Death Smiles on a Murderer (1973) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Franz resurrects Greta because he was obsessively in love with her and couldn't accept her death. After sexually assaulting her and learning she ran off with Doctor Herbert von Ravensbrück, Greta died in childbirth in 1906. Franz, a brilliant student who had studied an ancient Incan formula for reviving the dead, used that knowledge to bring her back as an undead creature, believing they could finally leave together.

Foreshadowing: Earlier flashbacks establish Franz's twisted devotion and his scientific knowledge of resurrection formulas.

• franz
• greta resurrection
• undead
• incan formula
• love obsession

Greta died in childbirth in 1906, and the baby did not survive. When Herbert von Ravensbrück encounters Greta's ghost at her grave, she reminds him of the unborn child's death, accusing him of responsibility. This tragedy is the core trauma that fuels the supernatural vengeance.

Foreshadowing: Herbert's memory flashback during Eva's funeral reveals Greta dying in childbirth while Franz blames him.

• greta baby
• childbirth death
• herbert von ravensbrück
• 1906 flashback

Doctor Sturges performs several tests on the unconscious Greta. He inserts a needle into her right eyeball, which causes no pain, a definitive sign she is undead. He also examines the coachman's rapidly decomposing body in the coffin, confirming Greta was undead at the time of the crash. He keeps these findings secret, fearing the truth.

Foreshadowing: The medallion's cryptic symbols initially intrigue Sturges, leading him to investigate further.

• doctor sturges
• undead test
• needle test
• decomposition

Eva walls Greta up because consumed by jealousy over her husband Walter's growing attraction to the mysterious woman. Observing secret meetings between Walter and Greta, Eva lures Greta into the villa's cellar during Walter's absence, confesses her hatred, and seals her alive inside the walls, then lies to Walter that Greta left.

Foreshadowing: Earlier scenes show Eva's jealousy swelling as she watches Greta and Walter together.

• eva
• jealousy
• wall up alive
• cellar
• walter ravensbrück

Greta hunts the Ravensbrück family for revenge because they abandoned her when she needed them most. After being sexually abused by her brother and falling pregnant by Herbert von Ravensbrück, she was left to die in childbirth by her lover. Her resurrection as an undead avenger drives her to kill Eva, Walter, and confront Herbert about their shared guilt.

Foreshadowing: The opening scenes establish Greta's abandonment and Franz's vow to resurrect her.

• greta revenge
• ravensbrück family
• undead avenger
• herbert

The gold medallion bears the inscription "Greta 1906" and cryptic symbols that Doctor Sturges deciphers as containing an Incan formula for reviving life. Franz used this formula to resurrect Greta. The medallion serves as both the key to the resurrection mechanism and a physical reminder of Greta's death, Walter's corpse is later found clutching it.

Foreshadowing: Professor Kempte explains the medallion links to an Incan myth about restoring a king to life.

• gold medallion
• incan formula
• resurrection symbols
• professor kempte

In the 1906 flashback, Franz approaches Greta believing he has successfully resurrected her. He dresses her in white and places the medallion around her neck, claiming they will leave together. Greta throws white flowers into his face, which transform into the dark cat that kills him. She then changes into a red dress and leaves with a smile, revealing Franz's resurrection was only partly successful, he created a monster.

Foreshadowing: Throughout the film, the dark cat appears as Greta's supernatural companion.

• franz death
• dark cat
• white flowers transformation
• 1906 flashback

Inspector Dannick is called to investigate after the coach crash and the subsequent murders at the Ravensbrück villa. He becomes obsessed with solving the mystery of Greta, whom he never truly sees clearly. His investigation leads him to Professor Kempte, who explains the medallion's origins and directs him to Franz's address, but the case remains unresolved.

Foreshadowing: Dannick's persistent questioning drives much of the plot's revelation of backstory.

• inspector dannick
• investigation
• professor kempte
• mystery

Eva's jealousy is triggered when she watches Walter and Greta grow close, sharing quiet moments together. During Walter's absence, she observes a clandestine meeting between them, which causes her jealousy to erupt. This jealousy ultimately leads her to trap Greta in the cellar, setting in motion the deadly confrontation.

Foreshadowing: The scene where Walter and Eva watch Greta together establishes their emotional connection to her.

• eva jealousy
• walter greta
• affair
• emotional connection

The ending suggests the cycle of supernatural vengeance continues indefinitely. Inspector Dannick, having failed to solve the mystery, returns home to find an aged Greta waiting, implying she has been watching him all along, or that time works differently for the undead. Her smile suggests recognition, leaving open whether she will target him next or if the curse simply persists beyond the Ravensbrück family.

Foreshadowing: The medallion and Franz's incomplete resurrection suggest Greta exists outside normal temporal bounds.

• aged greta
• ending interpretation
• cycle of vengeance
• inspector dannick

Using the medallion's deciphered symbols, Doctor Sturges attempts to replicate the Incan resurrection formula in his underground laboratory. He succeeds in briefly animating a corpse, but before he can document his findings, an unseen force strangles him along with his deaf assistant and the revived body, likely Greta's supernatural intervention protecting the formula's secrets.

Foreshadowing: Sturges's earlier discovery of Greta's undead nature sets up his dangerous experimentation.

• doctor sturges
• corpse revival
• underground laboratory
• incan formula

Greta lures Simeon, the loyal butler, into the granary and offers him money or even love in exchange for keeping her identity secret. When he agrees, she kills him anyway, ensuring no witness can expose her. The police cover up the body, and Walter's corpse is later found clutching Greta's medallion, suggesting she turned on the family entirely.

Foreshadowing: Earlier scenes show Simeon serving the family faithfully and being aware of the household's secrets.

• simeon death
• butler killed
• granary
• greta murders

The Incan formula is an ancient inscription found on Greta's medallion, deciphered by Professor Kempte as relating to a Maya/Incan belief in restoring a king to life. Franz von Holstein, a brilliant student, had studied the symbols but abandoned the project after Greta's death, until he decided to use it to bring her back, with tragic consequences.

Foreshadowing: The medallion's cryptic symbols appear throughout the film as the key to resurrection.

• incan formula
• maya
• resurrection
• professor kempte
• franz studies