Der Bucklige und die Tänzerin (1920)

Wilton, a hunchback, who was always scorned and ridiculed by women, returns from Java a rich man after having discovered a diamond mine. He romances Gina, who is on the rebound from a ... See full summary »

Director:

F.W. Murnau

Writer:

Carl Mayer

Stars:

Sascha Gura, John Gottowt, Paul Biensfeldt

Cast

Cast overview:
Sascha Gura	...	Gina
John Gottowt	...	James Wilton
Paul Biensfeldt	...	Smith
Anna von Palen	...	Smiths Mutter
Henri Peters-Arnolds	...	Percy
Bella Polini	...	Tänzerin

Storyline

Wilton, a hunchback, who was always scorned and ridiculed by women, returns from Java a rich man after having discovered a diamond mine. He romances Gina, who is on the rebound from a broken affair, and showers her with expensive gifts. After Gina reconciles with her boyfriend, she continues to see Wilton because of what he gives her. After he discovers her perfidy, Wilton develops a poison and mixes it into her lipstick, which will kill any man who kisses her.

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Plot Keywords:

hunchback | poison | diamonds | lost film

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Genres:

Horror

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Details

Country:

Germany

Language:

German

Release Date:

4 September 1922 (Finland)

Also Known As:

The Hunchback and the Dancer

Company Credits

Production Co:

Helios Film

Technical Specs

Runtime:

50 min

Sound Mix:

Silent

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This is a lost film.

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Connections

Referenced in Die Sprache der Schatten - Murnau: Die frühen Jahre und Nosferatu (2007)

User Reviews

Murnau's Sixth film is among the LOST: a synopsis follows.

Wilton, a hunchback, repulses women, but returns a rich man from Java, where he discovered a diamond mine. He romances Gina, who is on the rebound. Wilton has also learned Javanese secrets of cosmetics, oils and perfumes with which he enchants her. She however is reconciled with her former lover and stops seeing Wilton. Wilton creates a poison to mix with his gift of oils and unguents which will kill anyone who kisses Gina, while she is protected by an antidote. Her lover is killed and another is affected by the symptoms. She rushes to Wilton to learn the truth and secure the antidote. He tries to overcome her, kisses her and dies when she snatches the antidote from him and runs to her stricken friend.

The film was praised as being visually stunning, the characters "bathed in such atmosphere....a kind of psychic perfume."

This is a LOST film - no negative or positive material is known to have survived.

Above gleaned from Lotte Eisner's biography on Murnau.