Alraune (1930 film): Difference between revisions

Alraune
Alraune
	German film program page for Alraune
Directed by	Richard Oswald
Screenplay by	Charlie K. Roellinghoff; Robert Weisbach;
Based on	Alraune; by Hanns Heinz Ewers
Produced by	Richard Oswald
Starring	Brigitte Helm; Albert Bassermann; Harald Paulsen;
Cinematography	Günther Krampf
Music by	Bronislau Kaper
Production; company	Richard Oswald-Produktion GmbH
Release date	2 December 1930 (Germany);
Running time	103 minutes
Country	Germany

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Alraune is a German science fiction horror film directed by Richard Oswald.^[1] Like the 1928 version, this movie again features Brigitte Helm in the role of Alraune. This version aimed for greater realism but is still based upon the original German myth.

Plot

A scientist, Professor Jakob ten Brinken, interested in the laws of heredity, impregnates a prostitute in a laboratory with the semen of a hanged murderer. The prostitute conceives a female child who has no concept of love, whom the professor adopts. The girl, Alraune, suffers from obsessive sexuality and perverse relationships throughout her life. She learns of her unnatural origins and avenges herself against the professor.

Cast

Brigitte Helm as Alraune ten Brinken/Alma, a bar girl
Albert Bassermann as Privy Councillor ten Brinken
Harald Paulsen as Frank Braun
Adolf E. Licho as Attorney-at-law Manasse
Agnes Straub as Fuerstin Wolkonski
Bernhard Goetzke as Dr. Petersen
Martin Kosleck as Wolfgang Petersen
Käthe Haack as Frau Raspe
Ivan Koval-Samborsky as Raspe
Liselotte Schaak as Olga Wolkonski
Paul Westermeier as Von Walter
Henry Bender as The innkeeper
Elsa Bassermann as A lady
Wilhelm Bendow

Release

Alraune was first shown in Germany at the Gloria-Palast theatre on 2 December 1930.^[1]

Critical reception

From contemporary reviews, The New York Times described the film in 1934 as a "highly interesting production… Brigitte Helm, the versatile German actress, is the centre of the story… Her work is up to the high standard she has established in several foreign language pictures that have reached New York. Albert Bassermann, one of Germany's best veteran actors, is excellent as the scientist whose efforts to emulate the wonder-workers of the ancient days bring so much trouble upon nearly all involved in the affair, regardless of their innocence or guilt. The support is first class… Although this picture was made almost four years ago, the sound reproduction and photography are clear. The direction is competent."^[2] "Magnus." of Variety dismissed the film as being "very low level and involves ghastly ideas by Hanns Heinz Ewers, the picture is bad and silly."^[3] Magnus. Felt that actors Agnes Straub and Alebrt Bassermann were "not well handled in this instance" and that director Oswald "is so inferior in his direction that good actors are wasted."^[3]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j "Alraune". Filmportal.de. Retrieved 13 January 2020.
^ "Another Brigitte Helm Film". New York Times. 5 May 1934. Archived from the original on 6 March 2016.
^ ^a ^b Willis, Donald (1985). Variety's Complete Science Fiction Reviews. p. 33.

Wingrove, David (1985). Science Fiction Film Source Book. Harlow: Longman. ISBN 978-0-582-89310-8.

External links

Alraune at IMDb

[fp-1] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j "Alraune". Filmportal.de. Retrieved 13 January 2020.

[2] "Another Brigitte Helm Film". New York Times. 5 May 1934. Archived from the original on 6 March 2016.

[var-3] Willis, Donald (1985). Variety's Complete Science Fiction Reviews. p. 33.

[1]

[2]

[3]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{short description|1930 film}}
+{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2020}}
 {{Infobox film
 | name           = Alraune
 | image          = "Alraune"_(1930_film).jpg
+| alt            =
+| caption        = German film program page for ''Alraune''
+| native_name      = <!-- {{Infobox name module|language|title}} or {{Infobox name module|title}} -->
 | director       = [[Richard Oswald]]
+| producer       = Richard Oswald<ref name="fp">{{cite web|url=https://www.filmportal.de/en/movie/alraune_ea43d4a6ea775006e03053d50b37753d|publisher=[[Filmportal.de]]|title=Alraune|access-date=13 January 2020}}</ref>
-| writer         = [[Hanns Heinz Ewers]] (novel)<br>[[Charlie Roellinghoff]]<br>[[Richard Weisbach]]
+| screenplay     = {{plainlist|* Charlie K. Roellinghoff
-| producer       = [[Erich Pommer]]
+* Robert Weisbach<ref name="fp" />}}
-| starring       = [[Brigitte Helm]]<br>[[Albert Bassermann]]
+| story          =
-| cinematography = [[Günther Krampf]]
+| based_on       ={{Based on|''[[Alraune]]''|[[Hanns Heinz Ewers]]<ref name="fp" />}}
-| music          = [[Bronislau Kaper]]
+| starring       = {{plainlist|* [[Brigitte Helm]]
-| distributor    = [[Universum Film AG|UFA]]<br>UFA Film Company (US)
+* [[Albert Bassermann]]
-| released       = 2 March 1930<br>4 May 1934 (US)
+* [[Harald Paulsen]]}}
-| runtime        = 103 mins
-| country        = Weimar Republic
+| music          = [[Bronislau Kaper]]<ref name="fp" />
+| cinematography = [[Günther Krampf]]<ref name="fp" />
-| language       = German
+| editing        =
+| studio         =Richard Oswald-Produktion GmbH<ref name="fp" />
+| distributor    = <!-- or: | distributors = -->
+| released       = {{Film date|df=yes|1930|12|2|Germany}}
+| runtime        = 103 minutes<ref name="fp" />
+| country        = Germany<ref name="fp" />
+| language       =
+| budget         =
+| gross          =
 }}
-'''''Alraune''''' ([[1930 in film|1930]]) is a [[Cinema of Germany|German]] [[science fiction]] [[Horror film|horror]] [[film]] directed by [[Richard Oswald]].<ref>http://explore.bfi.org.uk/4ce2b6ae22167</ref> Like the [[Alraune (1928 film)|1928 version]] this movie again features [[Brigitte Helm]] in the role of Alraune. This version aimed for greater realism but is still based upon the [[Alraune|original German myth]].
+'''''Alraune''''' is a German [[science fiction]] [[horror film]] directed by [[Richard Oswald]].<ref name="fp" /> Like the [[Alraune (1928 film)|1928 version]], this movie again features [[Brigitte Helm]] in the role of Alraune. This version aimed for greater realism but is still based upon the [[Alraune|original German myth]].
-The film was produced by [[Richard-Oswald-Produktion]] and distributed by [[Universum Film AG]] (UFA) in Germany and UFA Film Company in the United States with English subtitles. The art direction was by [[Otto Erdmann]] and [[Hans Sohnle]].
+==Plot==
+A scientist, Professor Jakob ten Brinken, interested in the laws of heredity, impregnates a prostitute in a laboratory with the semen of a hanged murderer. The prostitute conceives a female child who has no concept of love, whom the professor adopts. The girl, Alraune, suffers from obsessive sexuality and perverse relationships throughout her life. She learns of her unnatural origins and avenges herself against the professor.
 ==Cast==
+{{castlist|
 * [[Brigitte Helm]] as Alraune ten Brinken/Alma, a bar girl
 * [[Albert Bassermann]] as Privy Councillor ten Brinken
@@ Line 32: / Line 49: @@
 * [[Henry Bender]] as The innkeeper
 * [[Elsa Bassermann]] as A lady
-* [[Wilhelm Bendow]]
+* [[Wilhelm Bendow]]}}
+==Release==
+''Alraune'' was first shown in Germany at the Gloria-Palast theatre on 2 December 1930.<ref name="fp" />
 ==Critical reception==
+From contemporary reviews,
-''[[The New York Times]]'' described the film in 1934 as a "highly interesting production...Brigitte Helm, the versatile German actress, is the centre of the story...Her work is up to the high standard she has established in several foreign language pictures that have reached New York. Albert Bassermann, one of Germany's best veteran actors, is excellent as the scientist whose efforts to emulate the wonder-workers of the ancient days bring so much trouble upon nearly all involved in the affair, regardless of their innocence or guilt. The support is first class...Although this picture was made almost four years ago, the sound reproduction and photography are clear. The direction is competent." <ref>http://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=940DEEDE143CE23ABC4D53DFB366838F629EDE&module=Search&mabReward=relbias%3Aw</ref>
+''[[The New York Times]]'' described the film in 1934 as a "highly interesting production… Brigitte Helm, the versatile German actress, is the centre of the story… Her work is up to the high standard she has established in several foreign language pictures that have reached New York. Albert Bassermann, one of Germany's best veteran actors, is excellent as the scientist whose efforts to emulate the wonder-workers of the ancient days bring so much trouble upon nearly all involved in the affair, regardless of their innocence or guilt. The support is first class… Although this picture was made almost four years ago, the sound reproduction and photography are clear. The direction is competent."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=940DEEDE143CE23ABC4D53DFB366838F629EDE&module=Search&mabReward=relbias%3Aw|title=Another Brigitte Helm Film.|date=5 May 1934|website=New York Times|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160306222920/https://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=940DEEDE143CE23ABC4D53DFB366838F629EDE&module=Search&mabReward=relbias%3Aw|archive-date=6 March 2016}}</ref> "Magnus." of ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' dismissed the film as being "very low level and involves ghastly ideas by Hanns Heinz Ewers, the picture is bad and silly."<ref name="var">{{cite book|title=Variety's Complete Science Fiction Reviews|last=Willis|first=Donald|page=33|year=1985}}</ref> Magnus. Felt that actors Agnes Straub and Alebrt Bassermann were "not well handled in this instance" and that director Oswald "is so inferior in his direction that good actors are wasted."<ref name="var" />
-==See also==
-* [[Alraune (1918 film)]], 1918 Hungarian film
-* [[Alraune, die Henkerstochter, genannt die rote Hanne]], 1918 German film
-* [[Alraune (1928 film)]], German film
-* [[Alraune (1952 film)]], German film
 == References ==
+{{reflist}}
-<references/>
-* Wingrove, David, ''Science Fiction Film Source Book'' (Longman Group Limited, 1985)
+* {{cite book | last = Wingrove | first = David | title = [[Science Fiction Film Source Book]] | publisher = Longman | year = 1985 | location = Harlow | isbn = 978-0-582-89310-8 }}
 == External links ==
 * {{IMDb title|0020635|Alraune}}
-* {{Amg movie|137590|Alraune}}
+{{Alraune}}
 {{Richard Oswald}}
+{{Authority control}}
-[[Category:1930s horror films]]
 [[Category:1930 films]]
-[[Category:Black-and-white films]]
+[[Category:German black-and-white films]]
 [[Category:Films of the Weimar Republic]]
-[[Category:German films]]
+[[Category:1930s German-language films]]
-[[Category:German-language films]]
+[[Category:German science fiction horror films]]
-[[Category:Pre-1940s science fiction horror films]]
-[[Category:German science fiction films]]
 [[Category:Films directed by Richard Oswald]]
-[[Category:Films based on German novels]]
+[[Category:Films based on Alraune]]
-[[Category:Films based on works by Hanns Heinz Ewers]]
 [[Category:Sound film remakes of silent films]]
-[[Category:German film remakes]]
+[[Category:Remakes of German films]]
 [[Category:Erotic fantasy films]]
+[[Category:UFA GmbH films]]
-{{1930s-horror-film-stub}}
+[[Category:1930s science fiction horror films]]
+[[Category:Films produced by Erich Pommer]]
+[[Category:1930s German films]]

v t e Hanns Heinz Ewers's Alraune
Novel	Alraune (1911)
Films	Alraune (1918) Alraune, die Henkerstochter, genannt die rote Hanne (1918) Alraune (1928) Alraune (1930) Alraune (1952)