Mandrake and the Golem

Movie
Original title	Mandrake and the Golem
Country of production	Germany
original language	German
Publishing year	1919
Rod
Director	Nils Chrisander
script	Richard Kühle , after Achim von Arnim and Hanns Heinz Ewers
production	Deutsche Bioscop GmbH Berlin
camera	Guido Seeber
occupation
	Uschi Elleot; Use Wilke; Paul Wegener (?);

Alraune und der Golem is the title of a German silent film drama that the Swedish director Nils Chrisander directed in 1919 for Deutsche Bioscop GmbH Berlin based on a script by the Munich writer Richard Kühle . It can be assigned to the genres of fantastic film and horror film , because Kühle tried to combine two current motifs around the "artificial human", that of the mandrake created by artificial insemination and that of the golem made from clay. The literary templates for the novel, which he published in 1920 based on his script, were provided by Achim von Arnim with his story “ Isabella von Aeggypt ” from 1812 and, indirectly, by Hanns Heinz Ewers with his novel “ Alraune ” from 1911.

action

“Isabella is the daughter of the gypsy baron Michael, who was innocently hanged after helping two compatriots. She is raised by the old gypsy Braka. Belonging to the gypsy nobility by blood, however, she does not have much wealth. Braka tells her the legend of the mandragora, the mandrake. In this version of the legend, the mandragora, a creature born from the roots that grew from the tears of a hanged man, has the power to find hidden treasures. Isabella decides to use her father's execution to bring this creature to life. The gnome is given the name Cornelius and Isabella begins to develop a strange affection for him. "

The author of the article “The Golem's Resurrection” in The Black Bear (1919), No. 3 reveals about the content:

“We had the opportunity to inspect the basic manuscript, which is based on a novel by Achim von Arnim. It ties in with the old story that tells us that on a moonlit night under the gallows three hanged men can be brought to life with the help of a black dog, the mandrake male. This mandrake dwarf would have the power to unearth hidden treasures. In search of riches, he disturbs the golem in his grave rest and goes on adventures with him. An interesting, piquant love story forms the outline of the plot, which above all has a strong dramatic effect. "

background

The film was made in the Bioscop-Atelier Neubabelsberg, Potsdam and was advertised as a "giant bioscope film". The Aachen graphic artist and poster artist Jupp Wiertz created the cinema poster designs and a series of artist postcards for the film, which were published by Deutsche Bioscop Neubabelsberg.

Guido Seeber was responsible for the photography , whose involvement (“Recordings: Guido Seeber”), as well as the fact that the film appears “outside of each series”, were specially highlighted on the posters. The Black Bear 1919 said about Seeber and the scenery :

“… Interesting trick shots and lighting effects, for the quality of which the name Seeber offers a sufficient guarantee. Each scene is produced according to special original designs for which a well-known interior architect has been won. "

Seeber had already stood behind the camera for the films “ The Student of Prague ” and “ The Golem ”, which are also part of the fantastic genre, and contributed to their success with his art.

Little is known of the contributors. GECD # 17352 names the two actresses Uschi Elleot and Ilse Wilke. Paul Wegener , who has been associated with this role since his two Golem films of 1913 and 1917, may have appeared as the golem ; a year later he could be seen again in the film “ The Golem, How He Came into the World ”.

reception

An advance notice was published in early 1919 under the title “Des Golems Resurrection” in No. 3 of the journal Der Schwarze Bär, Neues aus dem Welt des Films in Berlin.

According to GECD # 17352, the film was mentioned in:

The living picture (lb) No. 30, 1919
Film world No. 29/39, 1919
First International Cinematographers Magazine No. 40, 1919
Literature, Art and Cinema No. 5, 1919

The film is considered to be one of the great puzzles in film history, because only posters and postcards, but no stills, have survived for “Mandrake and the Golem”.

According to the article Frankenstein Themes in Silent Films , the film was only announced, but never realized: “Completing the silent Alraune saga, one of the most tantalizing of all unmade films must be Alraune und der Golem, announced in 1919. It might have been the first “monster rally”. A series of beautiful posters were produced, but the project never made it to the screen. "

The Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau Foundation registered "Mandrake and the Golem" as a short film.

literature

Gerald Bär: The motif of the doppelganger as a split fantasy in literature and in German silent films. (= International research on general and comparative literary studies. Volume 84). Verlag Rodopi, 2005, ISBN 90-420-1874-7 , p. 643.
Norbert Borrmann: Frankenstein and the future of artificial humans. Verlag Hugendubel, 2001, ISBN 3-7205-2187-7 , pp. 72, 170 u. 334.
Anjeana K. Hans: Gender and the Uncanny in Films of the Weimar Republic. Wayne State University Press, 2014, pp. 217, 222-223, 293, 298.
Reinhold Keiner: Hanns Heinz Ewers and the fantastic film. Verlag Olms, 1988, ISBN 3-487-09050-3 , p. 44.
Richard Kühle: Mandrake and the Golem: After d. eponymous colossal film d. Rheinlicht bioscope. Publisher Gerold, Vienna 1920.
Richard Kühle: Mandrake and the Golem. Goblin Press, Büdingen 2015, DNB 1138950599 .
Gerhard Lamprecht: German silent films. Volume 19 No. 8. Deutsche Kinemathek, Berlin 1969.
O. Ed. (Alfred Rosenthal?): The Golem's Resurrection. In: The black bear, news from the world of film. No. 3, Berlin 1919.
Christoph Roos: Homunculus. At blogspot.de , Monday, February 13, 2017.
Lieselotte Sauer: Marionettes, machines, automatons: the artificial man in German and English romanticism. Verlag Bouvier, 1983, pp. 29, 34, 190.
Deutsche Kinemathek Foundation (ed.): The wandering image. The film pioneer Guido Seeber. Elefanten Press Verlag, Berlin (West) 1979, EP 23, p. 70 and p. 74.
Christy Wampole: Rootedness: The Ramifications of a Metaphor. University of Chicago Press, 2016, ISBN 978-0-226-31779-3 , p. 34.
Peter Weiss, Karl Stehle: Advertising postcards. Springer-Verlag, 2013, p. 112 No. 205.
Friedrich von Zglinicki: The way of the film. History of cinematography and its predecessors. Rembrandt Verlag, Berlin 1956.

Web links

Mandrake and the Golem in the Internet Movie Database (English)
Alraune and the Golem at filmportal.de
Mandrake and the Golem at The German Early Cinema Database # 17352

Individual evidence

↑ cf. The Golem's Resurrection. In: The black bear. 1919, No. 3: “Mandrake and the Golem. How do these two strange creatures come together? everyone who hears this title asks, and with extraordinary interest, because Alraune has also made a lot of talk recently as a film. ”Back then, that can only refer to: Alraune, director: Mihály Kertész , 1918; Mandrake, the hangman's daughter, called the red Hanne , directed by Eugen Illés , 1918.

↑ «... (Isa) Bella is the daughter of Michael, a gypsy duke. Michael is innocently hung for defending two fellow gypsies. Bella is brought up by the old gypsy Braka. Being of royal gypsy blood does not provide Bella with much wealth. Braka tells her the legend of the Mandrake. In this version of the folklore, the Mandrake (a creature created from the roots formed from a hung man's tears) is able to locate treasure. Bella decides to use her father's hanging to bring life to the creature. The imp is dubbed Cornelius and Bella develops a strange affection for him ... ». (quoted from cinemedioevo.net )

↑ cit. to: The wandering picture. 1979, p. 70.

↑ 2 cinema posters for the "giant biosk film" "Mandrake and the Golem"

↑ Images: Colored advertising postcard from Jupp Wiertz for the film "Alraune and the Golem". Colored advertising postcard by Jupp Wiertz for the film "Alraune and the Golem". Colored advertising postcard No. 6 by Jupp Wiertz for the film "Alraune und der Golem".

↑ Quoted from Das Wandering Bild. 1979, p. 70.

↑ The Golem's Resurrection. 1919: “Among the works of Deutsche Bioscop, for example, the student from Prague and the Golem are to be counted, two masterpieces that established Guido Seeber's international reputation.” Quoted from Das Wandering Bild. 1979, p. 70.

↑ Both the poster designs and the postcards by Wiertz show the golem in Wegener's characteristic mask. The design of the golem mask came from the sculptor Rudolf Belling , cf. Borrmann: Frankenstein and the future. 2001, p. 170 (Fig. 32).

↑ published by Rheinische Lichtbild AG., One of its founders was the film journalist “Aros” ( Alfred Rosenthal ), cf. Ewald Sattig: The German film press. Verlag Brehmer & Minuth, 1937, p. 26 and Irene Stratenwerth, Hermann Simon, Stiftung Neue Synagoge Berlin - Centrum Iudaicum (Ed.): Pioneers in Celluloid: Jews in the Early Film World. Accompanying volume to the exhibition of the same name in the Centrum Judaicum Berlin from February 2, 2004 to May 2004. Henschel Verlag, Berlin 2004, p. 83.

↑ and no contemporary reviews, so yuggoth at goblinpresshp ( memento of the original from September 22, 2017 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. : “ALRAUNE UND DER GOLEM [...] Lars Dangel has discovered one of the last copies of this 1921 novel for the film of the same name, which is considered one of the great mysteries of film history. Apart from the literature there are only posters, but no stills or contemporary ones Reviews. The film will probably - if it was ever made at all - remain lost forever ... "(October 4th, 2015) @1@ 2

↑ frankensteinia.blogspot.de March 31, 2012.

↑ cf. Mandrake and the Golem at the Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau Foundation.

[1] . The Golem's Resurrection. In: The black bear. 1919, No. 3: “Mandrake and the Golem. How do these two strange creatures come together? everyone who hears this title asks, and with extraordinary interest, because Alraune has also made a lot of talk recently as a film. ”Back then, that can only refer to: Alraune, director: Mihály Kertész , 1918; Mandrake, the hangman's daughter, called the red Hanne , directed by Eugen Illés , 1918.

[2] «... (Isa) Bella is the daughter of Michael, a gypsy duke. Michael is innocently hung for defending two fellow gypsies. Bella is brought up by the old gypsy Braka. Being of royal gypsy blood does not provide Bella with much wealth. Braka tells her the legend of the Mandrake. In this version of the folklore, the Mandrake (a creature created from the roots formed from a hung man's tears) is able to locate treasure. Bella decides to use her father's hanging to bring life to the creature. The imp is dubbed Cornelius and Bella develops a strange affection for him ... ». (quoted from cinemedioevo.net )

[3] t. to: The wandering picture. 1979, p. 70.

[4] 2 cinema posters for the "giant biosk film" "Mandrake and the Golem"

[5] Images: Colored advertising postcard from Jupp Wiertz for the film "Alraune and the Golem". Colored advertising postcard by Jupp Wiertz for the film "Alraune and the Golem". Colored advertising postcard No. 6 by Jupp Wiertz for the film "Alraune und der Golem".

[6] Quoted from Das Wandering Bild. 1979, p. 70.

[7] The Golem's Resurrection. 1919: “Among the works of Deutsche Bioscop, for example, the student from Prague and the Golem are to be counted, two masterpieces that established Guido Seeber's international reputation.” Quoted from Das Wandering Bild. 1979, p. 70.

[8] Both the poster designs and the postcards by Wiertz show the golem in Wegener's characteristic mask. The design of the golem mask came from the sculptor Rudolf Belling , cf. Borrmann: Frankenstein and the future. 2001, p. 170 (Fig. 32).

[9] ublished by Rheinische Lichtbild AG., One of its founders was the film journalist “Aros” ( Alfred Rosenthal ), cf. Ewald Sattig: The German film press. Verlag Brehmer & Minuth, 1937, p. 26 and Irene Stratenwerth, Hermann Simon, Stiftung Neue Synagoge Berlin - Centrum Iudaicum (Ed.): Pioneers in Celluloid: Jews in the Early Film World. Accompanying volume to the exhibition of the same name in the Centrum Judaicum Berlin from February 2, 2004 to May 2004. Henschel Verlag, Berlin 2004, p. 83.