Rex Resolution 65: Das Testament

If you get gifted a painting that's not to your taste, be careful before disposing of it.

When a son, Walter Stift, is dismantling his father's estate, he passes items not to his taste to an antique seller for disposal. When the dealer removes a tacky painting of the Prater from it's more valuable frame, he discovers the last will of the man's father written on the bottom of the painting and realises he can make a quick buck out of blackmailing Walter, for the will would substantially reduce the amount left to him.

Across town, Walter is making plans for extensive and expensive modifications to his father's house. Into this scene walks his father's former carer, Tanya Kraus, who has come to complain the afore-mentioned painting left to her by her former patient. When the architect informs her that everything has been sent to the antique shop, she leaves, although he later informs Walter that Tanya was looking for the painting.

The antique dealer contacts Walter to tell him about the will, how a substantial amount of his inheritance should be redirected to the carer should the will ever come to light, and demanding a reward. He soon cops something but probably not what he anticipated as Walter whacks him over the head with one of his antique walking sticks. Now aware of the content of the will on the painting, he is frustrated by his inability to find it and turns his attention to Tanya, who is also looking for the painting.

This particular murder puzzles Brandtner for there appears to be nothing missing from the shop. When Kunz discovers a secret workshop, it looks as if the murder might be related to smuggled antiquities.

Tanya finally turns up the shop and purchases the painting from the dead man's partner, the second owner unaware of the will, although he later discovers photos revealing the importance of the painting. When Tanya leaves it at a repair shop to get damage to the frame fixed, it becomes the subject of attention, both of the second antique dealer and Walter. Unfortunately for the antique dealer, Walter breaks into the store at the same time, with fatal results for the dealer. The painting is already gone. With repairs too expensive, Tanya has taken it to her new place of employment.

At the same time, Brandtner, now investigating the second murder also, discovers photos of the painting and will, leading him to both Tanya and Walter. Brandtner arrives just in time to see Walter trying to make off with the painting. When he throws it into the river, Rex dives in and saves it. With the will valid, looks like Tanya's future us suddenly looking much brighter.

Other players include Marianne Saegebrecht as carer Tanja Kraus, Peter Faerber as Franz Zehrer, Jazz Gitti, Gernot Kranner, and Franz Tscherne.

Recycled Rexer Frank Buchrieser, above, also in 'Ein feines Haus' (1994) as Kurt Kovarik, Herbert Foettinger, here as Walter Stift, but also appearing in 'Amok' (1995)

Rex Resolution 3: Ein feines Haus

Yep, day three, epsidode 3. No You Tube clip for this episode so why not revisit the 1994 introduction instead?


I have to say this is a little harder again now I'm back at work and have to meet other commitments. However, a resolution is a resolution, right? Or maybe this is because this is probably one of my least favourite episodes.

Timely though. A vagrant is murdered in the courtyard of a Viennese apartment block on New Year's Eve, although the initial case Moser attends is that of a woman resident of the apartment block who appears to have hung herself. In Rex, nothing is ever as it seems and so it goes in this case.

One thing I've noticed is that Austrian actors are extremely good at playing dead. Check it out. Unlike bodies in series of CSI and the like, not a single blink or raise of the chest. Very impressive.

This episode is noteworthy in offering the first near naked shot of Moser (he loves to get his kit off, doesn't he?), modesty just saved by a wellplaced doona. Puritanical (or is that envious really?) Stocki gets a shock when he encounters Moser's one night stand and then comes across a hungover Hoellerer in the bath. Hoellerer, thankfully, has the sense to keep his clothes on.




Other players include the late Bruno Dallansky as Ferdinand Riedl, and Alexandra Hilverth as Sissy Kovarik, both pictured above.

Also, Michael Thomas, who appears to have no IMDB record.


More Recycled Rexers in Hilde Berger, this episode as Frau Riedl, Mord a la carte (1997) as Elvira Konrad, Frank Buchrieser above in a recurring role? as Kurt Kovarik (unsure how this works) in this episode and Das Testament (1999) and Herbert Pendel, Doppler here and Swoboda in Der Fluck der Mumie (2003).


See? Episode 3 and the 'recycling' is already well-entrenched!