The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari 1920 N/R, 52 min. Genre: Foreign / Drama / Horror / Thriller
Director: Robert Wiene Cast: Werner Krauss, Conrad Veidt, Friedrich Feher, Hans Heinrich von Twardowski, Lil Dagover, Rudolf Klein-Rogge, Rudolf Lettinger, Hans Lanser-Rudolf, Ludwig Rex, Elsa Wagner, Henri Peters-Arnolds
This German Expressionist film tells the gruesome story of murder and terror set among black shadows painted across geometrically irregular streets and rooftops running zigzag among leaning chimneys. Dr. Caligari (Werner Krauss) is a hypnotist who travels with a carnival and displays a sleepwalker named Cesare (Conrad Veidt) as his attraction. While performing in a small, German town, murders take place, and when Francis' (Friedrich Feher) best friend Alan (Hans Heinrich von Twardowski) is killed, Francis connects the murder to Caligari. He accuses Caligari of committing the murders, but the police ignore him. When Francis performs his own investigation, he finds clues indicating that Caligari has ordered Cesare to commit the murders, and after a brutal confrontation with Caligari, Francis ensures that Caligari will be locked away in an asylum.
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Die Nibelungen 1924 N/R, 143 min. Genre: Foreign / Fantasy / Adventure / Drama aka: Siegfried Siegfried's Death
Director: Fritz Lang Cast: Paul Richter, Margarete Schon, Theodor Loos, Hanna Ralph, Rudolf Klein-Rogge, Georg John, Gertrud Arnold, Hans Carl Mueller, Hans Adalbert Schlettow, Hardy von Francois, Frida Richard, Yuri Yurovsky
This classic of German mythology is told in two parts. First, Siegfried (Paul Richter) gains immortality after slaying a dragon. The second part tells of his wife, Kriemhild (Margarete Schoen), seeking revenge after he was slain. The first part is sometimes found separately with a title of "Siegfried," and the second part may be found as "Kriemhild's Revenge."
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Dr. Mabuse: The Gambler 1922 N/R, 171 min. Genre: Drama aka: Dr. Mabuse, King of Crime
Director: Fritz Lang Cast: Rudolf Klein-Rogge, Alfred Abel, Aud Egede Nissen, Gertrude Welcker, Bernhard Goetzke, Paul Richter
Dr. Mabuse (Rudolf Klein-Rogge) is a psychiatrist who uses his professional knowledge to hypnotize wealthy patients, get them to cheat at their businesses, and then con them out of their money. His goal: corner the stock market. Unfortunately for Mabuse, he did not take into consideration the plodding Chief Inspector von Wenck (Bernhard Goetzke) who is on his trail.
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Metropolis 1927 N/R, 120 min. Genre: Action / Drama / Sci-Fi / Thriller / Romance
Director: Fritz Lang Cast: Brigitte Helm, Alfred Abel, Gustav Frohlich, Rudolf Klein-Rogge, Fritz Rasp, Theodor Loos, Heinrich George, Erwin Biswanger, Fritz Alberti, Hanns Leo Reich, Olaf Storm, Heinrich Gotho
In addition to innovative camera work, this early, classic, silent film gives an eerily accurate prediction of future scientific possibilities–in the year 2000. The film is an example of artistic Expressionism at its best with visual elements reflecting the mood of the theme: the conflicts between the working-class and upper-class residents of the city.
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Spione 1928 N/R, 90 min. Genre: Thriller aka: Spies
Director: Fritz Lang Cast: Rudolf Klein-Rogge, Gerda Maurus, Willy Fritsch, Lupu Pick, Lien Deyers, Louis Ralph, Craighall Sherry, Hertha von Walther, Fritz Rasp, Georg John
British Secret Service Agent No. 326 (WIlly Fritsch) gets help from a defecting Russian spy (Gerda Maurus) in thwarting the activities of ruthless master-spy Haghi (Rudolf Klein-Rogge) who runs his spy ring despite being confined to a wheelchair.
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The Testament of Dr. Mabuse 1933 N/R, 122 min. Genre: Foreign / Thriller aka: The Crimes of Dr. Mabuse
Director: Fritz Lang Cast: Rudolf Klein-Rogge, Oscar Beregi Sr., Karl Meixner, Theodor Loos, Otto Wernicke, Klaus Pohl, Wera Liessem, Gustav Diessl, Paul Bernd, Henry Bless
In Fritz Lang's 1922 film, "Dr. Mabuse, King of Crimes," Mabuse (Rudolf Klein-Rogge) hypnotized his patients and told them to commit crimes. By story's end, Mabuse had been confined as a mental patient. Now, after his death, evidence comes to light that Mabuse continues his tricks; it appears that he was able to gain control of Dr. Baum's (Oscar Beregi, Sr.) mind, and he can direct Baum to perform criminal acts.
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| 1. The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920)
2. Die Nibelungen (1924) aka: Siegfried aka: Siegfried's Death
3. Dr. Mabuse: The Gambler (1922) aka: Dr. Mabuse, King of Crime
4. Metropolis (1927)
5. Spione (1928) aka: Spies
6. The Testament of Dr. Mabuse (1933) aka: The Crimes of Dr. Mabuse
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