Film Review: It Happened in Broad Daylight (GER/SUI 1958)

Content:  In this podcast, we talk about the German/Swiss classic thriller “It Happened in Broad Daylight” from 1958.  We describe the film as a classic thriller with an original story about a serial killer and highlight the acting performances, especially those of Gert Fröbe. We discusse the suspense of the film, its atmospheric design and the morally ambiguous use of a child as bait.  Additionally, we see the film as a time capsule that offers an insight into society at the time. Finally we compare the movie to the much darker book.  Summary:  In Switzerland, a serial killer is at large, murdering little girls. A peddler is the prime suspect. He discovers the body of the eight-year-old Gritli in a wooded area and reports it to the police. They believe he only reported the body to exonerate himself. During the harsh interrogations, the officers do not believe in his innocence.  The peddler is so desperate that he takes his own life. With this, the case is closed for the cantonal police.  Criminal Commissioner Matthäi has retired from the Swiss police service and taken up a new position in Jordan to reform the police force. However, Matthäi does not take up the new post. Since he is no longer officially with the Swiss police, he investigates on his own.  He discovers a drawing by Gritli in a school. The picture shows a giant, a car, a beetle, and small hedgehogs. Matthäi has the drawing analyzed by a psychologist and revisits all cases where little girls were murdered.  Eventually, he concludes that the killer always uses the same street to find his victims. Matthäi rents a gas station and hires a housekeeper who moves in with her little daughter Annemarie. Without the mother's knowledge, the daughter serves as bait, and Matthäi hopes to catch the serial killer with this irresistible lure.