Emil and the Detectives
1964 | 99m | English
Popularity: 3 (history)
| Director: | Peter Tewksbury |
|---|---|
| Writer: | AJ Carothers, Erich Kästner |
| Staring: |
| When Emil travels by bus to Berlin to visit his family, his money is stolen by a crook who specializes in digging tunnels. While following the thief, Emil runs into Gustav, a young boy who gathers up all his friends to help Emil find the money. However, they get into more trouble than they bargained for when Emil's pickpocket turns out to be mixed up with a couple of notorious bank robbers. | |
| Release Date: | Dec 18, 1964 |
|---|---|
| Director: | Peter Tewksbury |
| Writer: | AJ Carothers, Erich Kästner |
| Genres: | Comedy, Adventure, Action, Crime |
| Keywords | berlin, germany, detective, railway car, remake, thief |
| Production Companies | Walt Disney Productions |
| Box Office |
Revenue: $1,275,000
Budget: $0 |
| Updates |
Updated: Aug 09, 2025 Entered: Apr 13, 2024 |
| Name | Character |
|---|---|
| Walter Slezak | Baron |
| Bryan Russell | Emil Tischbein |
| Roger Mobley | Gustav |
| Heinz Schubert | Grundeis |
| Peter Ehrlich | Müller |
| Cindy Cassell | Pony Hütchen |
| Elsa Wagner | Nana |
| Eva Ingeborg Scholz | Frau Tischbein |
| Wolfgang Völz | Wachmeister Stucke |
| David Petrychka | Dienstag |
| Brian Richardson | The Professor |
| Robert Swann | Hermann |
| Franz Nicklisch | Desk Sergeant |
| Ann Noland | Frieda |
| Ron Johnson | Rudolf |
| Rick Johnson | Hans |
| Viktor Hospach | Kioskbesitzer (uncredited) |
| Name | Job |
|---|---|
| AJ Carothers | Screenplay |
| Heinz Schreiter | Original Music Composer |
| Günther Senftleben | Director of Photography |
| Thomas Stanford | Editor |
| Werner Schlichting | Art Direction |
| Leo Bei | Costume Design |
| Josef Wanke | Costume Design |
| Jupp Paschke | Makeup Artist |
| Cotton Warburton | Editor |
| Isabella Schlichting | Art Direction |
| Hans-Joachim Schmalor | Makeup Artist |
| Peter Tewksbury | Director |
| Erich Kästner | Novel |
| Name | Title |
|---|---|
| Walt Disney | Producer |
| Organization | Category | Person |
|---|
Popularity History
| Year | Month | Avg | Max | Min |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 4 | 6 | 9 | 4 |
| 2024 | 5 | 7 | 10 | 4 |
| 2024 | 6 | 6 | 12 | 3 |
| 2024 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 4 |
| 2024 | 8 | 6 | 11 | 4 |
| 2024 | 9 | 4 | 7 | 2 |
| 2024 | 10 | 6 | 15 | 3 |
| 2024 | 11 | 6 | 16 | 3 |
| 2024 | 12 | 5 | 8 | 2 |
| 2025 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 2 |
| 2025 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 1 |
| 2025 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 1 |
| 2025 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2025 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2025 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2025 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 2025 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 2025 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
Trending Position
A respectable and watchable film. I do feel <em>'Emil and the Detectives'</em> could've been bigger and better, there's a load of good ingredients there. With that said, it is still a film that has its pluses. One is how it looks, with cool shots of 1960s Berlin. Another is the humour which is pr ... etty solid. The cast is where it gets underwhelming, not in terms of the actors but just in regards to the characters and their respective developments. Heinz Schubert, Walter Slezak and Peter Ehrlich are suitable choices to portray Grundeis, The Baron and Müller. However, they never really get out of second gear. I personally wanted more from the trio. Then you have the child actors, for which there are many - probably too many as none of them, aside from Emil (Bryan Russell) and Gustav (Roger Mobley), get much development or even serious screen time. As for the premise, it's entertaining. Like with what I've already noted, it's all just a bit safe and mild. It definitely could've been greater. I still had a fun enough time with this, though.