''Figures of the Night'' (German:''Nachtgestalten'') is a 1920

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

silent horror film written, directed and produced by Richard Oswald and starring

Paul Wegener Paul Wegener (11 December 1874 – 13 September 1948) was a German actor, writer, and film director known for his pioneering role in German expressionist cinema. Acting career At the age of 20, Wegener decided to end his law studies and conce ...

Conrad Veidt Hans Walter Conrad Veidt (; 22 January 1893 – 3 April 1943) was a German film actor who attracted early attention for his roles in the films ''Different from the Others'' (1919), '' The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari'' (1920), and '' The Man Who Laug ...

, Reinhold Schünzel and

Erna Morena Erna Morena (born Ernestine Maria Fuchs, 24 April 1885 – 20 July 1962) was a German film actress, film producer, and screenwriter of the silent era. She appeared in 104 films between 1913 and 1951. Biography Ernestine Maria Fuchs was born in ...

. It is based on the novel '' Eleagabal Kuperus'' by Karl Hans Strobl. Strobl was the editor of a German horror fiction magazine called ''Der Orchideengarten'' which was said to have been influenced by the works of Edgar Allan Poe. Strobl was an anti-Semitic and later willingly joined the Nazi Party, which may explain why he has become an obscure literary figure today. The film's art direction was by

Hans Dreier Hans Dreier (August 21, 1885 – October 24, 1966) was a German motion picture art director. He was Paramount Pictures' supervising art director from 1927 until his retirement in 1950, when he was succeeded by Hal Pereira. Hans Dreier was born i ...

, and Carl Hoffmann handled the cinematography. Hoffmann went on to collaborate with such noted German directors as

Fritz Lang Friedrich Christian Anton Lang (; December 5, 1890 – August 2, 1976), known as Fritz Lang, was an Austrian film director, screenwriter, and producer who worked in Germany and later the United States.Obituary ''Variety'', August 4, 1976, p. 6 ...

and F.W. Murnau. It was filmed at the

Babelsberg Studio Babelsberg Film Studio (german: Filmstudio Babelsberg), located in Potsdam-Babelsberg outside Berlin, Germany, is the second oldest large-scale film studio in the world only preceded by the Danish Nordisk Film (est. 1906), producing films since ...

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and List of cities in Germany by population, largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's List of cities in the European Union by population within ci ...

. No print of the film is known to survived, making it a

lost film A lost film is a feature Feature may refer to: Computing * Feature (CAD), could be a hole, pocket, or notch * Feature (computer vision), could be an edge, corner or blob * Feature (software design) is an intentional distinguishing char ...

Plot

Multi-billionaire Thomas Bezug is the richest man in the world and the loneliest. He is a cripple who can only laboriously move on his crutches, domineering, cruel, only full of fanatical love for his son, who lives like a monkey in a cage, climbs on trees and eats nuts. His minions are muscle-bound giants and misshapen dwarfs. His cunning secretary only strives to bring wealth into his possession. A dancer he loves leaves him. Then an unemployed inventor demands the hand of his nymphomaniac daughter for an invention with which it is supposed to be able to extract oxygen from the air. With it he wants to blackmail the whole world and become ruler over all countries. The film is of note since it co-starred both Wegener and Veidt in the same movie, both of whom later went on to star in two different film versions of ''The Student of Prague'' (1913 and 1926 respectively). Director Richard Oswald later cast Wegener in his 1932 film ''Uncanny Stories''.Workman, Christopher; Howarth, Troy (2016). "Tome of Terror: Horror Films of the Silent Era". Midnight Marquee Press. p. 227..

Cast

as Thomas Bezug * Reinhold Schünzel as Sekretär *

as Elisabeth, Bezugs Tochter *

Erik Charell Erik Charell (April 8, 1894 – July 15, 1974), born as Erich Karl Löwenberg, was a German theatre and film director, dancer and actor. He is best known as the creator of musical revues and operettas, such as '' The White Horse Inn'' (''Im wei� ...

as Arnold, Bezugs Sohn, Affe, gorilla *

as Clown * Anita Berber as Tänzerin *

Paul Bildt Paul Hermann Bildt (19 May 1885 – 13 March 1957) was a German film actor. He appeared in more than 180 films between 1910 and 1956. He was born and died in Berlin, Germany. Selected filmography * ''Devil in Silk'' (1956) * '' Ich suche D ...

as Erfinder *

Theodor Loos Theodor August Konrad Loos (18 May 1883 – 27 June 1954) was a German actor. The son of a watchmaker and instruments manufacturer, he left secondary school prematurely and worked for three years at an export firm for music instruments in L ...

Willi Allen Willi is a given name, nickname (often a short form or hypocorism of Wilhelm) and surname. Notable people with the name include: Given name * Willi Apel (1893–1988), German-American musicologist * Willi Boskovsky (1909–1991), Austrian violini ...

References

Bibliography

* Hutchings, Peter. ''The A to Z of Horror Cinema''. Scarecrow Press, 2009.

External links

* {{Richard Oswald 1920 films Films of the Weimar Republic 1920 horror films German silent feature films German horror films Films based on works by Karl Hans Strobl Films directed by Richard Oswald Films shot in Berlin German black-and-white films Lost German films Lost horror films Films shot at Babelsberg Studios Silent horror films 1920s German films