PHANTOMS-1922-FW Murnau made this moody expressionistic examination of human suffering the same year he made his classic NOSFERATU. It’s not as startling or even as interesting as his later silent masterpieces FAUST and SUNRISE but it’s still well done.
Alfred Abel (the industrialist in Lang’s METROPOLIS) is excellent as a timid book reading city clerk who’s life is turned inside out by a chance encounter with a mysterious woman in white who rides a horse drawn coach (portrayed by Lili Dangover from THE CABINET OF DR. CALAGARI). The running time is a little long but most of Murnau’s work before this isn’t available so it’s a nice find.
THE CABINET OF CALIGARI-1962 –This is a talky psychological melodrama that’s not really a remake of the German expressionistic silent classic but borrows some sets and a “things aren’t what they seem” plot.
Glynis Johns stars as stranded traveler who seeks help at the home of Dr. Caligari, a strange but seemingly helpful fellow. She eventually is held against her will at his home (or so she thinks). Dan O’Herihy is a friendly pipe smoking houseguest with a secret. English actress Estelle Winwood (was this woman ever young?) is talkative guest. She was in Bert I. Gordon’s THE MAGIC SWORD the year before. Familiar TV character actor J. Pat O’Malley is there too. Robert Bloch wrote the screenplay. The film has it’s moments but I found it disappointing. It reminded me of a William Castle movie without any of his gimmicks or black humor! Director Roger Kay worked mostly on TV series including an episode of THE TWILIGHT ZONE (“99 Years Without Slumbering”).
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