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Venus, v. 1, issue 1, June 1944
Page 13
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-13- to my story and said she was sorry, the only thing she could do was let me wait, and if at a quarter of 9 there was a vacant seat, she'd let me in as a guest. If I wanted to wait. I said, "Lady, what's 45 minutes after 15 years?" She saw my point. There weren't enough seats for those who'd paid admission, but I was able to stand just outside the door and get a view down the aisle. Of "Das Cabinet des Dr Caligari", and a reel, one of the most spectacular ones, i suspect, form one of the early versions of "The Golem". This picture was not directed by Lang so perhaps I shouldn't digress to describe it, but this entire article up to now is concerned only obliquely with the director, so perhaps I may as well. Well, "The Golem", as you ma know, is a legendary figure, a stone statue about 7 feet tall, which could be called to life to aid a persecuted people, the Jews. In the sequence I saw, a sorcerer and his apprentice formed a pentagram and evoked a demon to divulge the word which would animate the Golem. A circle of fire sprang up about the pair, fire gobs danced in the air about their heads, and a horrendous Harryhausenic or Huntean thing-face appeared from empty space and spoke the Word from its smoking mouth: "AEMEAR". And the terrifying Golem was given life and great strength. During intermission a Dietrich-looking woman, presumably Lang's secretary, arrived to inform he was still directing ("Ministry of Fear") but would be here by the time the show was over. Conrad Veidt, in the insane, surrealistic, somnambulistic classic, "Caligari" was shown. And Fritz Lang showed. Audience Spiel-bound His talk was of the intensest interest. He said Deutsch films dealt so extensively with death, the supernatural and supermen because for 500 years the race had not known freedom. Not the common people; and the motion picture was necessarily the medium of the masses. A painting or a piece of sculpture may be made for one rich man, but no movies are made for single men, or several men. And the people had no fear of death, but rather welcomed it, as surcease from their sorry lot. They built fantasies of some superbeing--a Nietzschean, not American superman--or supernatural being--"Se Goilem", as Lang pronounced it--freeing them from slavery. "'Metropolis'," said Lang, "which I rather regret today, was inhuman. The Mabuse series, about the supercriminal, if you want my honest opinion: Inhuman, also. In 'Frau im Mond' one critic paid me the compliment that I was able to put a sliver of steel across space more easily than I was able to portray human emotions. I admit I was more interested in the mechanical aspects of the Rocket than the emotional." In '35, when he still thot protesting against Naziism could be effective, Lang produced "The Last Will of Dr Mabuse", putting into the mouth of a madman all the Nazi slogans. The Gestapo butchered the French version, finally being released around the USA; and Land says he has heard of a print of the Deutsch having been shown in London. As for "Rocket to the Moon", he fears agents destroyed the New York UFA office's print many years ago. After his talk, questions were asked from the floor. And later, a narrowing down to a small group. In the group I noticed Paul Freehafer's semifan roomate, Adrian Mosser, but, chorus, "We know, you didn't indicate recognition, nothing could deter you from your purpose!" Right! my ultimate aim, to get Lang alone,
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-13- to my story and said she was sorry, the only thing she could do was let me wait, and if at a quarter of 9 there was a vacant seat, she'd let me in as a guest. If I wanted to wait. I said, "Lady, what's 45 minutes after 15 years?" She saw my point. There weren't enough seats for those who'd paid admission, but I was able to stand just outside the door and get a view down the aisle. Of "Das Cabinet des Dr Caligari", and a reel, one of the most spectacular ones, i suspect, form one of the early versions of "The Golem". This picture was not directed by Lang so perhaps I shouldn't digress to describe it, but this entire article up to now is concerned only obliquely with the director, so perhaps I may as well. Well, "The Golem", as you ma know, is a legendary figure, a stone statue about 7 feet tall, which could be called to life to aid a persecuted people, the Jews. In the sequence I saw, a sorcerer and his apprentice formed a pentagram and evoked a demon to divulge the word which would animate the Golem. A circle of fire sprang up about the pair, fire gobs danced in the air about their heads, and a horrendous Harryhausenic or Huntean thing-face appeared from empty space and spoke the Word from its smoking mouth: "AEMEAR". And the terrifying Golem was given life and great strength. During intermission a Dietrich-looking woman, presumably Lang's secretary, arrived to inform he was still directing ("Ministry of Fear") but would be here by the time the show was over. Conrad Veidt, in the insane, surrealistic, somnambulistic classic, "Caligari" was shown. And Fritz Lang showed. Audience Spiel-bound His talk was of the intensest interest. He said Deutsch films dealt so extensively with death, the supernatural and supermen because for 500 years the race had not known freedom. Not the common people; and the motion picture was necessarily the medium of the masses. A painting or a piece of sculpture may be made for one rich man, but no movies are made for single men, or several men. And the people had no fear of death, but rather welcomed it, as surcease from their sorry lot. They built fantasies of some superbeing--a Nietzschean, not American superman--or supernatural being--"Se Goilem", as Lang pronounced it--freeing them from slavery. "'Metropolis'," said Lang, "which I rather regret today, was inhuman. The Mabuse series, about the supercriminal, if you want my honest opinion: Inhuman, also. In 'Frau im Mond' one critic paid me the compliment that I was able to put a sliver of steel across space more easily than I was able to portray human emotions. I admit I was more interested in the mechanical aspects of the Rocket than the emotional." In '35, when he still thot protesting against Naziism could be effective, Lang produced "The Last Will of Dr Mabuse", putting into the mouth of a madman all the Nazi slogans. The Gestapo butchered the French version, finally being released around the USA; and Land says he has heard of a print of the Deutsch having been shown in London. As for "Rocket to the Moon", he fears agents destroyed the New York UFA office's print many years ago. After his talk, questions were asked from the floor. And later, a narrowing down to a small group. In the group I noticed Paul Freehafer's semifan roomate, Adrian Mosser, but, chorus, "We know, you didn't indicate recognition, nothing could deter you from your purpose!" Right! my ultimate aim, to get Lang alone,
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