The Testament of Dr. Mabuse (1933)

A new crime wave grips the city and all clues seem to lead to the nefarious Dr. Mabuse, even though he has been imprisoned in a mental asylum for nearly a decade.

Director:

Fritz Lang

Writers:

Norbert Jacques (characters), Fritz Lang

Stars:

Rudolf Klein-Rogge, Otto Wernicke, Gustav Diessl

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Rudolf Klein-Rogge	...	Dr. Mabuse
Gustav Diessl	...	Thomas Kent
Rudolf Schündler	...	Hardy
Oskar Höcker	...	Bredow
Theo Lingen	...	Karetzky
Camilla Spira	...	Juwelen-Anna
Paul Henckels	...	Lithograph / Litographer
Otto Wernicke	...	Inspector Karl Lohmann
Theodor Loos	...	Dr. Kramm
Hadrian Maria Netto	...	Nicolai Griforiew (as Hadrian M. Netto)
Paul Bernd	...	Erpresser / Blackmailer
Henry Pleß	...	Bulle
Adolf E. Licho	...	Dr. Hauser
Oscar Beregi Sr.	...	Prof. Dr. Baum (as Oscar Beregi)
Wera Liessem	...	Lilli

Storyline

Berlin police inspector Lohmann investigates a case, in which all clues lead to a man, who's in a hospital for mental illnesses for since many years - Dr. Mabuse.

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Plot Keywords:

criminal mastermind | german expressionism | based on novel | character name in title | lunatic asylum | 

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Taglines:

Madman? Monster? Murderer? Scientist? (1952 re-release)

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Genres:

Crime

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

Germany

Language:

German

Release Date:

1 January 1933 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Crimes of Dr. Mabuse

Filming Locations:

Berlin, Germany

Company Credits

Production Co:

Nero-Film AG

Technical Specs

Runtime:

122 min 110 min (re-edited)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Tobis-Klangfilm)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.20 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film was banned in Germany, so the world premiere was held on April 21, 1933, in Budapest, Hungary, in its original 124-minute version.

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Goofs

Hofmeister supposedly scratches Mabuse's name in a window pane of his apartment with a ring, but Hofmeister is not wearing any rings when Division 2-B enter his apartment.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Inspector Lohmann: "Magic Fire Music," old man.
[whistles]
Inspector Lohmann: You know that one, Müller? That's from "Die Walküre". Those are the girls who carry dead police inspectors directly up to heaven from the Alexanderplatz with a "Hey ho." On horseback.

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Alternate Versions

Turner Classic Movies broadcast a restored version put together in 2000 from segments in various film archives and distributed by Janis Films. Its length is 3,341 meters and ran 121 minutes. It had no cast or crew credits other than the director.

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Connections

Edited into American Cinema: Film Noir (1995)

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Soundtracks

Die Walküre (The Valkyries)
(1856) (uncredited)
Written by Richard Wagner
Portion hummed by Klaus Pohl

User Reviews

Two crowded hours

This film's a thriller, a detective story, a ghost story; it has romantic and comic sub-plots, a striking array of sets, some of the first convincing special effects ever used, echoes of other films; and it is not hard to find in it political relevance to today. It's a lot to cram into two hours, and one has to work to follow every twist of the plot, but it is both a rewarding and entertaining experience.

The film draws on an exceptionally wide variety of cinematic styles. There are expressionist moments, and these are particularly striking, but they account for only two or three minutes out of a running time of 120. There are moments when one could almost be in a screwball comedy. And there are moments which come close to social realism – it would be interesting to know whether the patients at the mental hospital played themselves. The dominant mode, though, is an anticipation of film noir.

I would, though, counsel against investing too much historical hindsight in this film – yes, Fritz Lang did go into exile from the Nazis – but it is more the shadow of Weimar than the shadow of Hitler that hovers in the background here.

Not perfect; not an absolute masterpiece: but an occasionally stunning and always stimulating film, which deserves 9 out of 10.