#walter jokisch

[flammentanz]

“Tim Frazer” by Francis Durbridge (1963)

London engineer Tim Frazer (Max Eckard) has received a letter from his friend and partner Harry Denston (Hans Quest) to meet at the inn “The Three Bells”, which is owned by Norman Gibson (Walter Jokisch) and his daughter Madge (Lotti Krekel) in the secluded costal village  of Henton. Denston owes Frazer a considerable sum of money and his carelessness has also ruined their firm. Frazer is puzzled that even after waiting over a week, Harry doesn't get in touch with him.

A Russian ship was damaged by a severe storm off the coast of Henton. One of the sailors, a certain Anstrow, was critically injured. In the fever he mentions the name Anya several times. All medical art of the local doctor Dr. Killick (Paul Klinger) is in vain. Captain Nikiyan (Friedrich Joloff) picks up the deceased's personal belongings. Mysteriously there is a London garage license underneath for storing a Hillman Minx. Nikiyan assures that Anstow had never been to England before and that the licence could therefore not have belonged to him. Frazer takes it, but shortly afterwards his wallet with the garage license is stolen from him.

After his return to London, a certain Charles Ross (Konrad Georg) gets in touch with Tim Frazer. In his office, which is obviously a department of the secret service, Ross reveals to Frazer that Harry Denston has committed a theft of grave consequences and that his whereabouts must therefore be located. Frazer is astonished to find that his wallet was stolen by none other than Arthur Crombie (Kurt Waitzmann), who had pretended to be a tourist in Henton but is actually Ross's closest colleague. Frazer accepts Ross's assignment and promises to find Denston.

Frazer picks up Harry's car with the garage license and discovers a glasses case with the name Ruth Edwards and an address in it. Mrs. Edwards (Ursula Herking) turns out to be an elderly, but seemingly resolute lady. Her husband Donald (Ernst Fritz Fürbringer) seems a little unworldly and seems to live exclusively for the most realistic possible reproduction of sailing ships. Currently he is especially fond of the model of a certain “North Star”. Frazer perks up his ears when he is given the name of the daughter of Mr. Edward's brother-in-law who lives in the house. It's Anya.

A rude gas station owner by the name of Edgar Tupper (Josef Dahmen) contacts Frazer by phone, saying that Frazer had advertised because he has a Hillman Minx for sale.  Frazer is puzzled because he did nothing of that sort but actually discoveres the mentioned advert  in the newspaper. Tupper pays Frazer an amount that is well above the normal price. It is obvious that he desperately wants to purchase the car, which was previously searched in vain by Ross ’employees. When Tupper passes an information to Frazer a few days later for a certain sum of money, he is shot at his gas station.

After Frazer's return to his apartment, Arthur Crombie is waiting for him there, as agreed, as Frazer wants to tell him the latest developments in the Denston case. But suddenly Crombie collapses dead, a knife stuck in his back. On the mantelpiece is Mr. Edwards' model of the "North Star". Frazer is deeply dismayed and drives to Charles Ross's office. After they both enter Frazer's apartment, Crombie's body is gone. There is also no trace of the “North Star”.

Actress Helen Baker (Marianne Koch), the fiancée of Harry Denston, is less concerned about his whereabouts than Tim Frazer, but is ready to help him with his research. Helen finds an engraving of the “North Star” in Harry's Cottage.

Frazer lends it to Donald Edwards and in return purchases the model of the “North Star”. In the package Frazer finds a note with the mysterious message “Anstrow is not dead”. He confronts Ruth Edwards, who obviously conveyed the message to him, but the old lady is frightened and only reluctantly agrees to a private meeting the next day. But it doesn't come to that, because Ruth Edwards is critically injured in a mysterious car accident. In the ambulance, she assures Frazer that Helen Baker knows the whereabouts of Harry Denston.

Helen Baker, who previously secretly photographed the ship model of the “North Star” in Frazer's apartment, involves herself in contradictions under Frazer's forceful inquiries. It is clear that the actress is constantly inventing new lies about her fiance. Above all, she implores Frazer - allegedly at Harry's request - to give up his investigations. In the trucker's snack bar “Ma’s Cafè”, mentioned by Helen Baker and run by Mrs. Dodsworth (Ethel Reschke), Frazer meets a certain Lester (Klaus Kindler), who urges Frazer even more energetically to end his investigations.

Tim Frazer has finally forced Helen Baker to tell the truth and heads to Henton to face the final confrontation.