DramaThrillerCrime

The Devil Strikes at Night

Hamburg, Germany, 1944, during World War II. A serial killer terrorizes the city. When it seems clear that the local police are unable to catch him, forces as dark and terrible as the criminal himself become involved in the case.

Release Date : 1957-09-19

Language :German

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Divina-Film

Production Country : Germany

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Character Name : Police Commissioner Axel Kersten

Original Name : Claus Holm

Gender : Male

Character Name : Bruno Lüdke

Original Name : Mario Adorf

Gender : Male

Character Name : SS-Gruppenführer Rossdorf

Original Name : Hannes Messemer

Gender : Male

Character Name : SS-Standartenführer Mollwitz

Original Name : Peter Carsten

Gender : Male

Character Name : Major Thomas Wollenberg

Original Name : Carl Lange

Gender : Male

Character Name : Willi Keun

Original Name : Werner Peters

Gender : Male

Character Name : Helga Hornung

Original Name : Annemarie Düringer

Gender : Female

Character Name : Waitress Lucy Hansen

Original Name : Monika John

Gender : Female

Character Name : Anna Hohmann

Original Name : Rosel Schäfer

Gender : Female

Character Name : Presiding Judge Dr. Schleffien

Original Name : Ernst Fritz Fürbringer

Gender : Male

Character Name : DS Boehm

Original Name : Walter Janssen

Gender : Male

Character Name : SS-Obersturmführer Heinrich

Original Name : Wilmut Borell

Gender : Male

Character Name : SS-Truppführer Scharf

Original Name : Helmut Brasch

Gender : Male

Character Name : Detective Bruehl

Original Name : Georg Lehn

Gender : Male

Character Name : Public Defender

Original Name : Lukas Ammann

Gender : Male

Character Name : Frau Weinberger

Original Name : Margaret Jahnen

Gender : Female

Character Name : Doorman's Wife

Original Name : Käthe Itter

Gender : Female

Character Name : Frau Lehmann

Original Name : Else Quecke

Gender : Female

Character Name : Blonde Prostitute

Original Name : Christa Nielsen

Gender : Female

Character Name :

Original Name : Alois Maria Giani

Gender : Male

Character Name : Soldier

Original Name : Dietrich Thoms

Gender : Male

Character Name : Station Constable (uncredited)

Original Name : Heinz Beck

Gender : Male

Character Name : SS-Scharführerin (uncredited)

Original Name : Trude Breitschopf

Gender : Female

Character Name : Radio Announcer (uncredited)

Original Name : Friedrich Joloff

Gender : Male

Character Name : Air-raid Warden (uncredited)

Original Name : Karl-Heinz Peters

Gender : Male

Character Name : Canteen Keeper (uncredited)

Original Name : Toni Treutler

Gender : Female

Reviews

John Chard

@John Chard

2024-05-16

Serial Killer - Nazis - Same Thing! Nachts, wenn der Teufel kam is directed by Robert Siodmak and written by Will Berthold (article) and Werner Jörg Lüddecke. It stars Claus Holm, Annemarie Düringer, Mario Adorf, Hannes Messemer, Carl Lange and Werner Peters. Music is by Siegfried Franz and cinematography by Georg Krause. A serial killer is terrorising Hamburg, Germany, during World War II. When the local police struggle to catch him, the Gestapo are brought in to crack the case. The basis for the story is that of real life serial killer Bruno Lüdke, here played by Adorf. Yet this is only a side-bar to the actuality of Siodmak's film, for it's a clinical deconstruction of Nazi Germany at the time, a look at the final throes of that regime. It shows how the corrupt powers would do anything to not make their government look bad, with orders even coming from Adolf himself! It's all very fascinating and potent, and well performed. There's some nice visual touches via the night sequences, though you reasonably expect to have more from Siodmak, a fine purveyor of expressionism and noir chiaroscuro. There's some contrivances and a couple of badly staged action sequences, but this remains a tough political drama with mystery shadings. 8/10