If one knows where to look, then there's a reasonable amount involving the history and making of Alraune (1930). Otherwise, I'll admit that it's a tough nut to crack!
In short, the picture was greenlit at a time when filmmakers and studios were quickly transitioning between the silent era and the addition of sound to motion pictures. The 1928 version of the existing story of Alraune -- which had already enjoyed two previous silent productions -- was quickly dusted off and prepped for a remake to hit theaters two years later ... and with the same lady (Brigitte Helm) in the starring role.
Why keep the exact same actress?!
Well, Helm -- a bit of a cinema sensation since breaking through in Fritz Lang's groundbreaking Metropolis (1927) -- had made her mark starring as the Horror/Fantasy creation of Alraune, a kinda/sorta female version of Frankenstein (depending upon one's interpretation of that myth), so why not give her another chance ... this time with sound? Think what you may, I suspect it was as risky as it was an obvious choice. Helm returned to the limelight, and director Richard Oswald also brought aboard such talent as Albert Basserman, Harald Paulsen, Agnes Straub, and Bernhard Goetzke.
Here's the plot summary as provided by our friends at IMDB.com:
"A scientist, Professor Jakob ten Brinken, interested in the laws of heredity, impregnates a prostitute in a laboratory with the semen of a hanged murderer. The prostitute conceives a female child who has no concept of love, whom the professor adopts. The girl, Alraune, suffers from obsessive sexuality and perverse relationships throughout her life. She learns of her unnatural origins and she avenges herself against the professor."
But because these two productions are only separated by a few years and headlined the same lady in the central role, I'll admit that it's been a bit difficult to distinguish between them for what little research I've been able to slip into my schedule this morning. In a few cases, I've been halfway through an article or blurb here and there only to discover that I'm actually gathering info from the earlier as opposed to the latter, which is why I'm pretty much inclined to leave it at this for the release. I will add that the good folks at SciFiList do point out that the franchise of Alraune is one that's been curiously set aside in film history -- we have seen it kinda/sorta revisited from different angles -- but this female-led Horror property could truly benefit from some distributor picking it up, fine tuning these old prints, and getting all-new high definition versions out for consumption. It would be nice if I could find a copy to view ... but at present that's just not the case.
As always, thanks for reading ... and live long and prosper!
-- EZ
In short, the picture was greenlit at a time when filmmakers and studios were quickly transitioning between the silent era and the addition of sound to motion pictures. The 1928 version of the existing story of Alraune -- which had already enjoyed two previous silent productions -- was quickly dusted off and prepped for a remake to hit theaters two years later ... and with the same lady (Brigitte Helm) in the starring role.
Why keep the exact same actress?!
Well, Helm -- a bit of a cinema sensation since breaking through in Fritz Lang's groundbreaking Metropolis (1927) -- had made her mark starring as the Horror/Fantasy creation of Alraune, a kinda/sorta female version of Frankenstein (depending upon one's interpretation of that myth), so why not give her another chance ... this time with sound? Think what you may, I suspect it was as risky as it was an obvious choice. Helm returned to the limelight, and director Richard Oswald also brought aboard such talent as Albert Basserman, Harald Paulsen, Agnes Straub, and Bernhard Goetzke.
Here's the plot summary as provided by our friends at IMDB.com:
"A scientist, Professor Jakob ten Brinken, interested in the laws of heredity, impregnates a prostitute in a laboratory with the semen of a hanged murderer. The prostitute conceives a female child who has no concept of love, whom the professor adopts. The girl, Alraune, suffers from obsessive sexuality and perverse relationships throughout her life. She learns of her unnatural origins and she avenges herself against the professor."
But because these two productions are only separated by a few years and headlined the same lady in the central role, I'll admit that it's been a bit difficult to distinguish between them for what little research I've been able to slip into my schedule this morning. In a few cases, I've been halfway through an article or blurb here and there only to discover that I'm actually gathering info from the earlier as opposed to the latter, which is why I'm pretty much inclined to leave it at this for the release. I will add that the good folks at SciFiList do point out that the franchise of Alraune is one that's been curiously set aside in film history -- we have seen it kinda/sorta revisited from different angles -- but this female-led Horror property could truly benefit from some distributor picking it up, fine tuning these old prints, and getting all-new high definition versions out for consumption. It would be nice if I could find a copy to view ... but at present that's just not the case.
As always, thanks for reading ... and live long and prosper!
-- EZ
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