''Le Golem'' ( cs, Golem) is a 1936

Czechoslovakia , rue, Чеськословеньско, , yi, טשעכאסלאוואקיי, , common_name = Czechoslovakia , life_span = 1918–19391945–1992 , p1 = Austria-Hungary , image_p1 ...

monster movie A monster movie, monster film, creature feature or giant monster film is a film that focuses on one or more characters struggling to survive attacks by one or more antagonistic monsters, often abnormally large ones. The film may also fall under ...

directed by

Julien Duvivier Julien Duvivier (; 8 October 1896 – 29 October 1967) was a French film director and screenwriter. He was prominent in French cinema in the years 1930–1960. Amongst his most original films, chiefly notable are ''La Bandera (film), La Bandera'', ...

French language French ( or ) is a Romance language of the Indo-European family. It descended from the Vulgar Latin of the Roman Empire, as did all Romance languages. French evolved from Gallo-Romance, the Latin spoken in Gaul, and more specifically in Nor ...

Plot

In a

Prague Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 million people. The city has a temperate ...

ghetto, poor Jews find themselves oppressed by

Rudolf II, Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II (18 July 1552 – 20 January 1612) was Holy Roman Emperor (1576–1612), King of Hungary and Croatia (as Rudolf I, 1572–1608), King of Bohemia (1575–1608/1611) and Archduke of Austria (1576–1608). He was a member of the Hous ...

(Harry Baur) which leads to talk among the Jews of re-awakening the

Golem A golem ( ; he, , gōlem) is an animated, anthropomorphic being in Jewish folklore, which is entirely created from inanimate matter (usually clay or mud). The most famous golem narrative involves Judah Loew ben Bezalel, the late 16th-century ...

who is being held in an attic by

Rabbi A rabbi () is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi – known as ''semikha'' – following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form of ...

Jacob (Charles Dorat). During a

food riot Food riots may occur when there is a shortage and/or unequal distribution of food. Causes can be food price rises, harvest failures, incompetent food storage, transport problems, food speculation, hoarding, poisoning of food, or attacks by pes ...

, Rudolph's mistress, the Countess Strada (

Germaine Aussey Germaine Aussey (born Germaine Adrienne Agassiz, December 18, 1909 in Paris – March 15, 1979 in Geneva) was a French actress who worked with, among others, René Clair, Julien Duvivier, Paul Fejos, Jean Grémillon, Marc Allégret, and ...

), is rescued by the enamored De Trignac (Roger Cuchesne), who gets hurt in the process. De Trignac is taken to Rabbi Jacob's house by his wife Rachel (Jany Holt). When Rudolph gets engaged to his cousin Isabel of Spain, it angers Strada who charms De Trignac to steal Jacob's Golem. Friedrich (Gaston Jacquest), the prefect of the police informs Rudolph of the Golem's disappearance. Rabbi Jacob is brought into the palace by Rudolph and told if any Jews are found in relation with the Golem's disappearance, then they will be

hung Hung may refer to: People * Hung (surname), various Chinese surnames * Hùng king, a king of Vietnam People with the given name Hung include: * Hung Huynh, Vietnamese-American chef, winner of the third season of the television show ''Top Chef'' ...

. Rachel seeks De Trignac to aid Jacob’s escape from the castle. De Trignac offers what he claims to be

Charlemagne Charlemagne ( , ) or Charles the Great ( la, Carolus Magnus; german: Karl der Große; 2 April 747 – 28 January 814), a member of the Carolingian dynasty, was King of the Franks from 768, King of the Lombards from 774, and the first Holy ...

's sword for Jacob's release. After Jacob and De Trignac leave, Rudolph wanders his palace where he meets up with the Golem. After a failed polite gesture to the statue, Rudolph attacks it with his sword and has it chained to the walls of his dungeon. Rudolph then demands all Jewish leaders be imprisoned and executed, including Jacob. Rachel had learned previously from her Jacob that when a beast roars the Golem will awake. As people enter the palace to honour Rudolph, Rachel gets the

lion The lion (''Panthera leo'') is a large Felidae, cat of the genus ''Panthera'' native to Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body; short, rounded head; round ears; and a hairy tuft at the end of its tail. It is sexually dimorphi ...

s near the Golem's cell to roar. Rachel carves the Hebrew word "emet", meaning “truth” on the Golem's forehead which brings the creature to life. The Golem snaps his chains and causes panic through the palace along with the released lions. Chancellor Lang, Friedrich and many other of Rudolph's other advisors are attacked and killed by the Golem while Rudolph escapes the palace. Jacob erases the first Hebrew letter on the Golem's head (which now spells "dead") making the Golem disintegrate while Rudolph's benevolent brother Mathias approaches Prague.

Production

The original screenplay was written by

Jiří Voskovec Jiří Voskovec (), born Jiří Wachsmann and known in the United States as George Voskovec (June 19, 1905 – July 1, 1981) was a Czech actor, writer, dramatist, and director who became an American citizen in 1955. Throughout much of his career ...

and

Jan Werich Jan Werich (; 6 February 1905 – 31 October 1980) was a Czech actor, playwright and writer. Early life Between 1916 and 1924, Werich attended "reálné gymnasium" (equivalent to high school) in Křemencova Street in Prague (where his future bu ...

based on their play ''Golem''. Duvivier turned down their script, wrote his own screenplay, but kept parts of the original in, for which he was successfully sued by Voskovec and Werich. The film was shot at

Barrandov Studios Barrandov Studios is a set of film studios in Prague, Czech Republic. It is the largest film studio in the country and one of the largest in Europe. Several major Hollywood productions have been made here, including ''Mission Impossible'', '' ...

in Prague.

Cast

Harry Baur Harry Baur (12 April 1880 – 8 April 1943) was a French actor. Initially a stage actor, Baur appeared in about 80 films between 1909 and 1942. He gave an acclaimed performance as the composer Ludwig van Beethoven in the biopic ''Beethoven's Gr ...

– Rudolph II *

Roger Karl Roger is a given name, usually masculine, and a surname. The given name is derived from the Old French personal names ' and '. These names are of Germanic origin, derived from the elements ', ''χrōþi'' ("fame", "renown", "honour") and ', ' ( ...

– Chancellor Lang *

Ferdinand Hart Ferdinand Hart (28 October 1893 in Písek – 12 January 1937 in Prague) was a film actor from Czechoslovakia. Selected filmography * '' The Hungarian Princess'' (1923) * '' The Queen of the Baths'' (1926) * ''You Walk So Softly'' (1928) * '' Und ...

– Golem * Charles Dorat – Rabbi Jacob *

– Countess Catherine Strada *

Jany Holt Jany Holt (born Ruxandra Ecaterina Vladescu Olt, 13 May 1909 – 26 October 2005) was a Romanian-born actress, who worked principally in the French cinema. Holt married French actor Marcel Dalio in 1936, divorcing in 1939. In 1940, Holt married ...

– Rachel *

Truda Grosslichtová Truda Grosslichtová (23 February 1912 – 8 June 1995) was a Czechoslovak film actress. Life Truda Grosslichtová was born Gertruda Marie Grosslichtová in Prague. She spoke Czech, German, French, English and Italian. She acted in amateur ...

– Madame Benoitová * Roger Duchense – Trignac *

Gaston Jacquet Gaston Émile Marius Jacquet (14 August 1883 – 28 January 1970) was a French actor. Jacquet was born in Lanas, Ardèche, France and died in 1970 in Thonex in Switzerland. Selected filmography * ''Les Trois Mousquetaires'' (1921) * ''Th ...

– Friedrich *

Raymond Aimos Raymond Aimos (4 February 1889 – 22 August 1944) was a French film actor.Capua p.127 Selected filmography * '' Accused, Stand Up!'' (1930) * ''Under the Roofs of Paris'' (1930) * ''Wooden Crosses'' (1932) * ''Aces of the Turf'' (1932) * ''The ...

– Toussaint *

Stanislav Neumann Stanislav Neumann (16 July 1902 – 19 February 1975) was a Czech actor. He appeared in more than ninety films from 1930 to 1973. Selected filmography References External links * 1902 births 1975 deaths Czech male film actors ...

– Daniel *

Karel Schleichert Karel may refer to: People * Karel (given name) * Karel (surname) * Charles Karel Bouley, talk radio personality known on air as Karel * Christiaan Karel Appel, Dutch painter Business * Karel Electronics, a Turkish electronics manufacturer * ...

– Alchemyst

Release

The French premiere was in Le Paris cinema at Champs Elysées, Paris. The movie is a

sequel A sequel is a work of literature, film, theatre, television, music or video game that continues the story of, or expands upon, some earlier work. In the common context of a narrative work of fiction, a sequel portrays events set in the same ...

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 ...

's 1920 film '' The Golem: How He Came into the World''. The film opened in Britain in 1937 with a running time that was cut to 83 minutes. It was then reissued the next year under the title ''The Legend of Prague'' with a running time of 70 minutes. In the late 1940s, Sterling Films released an 8mm and 16mm home movie edition in the US, under the title ''The Man Of Stone.'' This ten-minute short subject was possibly the first 'horror' film on the home movie market, pre-dating

Castle Films Castle Films was a film company founded in California by former newsreel cameraman Eugene W. Castle (1897–1960) in 1924. Originally, Castle Films produced industrial and advertising films. Then in 1937, the company pioneered the production and d ...

' monster movies by over a decade.

Reception

Writing for ''

The Spectator ''The Spectator'' is a weekly British magazine on politics, culture, and current affairs. It was first published in July 1828, making it the oldest surviving weekly magazine in the world. It is owned by Frederick Barclay, who also owns ''The ...

'' in 1937,

Graham Greene Henry Graham Greene (2 October 1904 – 3 April 1991) was an English writer and journalist regarded by many as one of the leading English novelists of the 20th century. Combining literary acclaim with widespread popularity, Greene acquir ...

gave the film a mildly good review, noting that the "acceptance of the most fantastic situations" lent the film "a curious, almost Surrealist" quality, but that Baur's performance as the Emperor had been "one of his most brilliant performances", and that ultimately the film was "quite worth seeing as a kind of survival - a Semitic survival - of the old, romantic Caligari cinema".

References

;Notes ;Bibliography * *

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Golem, Le 1936 films 1936 horror films 1930s monster movies 1930s French-language films Films set in the 16th century Cultural depictions of Rudolf II, Holy Roman Emperor Golem films Films directed by Julien Duvivier Films set in Prague Films shot in the Czech Republic Films set in the Holy Roman Empire French horror films Czechoslovak horror films Czech horror films Films about Orthodox and Hasidic Jews Czech monster movies French-language Czech films 1930s French films