Robberies of a significant amount of cash from a home safe in Pasadena and gold bars from a family farm outside of Chicago are tied together by the bullets being fired from the same weapon used to kill the occupants. That gets the FBI involved and Jerry Cotton and Phil Decker put on the case. They suspect that there is a gang readying another big heist in the Big Apple. Jerry finds a lame way to infiltrate the gang (as a drunk he beats up the members of the gang impressing the leader). While some of the plot does lack credibility it is an action packed film that moves along at a good pace. There are similarities to Death and Diamonds in the plot with Jerry gaining the affections and confidence of gang moll, in this case Sylvia Pascal, to help crack the case. However, this movie has more depth in the storyline and makes it a more enjoyable viewing. The unusual musical score throughout is an additional bonus. Recommended especially if you enjoy crime dramas.
7 Reviews
Odd the Germans would craft a series of FBI tales...
planktonrules28 February 2017
With the success of the James Bond films, it isn't surprising that film companies around the world tried to cash in on this success with their own secret agents. There were Italian and German James Bond-type super heroes in the 60s and agent Jerry Cotton (George Nader) was the German Bond-like guy...sort of. They made eight Jerry Cotton films with this same actor...and "The Violin Case Murders" is the first of them.
It's obvious at the start this film lacks the budget of a Bond film. After all, it's in black & white even though all four Bond pictures up to that time were in full color. Additionally, the opening song and much of the music sucks...and is nothing like you'd expect for a spy flick. It seems, at times, as if the music was just chosen randomly. Likewise, sometimes New York locales were badly rear projected to make it (kinda) look like they're in the city...a bit sloppy.
As for Agent Cotton, he's NOT exactly a Bond-type...at least in this film. Instead of some international organization of evil or communism, Cotton is with the FBI...which is a domestic organization. In this case, his quarry is less global...it's a gang who apparently is going to blow up a school in New York City...but which one and when, Cotton is recruited to find out personally. So he infiltrates the gang and becomes an apparent trusted member. Can he manage to pull this off and save the kids AND himself AND capture the evil thugs?
Despite the bad music and cheap production values, this is a pretty exciting film. I like that Cotton is NOT a sexy guy who beds women but is a bit more believable. But he's also a great fighter...sort of like a fighting machine...so he's not completely 'normal'! The film is well enough made and has an interesting plot...enough to make me want to see more of these films.
It's obvious at the start this film lacks the budget of a Bond film. After all, it's in black & white even though all four Bond pictures up to that time were in full color. Additionally, the opening song and much of the music sucks...and is nothing like you'd expect for a spy flick. It seems, at times, as if the music was just chosen randomly. Likewise, sometimes New York locales were badly rear projected to make it (kinda) look like they're in the city...a bit sloppy.
As for Agent Cotton, he's NOT exactly a Bond-type...at least in this film. Instead of some international organization of evil or communism, Cotton is with the FBI...which is a domestic organization. In this case, his quarry is less global...it's a gang who apparently is going to blow up a school in New York City...but which one and when, Cotton is recruited to find out personally. So he infiltrates the gang and becomes an apparent trusted member. Can he manage to pull this off and save the kids AND himself AND capture the evil thugs?
Despite the bad music and cheap production values, this is a pretty exciting film. I like that Cotton is NOT a sexy guy who beds women but is a bit more believable. But he's also a great fighter...sort of like a fighting machine...so he's not completely 'normal'! The film is well enough made and has an interesting plot...enough to make me want to see more of these films.
"We'll blow this place right off the face of the city"
hwg1957-102-26570426 December 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Ace FBI agent Jerry Cotton goes undercover as an aggressive drunkard to bring to justice the members of the Bowling Alley Gang whose forte is robbery and the occasional murder. This was the first film in a series of eight where Cotton is played by George Nader and to be honest he makes for a dull leading man. The gang itself are much more interesting and the film is best when they are onscreen. At the end when they were caught or killed I was rather melancholy about it when one is meant to be rooting supposedly for the G-Men! The film moves swiftly aided by good editing. There is however a relentlessly jovial music score which is completely inappropriate at times, jolly when it should have been tense, that spoils the thrills somewhat. It was mainly filmed in Germany which tried to pretend it was New York but failed.
First of the Jerry Cotton films is okay, but not as good as the later films
dbborroughs17 January 2009
Warning: Spoilers
(This is also known as the Violin Case Murders) First of the Jerry Cotton films is okay but it made me wonder how this spawned numerous sequels. Cotton is an FBI agent who always seems to get the job done. He is described by one character as being able to find clues other people miss.(I'll come back to that in a minute). The plot of the film has Cotton brought into a investigate a series of robbery/murders that have been linked by phone calls from the sister of the moll of the gang to the head of the New York chief of the FBI. Cotton springs into action and from there there the plot spirals out in ways that include a plot to blow up a school full of kids (referenced in the title). In all honesty this is a silly film with Cotton's ability to see things no one else can in the evidence pulling things out of thin air, with Cotton simply stumbling upon a good looking girl who happens to be the girl making the calls and later deducing that the owners of a bowling alley are involved in the case. If you can get past the frequent "huh?" factor this is a watchable entertainment, but nothing truly memorable.. Worth a look on a slow night of for those who want to see where the later, better Cotton films, came from.(Also worth a look for the stock and process shots of New York in the early 1960's. They really use a great deal of footage to make it seem like it was shot in New York)
Potential for much more
Horst_In_Translation17 August 2016
Warning: Spoilers
"Schüsse aus dem Geigenkasten" or "Operation Hurricane: Friday Noon" or "The Violin Case Murders" is a co-production between France and West Germany and this one resulted into a German-language film from 1965. It had its 50th anniversary last year and as it is from the 1960s, nobody should be surprised that this is a black-and-white film, but it has sound of course. The director is the highly prolific Fritz Umgelter, who may have had an even bigger career if he hadn't died so early. This is neither one of his earliest or latest works. The writer is George Hurdalek and this one here is actually from the very same year that he contributed on the very famous "The Sound of Music". This one here may not be as famous, but it is about a character that is still somewhat known in Germany, namely Jerry Cotton, an FBI agent who keeps solving crimes.
There are several movies about him and some people today still know him perhaps, probably also because of the fairly recent Christian Tramitz film. It stays under 90 minutes and that is perfectly fine as I must say that it was not really a great watch. The crime story with Cotton going undercover into the world of music to solve a case was not entirely bad or boring, but it certainly was nowhere near fulfilling the potential that it may have had. The cast does not include any known names really and even George Nader is not really known to many anymore today despite being a Golden Globe winner. I personally felt there were some cringeworthy moments too like near the end the scene about Cotton's comment that FBI agents are faster in drawing their gun. All in all, it does not get me curious about other Cotton films and I give it a thumbs-down. Not recommended.
There are several movies about him and some people today still know him perhaps, probably also because of the fairly recent Christian Tramitz film. It stays under 90 minutes and that is perfectly fine as I must say that it was not really a great watch. The crime story with Cotton going undercover into the world of music to solve a case was not entirely bad or boring, but it certainly was nowhere near fulfilling the potential that it may have had. The cast does not include any known names really and even George Nader is not really known to many anymore today despite being a Golden Globe winner. I personally felt there were some cringeworthy moments too like near the end the scene about Cotton's comment that FBI agents are faster in drawing their gun. All in all, it does not get me curious about other Cotton films and I give it a thumbs-down. Not recommended.
A positive view of the first Jerry Cotton film.
Murph-1518 February 1999
I saw SCHUSSE AUS DEM GEIGENKASTEN under the English title OPERATION HURRICANE: FRIDAY NOON. It was dubbed, and it was great. George Nader plays Jerry Cotton, F.B.I. agent who works mostly in the New York City area in this first installment of the German action/thriller series from the 1960's. Jerry Cotton was Germany's answer to James Bond. In comparison to the Bond films, the Jerry Cotton movies are not as "posh", but they are better stories. OPERATION HURRICANE is the first and best of the series. The story is very interesting, with a few turns to keep the viewer going up to the end. Peter Thomas did the music for the Jerry Cotton films, and it is the best spy music I have ever heard. I have a difficult time getting the theme out of my head. Two soundtracks were released for the series, one contained dialogue from this particular film (in German, of course). This film has a very cool "sixties secret agent" look, feel, and sound to it. If you're in the mood for a different approach to the spy genre, cozy up to SCHUSSE AUS DEM GEIGENKASTEN. It'll be worth it.
Positive!
Murph-1512 February 1999
The first film to feature George Nader as Jerry Cotton. Jerry Cotton was Germany's answer to James Bond. In comparison, what the Jerry Cotton films lack in production excel in story. The plot for OPERATION HURRICANE: FRIDAY NOON is very interesting, much more complex than simply a spy going after a super-criminal. The acting may be a tad stiff at times, and this version is dubbed, so the dialogue may be a bit goofy due to translation problems. OPERATION HURRICANE: FRIDAY NOON is the first Jerry Cotton F.B.I. thriller, the best of the series, and, unfortunately, the only one available in America. Peter Thomas wrote the music for all of the "COTTON" films. This music is the best spy music I have ever heard. I understand that the two original vinyl releases on the Polydor label, "Jerry Cotton-F.B.I." and the soundtrack to "OPERATION HURRICANE" are very rare and much sought after. This film fits very well into the current retro trend, especially for the 60's spy film fans out there. Very interesting and cool movie.
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