Emil and the Detectives
Seen it?1964 | 99 min | Action, Adventure, Comedy, Crime
Sunday Safe Betearly ratingWhy it’s a Sunday Safe Bet
It earned strong reviews (83% on Rotten Tomatoes), though it had soft box office and little lasting buzz. A safe bet when you want something reliable.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for crime fans, anyone who wants a laugh and action fans. If you loved The Naked Gun, start here.
- The mood
- Light and funny.
- The pace
- Fast-moving, at 1 hr 39 min.
- What might put you off
- Rated PG. Worth a look first if you have very young kids.
- Made in 1964: an older pace and style.
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.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsStrong
83% on Rotten Tomatoes
- AudiencesNot counted
Not measured yet: not enough ratings
- AwardsNot counted
No major awards or nominations
- Box office & staying powerBelow par
$1 million worldwide; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactBelow par
About 11K people sought it out in the past year
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Cast & crew
Directed by Peter Tewksbury
- Walter SlezakBaron
- Bryan RussellEmil Tischbein
- Roger MobleyGustav
- Heinz SchubertGrundeis
- Peter EhrlichMüller
- Cindy CassellPony Hütchen
- Elsa WagnerNana
- Eva Ingeborg ScholzFrau Tischbein
- Wolfgang VölzWachmeister Stucke
- David PetrychkaDienstag