Der Januskopf | |
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Directed by | F. W. Murnau |
Screenplay by | Hans Janowitz |
Based on | Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson |
Produced by |
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Starring | |
Cinematography | |
Production company | Lipow-Film |
Distributed by | Decla-Bioscop AG |
Release date |
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Country | Germany[1] |
Der Januskopf (lit. 'The Head of Janus') is a lost 1920 German silent film directed by F. W. Murnau. The film was an adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's 1886 novella The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Little is known about the production, it was shot and previewed under the title Schrecken (lit. 'Terror') with production starting in either February or March 1920.
The film received great acclaim in Germany from trade publication and newspapers on its release, specifically noting the performance by Conrad Veidt. The film has been described by Bela Lugosi biographers Gary Rhodes and Bill Kaffenberger as being "among the most sought-after lost films" due to its initial critical acclaim and what Robert Louis Stevenson researcher Steve Joyce described as an "all-star" film team of cinematographer Karl Freund, director F. W. Murnau and actors Conrad Veidt and Bela Lugosi.