The Trygon Factor

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1966 British–West German film by Cyril Frankel

title: "The Trygon Factor" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1966-films", "1960s-crime-thriller-films", "1960s-heist-films", "british-crime-thriller-films", "british-heist-films", "german-crime-thriller-films", "west-german-films", "english-language-german-films", "films-based-on-british-novels", "films-based-on-works-by-edgar-wallace", "films-directed-by-cyril-frankel", "films-set-in-country-houses", "films-set-in-convents", "constantin-film-films", "1966-british-films", "1966-german-films", "films-scored-by-peter-thomas-(composer)", "warner-bros.-films"] description: "1966 British–West German film by Cyril Frankel" topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Trygon_Factor" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary 1966 British–West German film by Cyril Frankel ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox film"]

Field	Value
name	The Trygon Factor
image	Trygon_Factor.jpg
director	Cyril Frankel
producer	Ian Warren
Horst Wendlandt
writer	Derry Quinn
Stanley Munro
based on a novel by Edgar Wallace
starring	Stewart Granger
Susan Hampshire
Robert Morley
music	Peter Thomas
cinematography	Harry Waxman
editing	Oswald Hafenrichter
studio	Rialto Film
distributor	J. Arthur Rank Film Distributors (UK)
Warner Bros.-Seven Arts (US)
Constantin Film (West Germany)
released
runtime	88 minutes
country	United Kingdom
West Germany
language	English, German
gross	73,066 admissions (France)
605,412 admissions (Spain)
1.6 million
(West Germany)
::

The Trygon Factor (German title: Das Geheimnis der weißen Nonne / Mystery of the White Nun) is a 1966 British-West German crime film directed by Cyril Frankel and starring Stewart Granger, Susan Hampshire and Robert Morley. It is based on the 1917 Edgar Wallace novel Kate Plus Ten.Trygon Factor, The Monthly Film Bulletin*; London Vol. 34, Iss. 396, (Jan 1, 1967): 111.*

Plot

A Scotland Yard inspector is called to investigate a series of unsolved robberies. Inspector Cooper-Smith arrives at the country manor of a respectable English family. He discovers Livia Emberday, the mistress of the house, has turned to crime in order to bolster the family's flagging fortunes. With assistance from an order of bogus nuns, stolen goods end up in the warehouse of Hamlyn, purportedly a respectable businessman.

Cast

Stewart Granger as Superintendent Cooper-Smith
Susan Hampshire as Trudy Emberday
Robert Morley as Hubert Hamlyn
Cathleen Nesbitt as Livia Emberday
Brigitte Horney as Sister General
Sophie Hardy as Sophie
Diane Clare as Clare O'Connor (Sister Clare)
James Robertson Justice as Sir John (voice: English version)
Siegfried Schürenberg as Sir John – German version
Eddi Arent as Emil Clossen
James Culliford as Luke Emberday
Allan Cuthbertson as Detective Thompson
Colin Gordon as Dice
Caroline Blakiston as white nun
Richardina Jackson as black nun

Production

Susan Hampshire called the film "another B picture. Very often I did films because of tax demands" and said Stewart Granger had a big ego, but felt "we had a very interesting director in that film, Cyril Frankley [sic!], and I think it was one of the best acting performances I've ever given."

Filmink called the movie "one of several thrillers made by Rank that were co-productions partly shot in Europe using international 'names'."

Release

The film premiered in West Germany on 16 December 1966.

Critical reception

The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "Take one of England's statelier homes, serving as headquarters for a ruthless criminal conspiracy by a sisterhood of nuns engaged in smuggling, bank-robbery and murder; add a matriarch behaving like a genteel Doctor Mabuse, whose son is kinky for French girls' blonde hair, and whose daughter displays marked transvestite tendencies; throw in Robert Morley pouting petulantly, and you should have the ingredients for an entertaining thriller. Apparently you don't. The film is confused, rambling, and almost entirely lacking in humour or real tension. However, it is mostly agreeable to look at, thanks to the photography and art direction. Susan Hampshire and James Culliford adequately portray mental imbalance, and there is an excellent performance by Cathleen Nesbitt, of whom one would happily have seen much more."

The Radio Times called it a "farcical British crime drama."

Variety noted, "a complicated Scotland Yard whodunit which the spectator will find taxing to follow ... Script is pocketed with story loopholes and attempts to confuse, plus certain motivations and bits of business impossible to fathom. Granger still makes a good impression."

Allmovie wrote, "there are plenty of twists in the storyline of this often complex mystery feature."

Soundtrack

The soundtrack composed by Peter Thomas was released in 1968 on a library music LP Jazz Graphics / The Spy Set (KPM 1042) without any reference to the film. Parts of the soundtrack can be found on the 2000 CD – Peter Thomas – Kriminalfilmmusik (Prudence 398.6533.2).

References

[http://translate.google.com.au/translate?hl=en&sl=fr&u=http://www.boxofficestory.com/&prev=search Box office information for Stewart Granger films in France] at Box Office Story
"The Trygon Factor".
"The Trygon Factor (1969) – Trailers, Reviews, Synopsis, Showtimes and Cast". AllMovie.
Brian MacFarlane, ''An Autobiography of British Cinema'', Methuen 1997 p 278
Vagg, Stephen. (11 August 2025). "Forgotten British Film Studios: The Rank Organisation, 1965 to 1967".
"Filmportal: Das Geheimnnis der weißen Nonne".
(1 January 1967). "The Trygon Factor". [[The Monthly Film Bulletin]].
Tom Hutchinson. "The Trygon Factor". RadioTimes.
(January 1967). "Advertisement". Variety.
"The Trygon Factor (1969) – Trailers, Reviews, Synopsis, Showtimes and Castwork=AllMovie".
(1968). "Jazz Graphics / The Spy Set".
(1998). "Peter Thomas – Kriminalfilmmusik".

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