"Emil & The Detectives" [est. 1929] Books & Movies Page at BlackHat Mystery Bookstore

"This is the story of a crime, just as it happened, from its beginning, in the quiet little town of Neustadt. Emil Tischbein -
young, eager, unsuspecting - holds a ticket on the morning bus to Berlin - (for) a holiday and a mission."
— Narrator of the 1964 movie

The film begins during the Weimar Republic in the small town of Neustadt, a provincial German town, where young schoolboy Emil Tischbein lives with his widowed mother; she is raising him alone and works as a hairdresser. She sends Emil to Berlin with 140 marks (a hairdresser's monthly salary then) to give to his grandmother who lives in the big city with his cousin, the girl Pony Hütchen. He also gets 20 marks for himself. On the way he is very careful not to lose the money and uses a needle to pin it to the lining of his jacket. On the train to Berlin, Emil meets a mysterious passenger who introduces himself as Herr Grundeis; the man gives Emil drugged chocolate and Emil falls asleep. When Emil wakes up, both the money and Herr Grundeis are gone; Emil spots Herr Grundeis and follows him. Emil meets a Berlin boy named Gustav, who tries to help Emil and introduces him to a group of local children who call themselves 'the detectives'.
After following Grundeis to a hotel and spying on him all night, Emil and the gang follow the thief to the bank; Herr Grundeis tries to exchange the money, but Emil proves that the money was his by describing the holes left by the needle that he used to pin the bills in the lining of his jacket - and Emil gets his money back. Herr Grundeis tries to run away, but Emil's new friends cling onto him until a police officer arrives. Once arrested, Herr Grundeis is found out to be a notorious bank robber; Emil receives a reward of 1,000 marks for capturing Herr Grundeis. In the last scene, an airplane takes Emil back to Neustaat where he is greeted as a local hero.

History of The Books & Stageplays & Movies
The original novel published in 1929 was very popular; the first English translation appeared in 1931, with further English translations following, and translations into almost 60 other languages to date. Erich Kästner published a stageplay in German and English in 1934, which is still often performed; two other stage adaptations were licensed and produced in 2013.

There are several film adaptions of "Emil and The Detectives": the British 1935 film and the German 1954 film are direct remakes of the 1931 film, using most of Billy Wilder's screenplay and (in the case of the 1935 film) even recreating many of the same camera shots. The book was adapted to film in Argentina in 1950, in Brasil in 1957, and in Bangladesh in 1980. Walt Disney made a color feature film of "Emil and The Detectives" in 1964, with all sorts of TV repeats and branded merchandise following.

"Emil and The Detectives: A Story For Children" [1929]
by Erich Kästner, Illustrated by Walter Trier, English Introduction by Walter de la Mare
first published in English in 1931, book has never been out of print and has been translated into at least 59 languages
"Emil and The Detectives" book entry at Wikipedia

"Emil and The Three Twins (Emil und Die Drei Zwillinge)" [1934] by Erich Kästner
http://www.amazon.com/Emil-und-die-drei-Zwillinge/dp/3855356041/ Hardcover – October 1, 2018
http://www.amazon.com/Emil-Three-Twins-Erich-Kastner/dp/0099573679/ Sep 6, 2012
http://www.amazon.com/Erich-Ka%C3%87_%C3%93_stner-Emil-three-twins/dp/B00SB4STZ0/ Dec 17, 1958
http://www.amazon.com/Zwillinge-Zweite-Geschichte-Detktiven-three/dp/B001DBRAT4/
9780099433637 https://www.amazon.com/Emil-three-twins-Another-detectives/dp/B0008CX5R0/ 3 twins

Movies & Television
Nine feature films have been produced from the Emil/Detectives stories, from 1931 to 2001;
two TV shows were produced in 1952 & 1963, and three stageplays in 1934 & 2013.
article dated 7/2013 about the 1931, 1935 & 1954 films

'Emil und Die Detektive' double feature DVD from U.F.A. Kids

"Emil und Die Detektive" double feature DVD [U.F.A. Kids 2010]
found this image of a double feature DVD of both the 1931 & 1954 German movies,
but cannot find any link otherwise: not on Amazon USA, not on Amazon.DE, nor
even a Universum U.F.A. Kids website

'Emil and The Detectives' double feature DVD from British Film Institute

"Emil and The Detectives" double feature DVD [YR] from British Film Institute
includes both the 1931 German film & the rare 1935 British film, which was long believed
to be a lost film, but then was rediscovered and restored by B.F.I.
B.F.I. Region 2 b&w DVD [7/2013] for $19.16 - PAL format
B.F.I. Region 2 b&w DVD [7/2013] for $20.98 - PAL format
B.F.I. Region 2 b&w DVD [7/2013] import/used - PAL format

"Emil and The Detectives" [Gaumont British Feb 1935]

Emil and The Detectives 1935 British feature film

Filmed in London and around Kent in England; long believed to be a lost film, rediscovered and restored by B.F.I.; many scenes are shot-by-shot remake of the 1931 German film • Produced by Richard Wainwright; directed by Milton Rosmer; adapted by Cyrus Brooks, Margaret Carter, Frank Launder, based on the Erich Kästner novel and the earlier Billy Wilder screenplay; starring John Williams, George Hayes, Mary Glynne, Clare Greet, George Merritt, Marion Foster, Donald Pittman, Robert/Bobby Rietti, John Singer, Derek Blomfield, Norman Atkyns, Ricky Hyland, H.F. Maltby
full credits at IMDb • VHS/DVD/Blu-ray not available • movie entry at Wikipedia

"Toscanito y Los Detectives" [Argentina 1950]

'Toscanito y Los Detectives' 1950 movie from Argentina - standing

'Toscanito y Los Detectives' 1950 movie from Argentina - face

Directed by Antonio Momplet; adapted by Ariel Cortazzo, from the Erich Kästner novel; starring pint-sized Andrés/Andresito 'Toscanito' Poggio {at age 16}, Héctor Acosta, Manuel Alcón, Alberto Barcel, Esther Bence, Beba Bidart, Roberto Bordoni, María Esther Buschiazzo, Fernando Campos, Margarita Canale, Warly Ceriani, Margarita Conde, Pablo Cumo, Rafael Diserio, Pura Díaz, Rafael Frontaura, Luis García Bosch, Paride Grandi, Hugo Lanzilotta, Marcelo Lavalle, Mónica Linares, Raúl Luar, Zita Rosas, Jorge Villoldo
VHS/DVD/Blu-ray not available • full credits at IMDb
watch full b&w movie - in Spanish, no subtitles [12/2015 upload; 1:10:54] online at YouTube
TIP: try slower playback speed

"Emil and The Detectives" TV mini-series [BBC-TV April 1952]

story condensed into three 35-minute episodes; neither film nor kinescope recordings nor posters/ads appear to exist • Produced by Rex Tucker; adapted by Godfrey Harrison; starring Robert Sandford, Robert Marsden, Barbara Trevor, Carole Lorimer, Glyn Dearman, Robin Dowell, Barry Krost, Tony Lyons, Donald Masters, John Rhodes, Derek Rowe, Robert Scroggins, Anthony Valentine, Noel Dyson, Marjorie Wilde, Robert Lankesheer, Vi Stevens, Constance Fraser, Fiona Fraser
series credits at IMDb

"Emil und Die Detektive" [West Germany Oct 1954 & Dec 1988]

Emil und Die Detektive 1954 West German feature film

Filmed in Eastmancolor in West Berlin, including at Berliner Union Film Studios and at Hotel Stephanie on the Kurfürstendamm • Produced by Kurt Ulrich; written & directed by Robert A. Stemmle; based on the Erich Kästner novel and the earlier Billy Wilder screenplay; starring Peter Finkbeiner, Heli Finkenzeller, Wolfgang Lukschy, Kurt Meisel, Ruth Nimbach, Claudia Schäfer, Margarete Haagen, Camilla Spira, Hans Dieter Zeidler, Walter Gross, Ernst Waldow, Gerd Frickhöffer, Marina Ried, Else Reval, Jakob Tiedtke, Axel Monjé, Wolfgang Condrus, Wolf-Eberhard Grasshoff, Roland Kaiser, Hannes Hübner, Lothar Scholz, Günter Pfitzmann, Ewald Wenck, cameo by author Erich Kästner
VHS/DVD/Blu-ray not available • full credits at IMDb • movie entry at Wikipedia

"Pega Ladrão (Catch The Thief)" [Cibra Filmes/Fama Filmes Brasil 1957]

1957 newspaper ad for 'Pega Ladrão' movie in Brasil

Produced by Miguel Schneider; co-written & directed by Alberto Pieralisi; co-written by Paulo Roberto, based on Erich Kästner's novel; starring Jose de Jesús {as Milô}, Francisco Dantas, Violeta Ferraz, André José Adler, Benê Alexandre, Sérgio Areas, Nelson Camargo, Almir Cassiano, Aurino Cassiano, Alvaro Costa, Estrela D'Alva, Carlos Duval, Manoel Lemos Fernandes, Raimundo Furtado, Orlando Guy, Vera Lúcia, Cláudio MacDowell, Paulo Mato-zinho, Artur Melo, Ricardo Melo, Francisco Martorelli, Vasco Neto, Helba Nogueira, Antonio Carlos Otelinho, Ana Reis, Anibal Santos, T. Cuquejo Suarez, Antonio Ventura, cameo by writer Paulo Roberto
VHS/DVD/Blu-ray not available • full credits at IMDb

"Emil and The Detectives" [aired Sept 1963]
episode of "Storybox" TV series [Associated-Rediffusion Television, U.K. 1955-68]

Emil and The Detectives ARTV-UK 1963 show

b&w TV show distributed to U.K. schools on I.T.V.; info is scarce, episode not likely over half-hour long, so the story of Emil is very condensed • Directed by Richard Argent; adapted by Maureen Price; starring Alan Downer {as author Erich Kästner}, Joan Lindsay, Philip Needs {as Emil}, Jessie Robins, Norman Scace, Steven Scott, Lindsay Scott-Patton, Arnold Yarrow
episode credits at IMDb • TV series credits at IMDb
Associated-Rediffusion entry at Wikipedia • article on Retropia U.K. website

"Emil and The Detectives" [Walt Disney/Buena Vista Dec 1964]

	Tagline: 'Laugh it up in Lootsville!' • Filmed in Hesse, West Germany and at Berliner Union-Film Studios and other locations in West Berlin; when Emil travels by bus to Berlin to visit his family, his money is stolen by a crook; while following the thief, Emil runs into Gustav, a young boy who gathers up all his friends to help Emil find the money. However, they get into more trouble than they bargained for when Emil's pick-pocket turns out to be mixed up with a couple of notorious bank robbers • Produced by Walt Disney & Peter V. Herald; directed by Peter Tewksbury; screenplay by A.J. Carothers, based on the 1929 novel by Erich Kästner; starring Bryan Russell, Heinz Schubert, Walter Slezak, Roger Mobley, Peter Ehrlich, Cindy Cassell, Elsa Wagner, Eva Ingeborg Scholz, Wolfgang Völz, Franz Nicklisch, Brian Richardson, Robert Swann, David Petrychka, Ann Noland, Ron Johnson, Rick Johnson, Viktor Hospach Disney widescreen color DVD [7/2011] out of prodn/used Spanish-language widescreen color DVD [undated] for $35.99 Spanish-language widescreen color DVD [undated] for $25.99 full credits at IMDb • movie entry at Wikipedia
	Walt Disney Presents The Story of "Emil and The Detectives" [1964] Narrated by Walter Slezak Disneyland Records vinyl album [7/2010] out of prodn/used Music composed by Heinz Schreiter, performed by the Berliner Symphoniker; voice actors include Bryan Russell, Roger Mobley, Cindy Cassell
	"Disney's World of Adventure: The Detective Book - Featuring Emil and The Detectives" [1977] Random House BFYR hardcover [1978] out of print/used Random House BFYR hardcover [1977] out of print/used
	"Walt Disney's Emil and The Detectives" comic book [1996] Gold Key comic book [1996] out of print/used

"Emil and The Detectives: Parts 1-5" [April 1966]
Season 1, Episodes 80-84 of the "Jackanory" [1965-96] BBC-TV series

title card for 'Jackanory' BBC children's TV series

Long-running BBC-TV children's show with celebrities reading a book out loud on camera; "Emil and The Detectives" was read in five parts: Part 1 - The Journey; Part 2 - Alone In Berlin; Part 3 - The Detectives; Part 4 - Lying In Wait; Part 5 - Saved By A Pinprick • Produced by Joy Whitby; adapted & directed by David Coulter, from the book by Erich Kästner, translated by Eileen Hall; read by Lee Montague
VHS/DVD/Blu-ray not available • series credits at IMDb

"Emiler Goenda Bahini" [Bangladesh Aug 1980]

Emiler Goenda Bahini 1980 movie from Bangladesh

Boy is sent on a train trip to Dhaka to receive a prize and visit his aunt; he is robbed of his money and suspects two men, so he leaves the train and follows them; on the way, some local boys & an adult uncle of one join him.
Produced, adapted & directed by Badal Rahman, based on Erich Kästner's novel; starring Partho Shahid {as Emil}, Momtazuddin Ahmed, Sharmili Ahmed, Syed Akhtar Ali, actor Anis, Shamsuzzaman Khan Benu, Kanu Bhowmik, Enamul Haque, Golam Mustafa, Ataur Rahman, Badal Rahman, A.T.M. Shamsuzzaman, actress Tiptip, Sara Zaker; film won 5 Bangladesh National Film Awards
VHS/DVD/Blu-ray not available • full credits at IMDb • movie entry at Wikipedia
watch full movie - low res, crappy sound, no subtitles [5/2017 upload; 2:17:21] online at YouTube

® ®

generic Samuel French, Ltd. Acting Edition cover

"Emil and The Detectives" stageplay [1934] written by Erich Kästner
First produced in England in 1934 by the People's National Theatre [1930-41] and performed at the Vaudeville Theatre in London, with Tony Wickham Jones, Cecil Trouncer, and Billy Thatcher in the cast; Henry Cass was director. Also performed in May 1952 at the Leeds Children's Theatre (see white souvenir program above); the cast of child actors got rave reviews. Also performed in 1960 at the Mermaid Theatre in London, England, with Norman Scace, John Bosch, Mike Hall, Gerard Menuhin, Murray Yeo, Daniel Thorndike, and Leonard Fenton in the cast.
"Emil and the Detectives: Play (Acting Edition)" [1934] by Erich Kästner
Samuel French, Inc. pb [1934] out of print/used

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