Edgar Wallace was British himself, and the vast majority of his stories take place in central London, and yet the film-adaptations of his stories primarily come from Germany. So many even, that they received a very own term in German; - the "Krimi". Wallace is as British as afternoon tea and pie with custard, is what writer Jimmy Sangster and director Freddie Francis must have thought, so let's bring him home! Although miles and miles out of their comfort zone (Sangster and Francis are best known for their horror accomplishments for the Hammer Studios) the duo delivers one of the finest Wallace adaptations I've seen thus far!
"Traitor's Gate" is a crime caper/heist thriller, with many characters and ingenious plot aspects. The rich businessman Mr. Trayne schemes a wicked plan to steal the valuable Crown Jewels from the heavily guarded Tower of London, but there are many tricky factors, including the role of a doppelganger and the escape via a vessel on the Thames. The film benefices from a solid and fast-paced script, without unnecessary sub plots and dull sequences, and splendid acting performances. Although he isn't really one of the lead characters, the unsurpassable Klaus Kinski once again steals the show as the cold, relentless and arrogant hired killer. His character also constantly nibbles on his fingers, which is undoubtedly something that Kinski added himself. Krimi-regular Eddi Arent is also present as the comic relief, but luckily he isn't even half as irritating as usual.
