Amok (1934)

Dr. Holk leads a lonely life in a small dutch colony in the tropics. Fled from love and civilisation his only companions are alcohol and his work, which takes him to the villages ravaged by... See full summary »

Director:

Fyodor Otsep (as Fedor Ozep)

Writers:

André Lang, H.R. Lenormand

Stars:

Marcelle Chantal, Jean Yonnel, Valéry Inkijinoff

1 nomination.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Marcelle Chantal	...	Hélène Haviland
Jean Yonnel	...	Holk
Valéry Inkijinoff	...	Amok et Maté (as V. Inkijinoff)
Jean Servais	...	Jan
Pierre Magnier	...	Le président
Hubert Daix	...	Van der Tomb
Madeleine Guitty	...	La servante de cabaret
Fréhel	...	La chanteuse (as Frehel)
Claude Barghon	...	Lili Haviland (as La petite Claude Barghon)
Soura Hari	...	Balinese Dancer
Toshi Komori	...	Dancer
Jean Galland	...	Monsieur Haviland

Storyline

Dr. Holk leads a lonely life in a small dutch colony in the tropics. Fled from love and civilisation his only companions are alcohol and his work, which takes him to the villages ravaged by dirt, fever, fear and a strange illness turning innocent people into madmen: Amok. One day he receives a visit by the young and beautiful Hèlène Haviland, who asks him to abort her lover's child before her husband returns. Even though Holk is infatuated by her seductive beauty, he haughtily refuses her request. Hélène seeks help from a Chinese practitioner. When Holk - driven by his fevered love and agony - finds her again in a dirty dive, it is already too late.

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Plot Keywords:

self sacrifice | suicide | bound by oath | deathbed oath | throwing a dead body into the sea | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Did You Know?

Connections

Version of Amok (1993)

User Reviews

Stephen Zweig

Stephan Zweig was a great writer and also the most popular of his time. He had to leave Austria when the Nazis took over. He is too good a writer to be forgotten, but when I visited Vienna and asked, no one knew about him. He translated and wrote the lyrics for Richard Strauss's last opera, "The Silent Woman". It is a play by Englishman Ben Jonson, a contemporary of Shakespeare and worth being known in his own right. It was played one time in Nazi Germany before it was banned. Strauss knew the risks but insisted on Zweig as the writer. It has rarely been performed, unfortunately, but there are a couple of recordings after the war which you can find. One is from former East Germany and another from the Salzburger Festspiele 1959 in Austria.

I have been a fan of Fréhel for years and fortunately almost all she recorded has been edited on CD's.

Details

Country:

France

Language:

French

Release Date:

18 October 1946 (USA)

Also Known As:

La locura del trópico

Filming Locations:

Joinville, Haute-Marne, France

Company Credits

Production Co:

Carlyle Productions, Pathé-Natan

Technical Specs

Runtime:

92 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Photophone)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1