It Happened in Broad Daylight

1958 1h 40m DE

👍

7.4

SOLID

⭐

7.8

IMDB

★7.4TMDB · 157★7.8IMDB · 6,114

CrimeThriller

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

The search for a child murderer drags a once-respected detective into an all-consuming obsession.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Heinz Rühmann
Oberleutnant Matthäi
Sigfrit Steiner
Det. Feller
Siegfried Lowitz
Lt. Heinzi
Michel Simon
Jacquier
Heinrich Gretler
Polizeikommandant
Gert Fröbe
Schrott
Berta Drews
Frau Schrott
Ewald Balser
Prof. Manz

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Ladislao Vajda
Writers: Hans Jacoby, Ladislao Vajda, Friedrich Dürrenmatt
Languages: German
Countries: Germany, Spain, Switzerland

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

ERA

Did you know

68 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 3 countries: Germany, Spain, Switzerland.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Ladislao Vajda, shot by Ernst Bolliger. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Bruno Canfora. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Julio Peña shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Heinz Rühmann and Sigfrit Steiner and Siegfried Lowitz carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0051588 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Ladislao Vajda directs. Ernst Bolliger behind the camera. Bruno Canfora scores. Julio Peña cuts. Produced in Germany, Spain, Switzerland. Dialogue in German.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

168 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2International production across 3 countries: Germany, Spain, Switzerland.
3Directed by Ladislao Vajda, shot by Ernst Bolliger. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Bruno Canfora. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Julio Peña shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Heinz Rühmann and Sigfrit Steiner and Siegfried Lowitz carry the top of the cast.
7IMDB entry: tt0051588 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Cinematography: Ernst Bolliger
Original score: Bruno Canfora
Editing: Julio Peña
Production design: Max Röthlisberger
Costume design: Robert Gamma
Makeup / hair: Hans Hügi
Sound: Kurt Hugentobler
Runtime: 100 min · 1h 40m
Status: Released
Original language: DE
Certification (US): 12
IMDB: It Happened in Broad Daylight (1958)
IMDB rating: 7.8/10 · 6,114 votes

Awards

5 wins & 3 nominations total

Also by

Ladislao Vajda

Community reviews

What people are saying

John Chard2014-11-30
★ 8/10
There Are Such Monsters In The World. Es geschan am hellichten Tag (It Happened in Broad Daylight) is directed by Ladislao Vajda and collectively written by Vajda, Hans Jacoby and Friedrich Durrenmatt, from the Novel The Promise. It stars Heinz Ruhmann, Sigfrit Steiner, Siegfried Lowitz, Michel Simon and Gert Frobe. Music is by Bruno Canfora and cinematography is by Ernst Bolliger and Heinrich Gartner. When a child is found murdered in the woods, Oberleutnant Matthai (Ruhmann) promises the child’s parents he will find the killer. It’s a promise that weighs heavy on him, causing him to go outside of his rational thinking to hopefully lure the killer into a trap. The source material has proved ripe for picking as regards film adaptations, latterly with a big Hollywood production directed by Sean Penn and starring Jack Nicholson (The Pledge 2001). There’s a whole bunch of themes bubbling away in the story, all of which are handled superbly by the makers. At its core it’s a criminal investigation fuelled by an obsession, but morality and mob justice play a big part in proceedings as well. Lashings of intrigue permeate the atmosphere, as does a number of suspenseful scenes as the child killer enters the fray and we see him operating his vile schtick. The sequences of him at home, a complete milquetoast to a harpy wife, simmer away with deadly expectation, the acting superb. The psychological studies of the key characters carry considerable weighty merit, always niggling away at the audience, keeping us hooked to the very last frame. With chills (for instance the hand puppet scenes are blood curdling), expressionistic touches and a film noir sense of the human condition gone wrong, it’s a film deserving of a more wider and appreciative audience. Personally I prefer the ending that Durrenmatt rewrote as Das Versprechen (the author wasn’t happy with Es geschan am hellichten Tag’s resolution), and that was the ending Penn went for in The Pledge. This is not in the same class as Fritz Lang’s “M”, but it deserves to be on the same shelf, and that is praise indeed. 8/10

Production companies