, and the performances are very solid.
