Tartuffe (1925)
"Herr Tartüff" (original title)

Young man shows his millionaire grandfather a film based on Molière's Tartuffe, in order to expose the old man's hypocritical governess who covets his own inheritance.

Director:

F.W. Murnau

Writers:

Molière (play), Carl Mayer (manuscript)

Stars:

Hermann Picha, Rosa Valetti, André Mattoni

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Hermann Picha	...	Der Greis
Rosa Valetti	...	Seine Haushälterin / Housekeeper
André Mattoni	...	Sein Enkel / Grandson
Werner Krauss	...	Herr Orgon
Lil Dagover	...	Frau Elmire / Elmire, Orgon's wife
Lucie Höflich	...	Dorine
Emil Jannings	...	Tartüff
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Camilla Horn

Storyline

Young man shows his millionaire grandfather a film based on Molière's Tartuffe, in order to expose the old man's hypocritical governess who covets his own inheritance.

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Plot Keywords:

travelling cinema | seduction | religious delusion | hypocrisy | poison | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

Germany

Language:

German

Release Date:

24 July 1927 (USA)

Also Known As:

Tartuffe

Filming Locations:

Ufa-Atelier, Berlin-Tempelhof, Berlin, Germany

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universum Film (UFA)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

74 min 63 min (DVD edition)

Sound Mix:

Silent

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Four original negatives were cut: for Germany, France, USA, and export elsewhere. The German version is considered lost.

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Connections

Featured in Los 5 Faust de F.W. Murnau (2002)

User Reviews

Tartuffe

A light fable exploring the theme of hypocrisy and those who exploit the weak-willed under false pretenses. Although it's not a film that bowls you over, there are some interesting touches. The film-within-a-film framework (perhaps one of the first to use it in such a substantial manner), the direct appeals to the audience, the overt sexuality. The look of the film is impressive, with a lavish set to work with, striking lighting techniques, and a few bold camera angles. Emil Jannings is hammy as usual, but in an enjoyable way. The dual stories being told are simplistic and predictable, but fun to go along with. I have yet to see a bad film by Murnau, and even if this isn't one of his most memorable works, it's worthwhile.