Die Katze von Kensington

A string of mysterious murders in London is linked by two odd details: a black Jaguar parked near each crime scene and a white cat perched in the passenger seat, while a joker card turns up on every victim. Chief Inspector Higgins and Inspector Barbara Lane follow these clues through the city's underbelly, interviewing eccentric suspects from aristocrats to showy sidekicks. The pair's investigation pulls at threads around a diamond smuggling operation, with the animal motif and playing card serving as grim signatures. The film keeps the tension in the procedural itself, focusing on clue-gathering and character encounters rather than any single big reveal.

Released as a TV movie in 1996, Die Katze von Kensington was directed by Peter Keglevic and adapts material linked to Edgar Wallace, with Simon Borowiak and Hans Kantereit credited among the creators. The cast includes Joachim Kemmer as Chief Inspector Higgins, Julia Bremermann as Inspector Barbara Lane, Leslie Phillips as Sir John, Eddi Arent as Flatter, and Gisela Uhlen as Lady Smith.

The production didn’t attract major awards attention and there are no notable industry nominations associated with it. It remained a niche entry in the mid 1990s crime-TV landscape, seeing most of its life on regional broadcasts and genre-focused listings rather than award seasons.

Among fans of vintage crime adaptations, the recurring image of the black Jaguar with a white cat and the joker card clue stands out as an oddball signature. While the movie never reached mainstream cult status, that visual motif and the film’s period-tinged atmosphere are sometimes mentioned by aficionados of Edgar Wallace adaptations and European TV mysteries.

Critical coverage was limited, and viewer ratings are sparse, with available tallies suggesting modest appreciation rather than enthusiasm. The movie leans into classic detective conventions: procedure, suspicion, and social contrasts among suspects. Performances emphasize archetypal roles, the pacing favors clue-driven scenes, and the film aims more for a steady, old-school mystery mood than for modern thriller excess.