Der große Unbekannte (1927)

Thumbnail | left | portrait orientation | Ernst Reicher played Police Commissioner Bickerson, photograph (before 1930) The British Major Amery, who is always surrounded by an air of mystery, returns from India to London to take over his late uncle’s export business. The firm also employs the peculiar managing director Maurice Tarn and the bookkeepers Jessie Damm and Else Marlowe. Meanwhile, the police are waging a battle against two rival drug gangs. Maurice Tarn has made a fortune as the head of one of the gangs. Soyoka, the leader of the other gang and of a secret society with far-reaching networks in India, is an unknown criminal whose identity nobody knows. Police Commissioner Bickerson is searching for the underworld figures. Maurice Tarn suspects that Soyoka and his boss, Amery, are one and the same person. Before Tarn, who fears his rival’s ruthless methods, can flee with his money, he is stabbed to death. The bookkeeper Else witnesses the gruesome crime and believes she can identify Feng-Ho, a Chinese man who is one of Tarn’s confidants, as the killer. Commissioner Bickerson, who has already seen through Tarn’s criminal dealings, manages to arrest Feng-Ho the very next day. Feng-Ho can produce an alibi for the time of the crime. Dr. Hallam, Tarn’s young associate, knew nothing about his boss’s crimes. Together with Else, he opens the murdered man’s will. It states that Else is to receive 800,000 dollars. When they open Tarn’s safe, they find it empty. Hallam asks the portly banker Tupperwill about the money and learns that Amery deposited 800,000 dollars the previous day. Else and Hallam suspect Amery of having stolen the money from the safe. Meanwhile, the seemingly untroubled bookkeeper Jessie spends an evening with her father, Mr. Damm, at a luxurious London restaurant. Damm is friends with Dr. Hallam and the banker Tupperwill. Jessie signs several checks in the name of Stillman. Commissioner Bickerson arranges a search of Amery’s house, but finds nothing suspicious there after Else makes the cocaine disappear from Amery’s wardrobe. Else is now convinced that Amery is the wanted Soyoka. An arrested drug dealer reveals that Tarn kept his fortune in secret compartments in his suitcase. Amery’s bank deposit is in fact an envelope containing scraps of paper. Amery takes possession of the suitcase, which is in the unsuspecting Else’s keeping, and intends to flee with her. Meanwhile, Feng-Ho keeps Dr. Hallam, who is also there, at bay. Shortly afterward, Amery is arrested, Tarn’s murderer is unmasked, and Soyoka’s identity is established.