The Trygon Factor - Misplaced Pages

1966 British-West German film by Cyril Frankel

The Trygon Factor

Directed by	Cyril Frankel
Written by	Derry Quinn Stanley Munro based on a novel by Edgar Wallace
Produced by	Ian Warren Horst Wendlandt
Starring	Stewart Granger Susan Hampshire Robert Morley
Cinematography	Harry Waxman
Edited by	Oswald Hafenrichter
Music by	Peter Thomas
Production company	Rialto Film
Distributed by	J. Arthur Rank Film Distributors (UK) Warner Bros.-Seven Arts (US) Constantin Film (West Germany)
Release dates	December 1966 (1966-12) (West Germany) May 1967 (1967-05) (UK)
Running time	88 minutes
Countries	United Kingdom West Germany
Languages	English, German
Box office	73,066 admissions (France) 605,412 admissions (Spain) 1.6 million (West Germany)

The Trygon Factor (German title: Das Geheimnis der weißen Nonne / Mystery of the White Nun) is a 1966 British-West German crime film directed by Cyril Frankel and starring Stewart Granger, Susan Hampshire and Robert Morley. It is based on the 1917 Edgar Wallace novel Kate Plus Ten.

Plot

A Scotland Yard inspector is called to investigate a series of unsolved robberies. Inspector Cooper-Smith arrives at the country manor of a respectable English family. He discovers Livia Emberday, the mistress of the house, has turned to crime in order to bolster the family's flagging fortunes. With assistance from an order of bogus nuns, stolen goods end up in the warehouse of Hamlyn, purportedly a respectable businessman.

Cast

Stewart Granger as Superintendent Cooper-Smith
Susan Hampshire as Trudy Emberday
Robert Morley as Hubert Hamlyn
Cathleen Nesbitt as Livia Emberday
Brigitte Horney as Sister General
Sophie Hardy as Sophie
Diane Clare as Clare O'Connor (Sister Clare)
James Robertson Justice as Sir John (voice: English version)
Siegfried Schürenberg as Sir John – German version
Eddi Arent as Emil Clossen
James Culliford as Luke Emberday
Allan Cuthbertson as Detective Thompson
Colin Gordon as Dice
Caroline Blakiston as white nun
Richardina Jackson as black nun

Production

Susan Hampshire called the film "another B picture. Very often I did films because of tax demands" and said Stewart Granger had a big ego, but felt "we had a very interesting director in that film, Cyril Frankley, and I think it was one of the best acting performances I've ever given."

Release

The film premiered in West Germany on 16 December 1966.

Critical reception

The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "Take one of England's statelier homes, serving as headquarters for a ruthless criminal conspiracy by a sisterhood of nuns engaged in smuggling, bank-robbery and murder; add a matriarch behaving like a genteel Doctor Mabuse, whose son is kinky for French girls' blonde hair, and whose daughter displays marked transvestite tendencies; throw in Robert Morley pouting petulantly, and you should have the ingredients for an entertaining thriller. Apparently you don't. The film is confused, rambling, and almost entirely lacking in humour or real tension. However, it is mostly agreeable to look at, thanks to the photography and art direction. Susan Hampshire and James Culliford adequately portray mental imbalance, and there is an excellent performance by Cathleen Nesbitt, of whom one would happily have seen much more."

The Radio Times called it a "farcical British crime drama."

Variety noted, "a complicated Scotland Yard whodunit which the spectator will find taxing to follow ... Script is pocketed with story loopholes and attempts to confuse, plus certain motivations and bits of business impossible to fathom. Granger still makes a good impression."

Allmovie wrote, "there are plenty of twists in the storyline of this often complex mystery feature."

Soundtrack

The soundtrack composed by Peter Thomas was released in 1968 on a library music LP Jazz Graphics / The Spy Set (KPM 1042) without any reference to the film. Parts of the soundtrack can be found on the 2000 CD – Peter Thomas – Kriminalfilmmusik (Prudence 398.6533.2).

References

Box office information for Stewart Granger films in France at Box Office Story
"The Trygon Factor". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 29 January 2024.
TRYGON FACTOR, The Monthly Film Bulletin; London Vol. 34, Iss. 396, (Jan 1, 1967): 111.
"The Trygon Factor (1969) - Trailers, Reviews, Synopsis, Showtimes and Cast - AllMovie". AllMovie.
Brian MacFarlane, An Autobiography of British Cinema, Methuen 1997 p 278
"Filmportal: Das Geheimnnis der weißen Nonne". Retrieved 7 February 2017.
"The Trygon Factor". The Monthly Film Bulletin. 34 (396): 111. 1 January 1967 – via ProQuest.
Tom Hutchinson. "The Trygon Factor". RadioTimes.
"Advertisement". Variety. January 1967.
"The Trygon Factor (1969) - Trailers, Reviews, Synopsis, Showtimes and Cast - AllMovie". AllMovie.
"Jazz Graphics / The Spy Set". Discogs. Retrieved 29 January 2024.
"Peter Thomas – Kriminalfilmmusik". Discogs. Retrieved 29 January 2024.

External links

The Trygon Factor at IMDb

Edgar Wallace

Novels

The Four Just Men (1905)
Angel Esquire (1908)
The Council of Justice (1908)
Captain Tatham (1909)
The Duke in the Suburbs (1909)
The Nine Bears (1910)
Private Selby (1912)
The Fourth Plague (1913)
Grey Timothy (1913)
The River of Stars (1913)
The Man Who Bought London (1915)
The Melody of Death (1915)
A Debt Discharged (1916)
The Tomb of Ts'in (1916)
The Just Men of Cordova (1917)
The Secret House (1917)
The Clue of the Twisted Candle (1918)
Down Under Donovan (1918)
The Man Who Knew (1918)
Those Folk of Bulboro (1918)
The Green Rust (1919)
Kate Plus Ten (1919)
The Daffodil Mystery (1920)
Jack O'Judgment (1920)
The Book of All Power (1921)
The Law of the Four Just Men (1921)
The Angel of Terror (1922)
The Crimson Circle (1922)
The Flying Fifty-Five (1922)
Mr. Justice Maxell (1922)
The Valley of Ghosts (1922)
The Clue of the New Pin (1923)
The Green Archer (1923)
The Missing Million (1923)
The Dark Eyes of London (1924)
Double Dan (1924)
The Face in the Night (1924)
Room 13 (1924)
The Sinister Man (1924)
The Three Oak Mystery (1924)
Blue Hand (1925)
The Fellowship of the Frog (1925)
The Mind of Mr. J. G. Reeder (1925)
The Strange Countess (1925)
The Three Just Men (1925)
The Avenger (1926)
Barbara on Her Own (1926)
The Black Abbot (1926)
The Northing Tramp (1926)
The Terrible People (1926)
The Yellow Snake (1926)
The Big Foot (1927)
Terror Keep (1927)
The Traitor's Gate (1927)
The Squeaker (1927)
The Forger (1927)
Again the Three (1928)
The Gunner (1928)
Four Square Jane (1929)
The Green Ribbon (1929)
The India-Rubber Men (1929)
The Calendar (1930)
The Clue of the Silver Key (1930)
The Lady of Ascot (1930)
The Man at the Carlton (1931)
The Guv'nor and Other Short Stories (1932)

Plays

An African Millionaire (1904)
M'Lady (1921)
Double Dan (1927)
The Terror (1927)
The Man Who Changed His Name (1928)
The Calendar (1929)
Persons Unknown (1929)
On the Spot (1930)
The Mouthpiece (1930)
Smoky Cell (1930)
The Old Man (1931)

Screenplays

Adaptations

J. G. Reeder	Mr. Reeder in Room 13 (1938) The Mind of Mr. Reeder (1939) The Missing People (1940) The Mind of Mr. J.G. Reeder (1969, TV series)
The Four Just Men	The Four Just Men (1921) The Four Just Men (1939) The Four Just Men (1959, TV series)
Edgar Wallace Mysteries	Urge to Kill (1960) Clue of the Twisted Candle (1960) The Malpas Mystery (1960) Marriage of Convenience (1960) The Clue of the New Pin (1961) Man at the Carlton Tower (1961) The Fourth Square (1961) Man Detained (1961) Attempt to Kill (1961) Clue of the Silver Key (1961) Never Back Losers (1961) Partners in Crime (1961) The Sinister Man (1961) Time to Remember (1962) Playback (1962) Solo for Sparrow (1962) Locker Sixty-Nine (1962) Incident at Midnight (1963) Return to Sender (1963) Ricochet (1963) Accidental Death (1963) Five to One (1963) The Verdict (1964) We Shall See (1964) Act of Murder (1964) Change Partners (1965)
Rialto Films	Der Frosch mit der Maske (1959) The Crimson Circle (1960) The Avenger (1960) The Terrible People (1960) The Green Archer (1961) The Dead Eyes of London (1961) The Devil's Daffodil (1961) The Forger of London (1961) The Strange Countess (1961) The Puzzle of the Red Orchid (1962) The Door with Seven Locks (1962) The Inn on the River (1962) The Curse of the Yellow Snake (1963) The Squeaker (1963) The Black Abbot (1963) The Indian Scarf (1963) Room 13 (1964) The Curse of the Hidden Vault (1964) Der Hexer (1964) The Traitor's Gate (1964) Neues vom Hexer (1965) The Sinister Monk (1965) The Hunchback of Soho (1966) The Trygon Factor (1966) Creature with the Blue Hand (1967) The Monk with the Whip (1967) The Hound of Blackwood Castle (1968) Im Banne des Unheimlichen (1968) The Gorilla of Soho (1968) Double Face (1969) The Man with the Glass Eye (1969) The Body in the Thames (1971)
Other	The Man Who Bought London (1916) The Green Terror (1919) Pallard the Punter (1919) Angel Esquire (1919) Wanted at Headquarters (1920) The River of Stars (1921) The Crimson Circle (1922) Down Under Donovan (1922) Melody of Death (1922) The Diamond Man (1924) The Flying Fifty-Five (1924) The Green Archer (1925 serial) The Great Unknown (1927) The Terror (1928) Mark of the Frog (1928 serial) Chick (1928) The Forger (1928) The Terrible People (1928 serial) The Ringer (1928) The Man Who Changed His Name (1928) The Flying Squad (1929) The Crimson Circle (1929) The Clue of the New Pin (1929) Red Aces (1930) The Squeaker (1930) The Yellow Mask (1930) The Ringer (1931) To Oblige a Lady (1931) The Calendar (1931) The Old Man (1931) The Squeaker (1931) The Flying Squad (1932) The Frightened Lady (1932) The Ringer (1932) The Menace (1932) White Face (1932) Giallo (1933) The Jewel (1933) Before Dawn (1933) The Double (1934) Mystery Liner (1934) The Green Pack (1934) The Feathered Serpent (1934) The Lad (1935) Sanders of the River (1935) Born to Gamble (1935) Chick (1936) Educated Evans (1936) The Crimson Circle (1936) Prison Breaker (1936) Strangers on Honeymoon (1936) The Frog (1937) The Squeaker (1937) The Gaunt Stranger (1938) Dangerous to Know (1938) Kate Plus Ten (1938) Thank Evans (1938) The Terror (1938) The Return of the Frog (1938) Flying Fifty-Five (1939) The Dark Eyes of London (1939) The Case of the Frightened Lady (1940) The Door with Seven Locks (1940) The Flying Squad (1940) The Green Archer (1940 serial) The Missing Million (1942) The Calendar (1948) The Ringer (1952) The Avenger (1960) Death Drums Along the River (1963) Coast of Skeletons (1964) Circus of Fear (1966) Five Golden Dragons (1967) The Devil Came from Akasava (1970) The Bloodstained Butterfly (1971) What Have You Done to Solange? (1972) Seven Blood-Stained Orchids (1972)
Television	Educated Evans (1957–58) The Mixer (1992)

Family

Mary Jane Richards (mother)
Marriott Edgar (half-brother)
Bryan Edgar Wallace (son)

v t e Films directed by Cyril Frankel
Man of Africa (1953) Devil on Horseback (1954) Make Me an Offer (1954) It's Great to Be Young (1956) No Time for Tears (1957) She Didn't Say No! (1958) Alive and Kicking (1959) Never Take Sweets from a Stranger (1960) School for Scoundrels (1960, uncredited) Grounds for Divorce (1960) Don't Bother to Knock (1961) On the Fiddle (1961) The Very Edge (1963) The Witches (1966) The Trygon Factor (1966) Permission to Kill (1975) Harry and Harriet (1990)

Films directed by Cyril Frankel

Man of Africa (1953)
Devil on Horseback (1954)
Make Me an Offer (1954)
It's Great to Be Young (1956)
No Time for Tears (1957)
She Didn't Say No! (1958)
Alive and Kicking (1959)
Never Take Sweets from a Stranger (1960)
School for Scoundrels (1960, uncredited)
Grounds for Divorce (1960)
Don't Bother to Knock (1961)
On the Fiddle (1961)
The Very Edge (1963)
The Witches (1966)
The Trygon Factor (1966)
Permission to Kill (1975)
Harry and Harriet (1990)

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