Dr. Mabuse the Gambler | |
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Directed by | Fritz Lang |
Screenplay by |
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Based on | Doctor Mabuse by Norbert Jacques |
Produced by | Erich Pommer |
Starring | |
Cinematography | Carl Hoffmann |
Production company | Uco-Film GmbH |
Distributed by | Universum Film AG |
Release dates |
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Running time |
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Country | Germany |
Language | German intertitles |
Dr. Mabuse the Gambler (German: Dr. Mabuse, der Spieler) is the first film in the Dr. Mabuse series about the character Doctor Mabuse who featured in the novels of Norbert Jacques. It was directed by Fritz Lang and released in 1922. The film is silent and would be followed by the sound sequels The Testament of Dr. Mabuse (1933) and The Thousand Eyes of Dr. Mabuse (1960).
It is four and a half hours long and divided into two parts, originally released a month apart: Der große Spieler: Ein Bild der Zeit and Inferno: Ein Spiel von Menschen unserer Zeit. The title, Dr. Mabuse, der Spieler, makes use of three meanings of the German Der Spieler which can mean gambler, puppeteer, or actor. The character Dr. Mabuse, who disguises himself, manipulates people, and is a notorious gambler, embodies all senses of the word. Therefore, the Player might be a more appropriate translation of the title.
The film is included in the book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, being the first of five Lang films to be included.[1]