| KRIMI#5 THE PHANTOM OF SOHO |
| In the red light district of Soho a man leaves the club Sansibar.He is gruesomely murdered by a phantom from out of the fog. Sir Phillip of Scotland Yard is having dinner with his fiancee Clarinda Smith.Clarinda is the successful author of a series of mystery novels.Sir Phillip gets a call from Sgt Hallam to meet him at the murder scene.The murder victim Lord Bessell was found with an envelope of 100 pounds cash and a fetish doll.Inspector Patton is called in to the case. Patton & Hallam visit the Sansibar.They deduce that the Capri hotel across the street is run by the manager of the Sansibar too.The manager of the club has spent ten years in jail for white slavery.Corrine the photographer takes a picture of the policemen.She talks to the manager who notifies the crippled owner Joanna Filiati and Dr Dalmar.They watch the police from an observation mirror behind the bar. The police watch the knife throwing act featuring Yousef.The knife he uses is the same as the one used to kill Bessell.When they go to speak to the man he is knifed in the darkness.Outside the club a vagrant watches as the Phantom killer leaves in secret.Patton suspects a man with a birthmark on his face but he too has vanished. Patton talks to the owner of the club and Dr Dalmar.Filiati denies any connection with the killings.Hallam reports back to Patton that he can't reach Sir Phillip which is odd. Later Sir Phillip tries to downplay that there is a Phantom in Soho.Patton says the murders are the same and committed by the same man.It also turns out Yousef was a drug dealer and a white slaver. Patton has lunch with Sir Phillip and Clarinda.Calrinda announces her intention to beat Scotland Yard to the punch.She is determined to discover who the Phantom really is. Back at the Sansibar Filiati and her doctor are angered to see Lord Milhaus there.She feels he is next in line to die and wants him out of the club.The manager coerces Corrine to seduce Milhaus and get him out to the Capri.There she can drug him and leave.Very reluctantly she agrees. A Captain Muggins arrives and pesters Milhaus.Milhaus thought Muggins to be dead.Muggins threatens blackmail.Milhaus agrees to meet with him later as he is pretty horny and wants to take care of that first.Dalmar & Filiati watch and plot. Corrine takes Milhaus to the Capri.She drugs him and hides in the loo waiting for the drugs to take effect.Unknown to her the Phantom comes in and we get some POV shots from the killer.Milhaus is stabbed and left with 100 pounds cash.Corrine discovers the body and flees.She is abducted in the parking lot of the Sansibar. Patton & Hallam are at the scene of the murder.They browbeat the manager of the club into giving them Corrine's address.Hallam heads there to see if she can be found.Patton interviews Filiati.She claims she was crippled and facially scarred in an auto accident.Patton tells her the scar looks knife inflicted and doesn't buy all of her story. Patton chances upon Sir Phillip acting strangely in the red light district.They head to Corrine's and Patton muses that Sir Phillip may have been there before.They discover Hallam beaten but alive.Back at the Yard the trio look at slides taken from the Sansibar.All of the dead men show up on film as do Dr Dalmar and Sir Phillip. Captain Muggins shows up at Dalmar's.He threatens to expose him.He has info on a yacht that Lloyd's Of London would want to know about.Dalmar promises him money that night and they agree to meet at Royal Lane.But the Phantom kills Muggins there and leaves him in the fog. Patton orders a Flying Squad round up of the red light district.He also finds Sir Phillip spiriting Corrine away.He tries to follow them but is attacked by the man with the birthmark.There is a terrific struggle and Patton barely escapes. Hallam learns that Muggins supposedly died when the yacht Yolanda sank. The passenger list included all of the dead men.A news photo showed several women on board as well.The ship was overinsured by Lord Milhaus.. The race is then on as the Phantom targets others for death.Corrine stays one step ahead of Patton's efforts to find her as someone is keeping her away from him.Dalmar is marked for death.Joanna Filiati is not what she seems but may fall victim to the Phantom. Murder, gang rape, slavery,revenge, insurance swindles and more fuel the Phantom Of Soho.It all ends at the airport as the Phantom hunts down those on the list. This is a nifty, albeit lurid entry in the series.The title theme is a sleazy little piano number that you'll find yourself whistling after the movie is over. Based on a novel by Bryan Edgar Wallace. |
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