| Journey into the Night | |
|---|---|
 Poster | |
| Directed by | F. W. Murnau |
| Written by | Harriet Bloch Carl Mayer |
| Produced by | Sascha Goron |
| Starring | Olaf Fønss |
| Cinematography | Max Lutze |
Release date |
|
Running time | 69 minutes |
| Country | Weimar Republic |
| Languages | Silent German intertitles |
Journey into the Night (German : Der Gang in die Nacht) is a 1921 silent German drama film directed by F. W. Murnau. [1] Prints of the film still survive, thus making it the earliest surviving F. W. Murnau film. [2]
An upright, straight-laced physician, Dr. Eigil Börne (Olaf Fønss), has long been engaged to Hélène (Erna Morena). To celebrate Hélène's birthday, the couple goes to a cabaret. A dancer, Lily (Gudrun Bruun-Stefenssen), is fascinated by the doctor and pretends to sprain her ankle. Börne attends her, and she seduces him. Börne becomes infatuated, breaks his engagement to Hélène, and marries Lily.
The Börnes move to the country, where they meet a blind painter (Conrad Veidt). Dr. Börne restores his sight. Dr. Börne learns that Hélène's health is failing, as she is heartbroken over her broken engagement. He tries to see her, but is turned away. When he returns home, Dr. Börne discovers Lily is having an affair with the painter and abandons her.
Years later, Lily seeks out Dr. Börne. The painter has gone blind again, and she pleads with him to operate once more. Dr. Börne refuses. Lily, he says, is incapable of true love and doesn't really love the painter. At any rate, he would not operate unless Lily left the painter. Lily runs off. A short time later, Dr. Börne goes to see Lily and discovers she has poisoned herself so that Börne will operate on her lover. The painter declines treatment. Börne commits suicide as well, preferring to live in darkness rather than without Lily. [3]
The following is an overview of 1921 in film, including significant events, a list of films released and notable births and deaths.
The Indian Tomb is a two-part 1921 German silent film directed by Joe May.
Der Januskopf is a 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 with production starting in either February or March 1920.
Desire is a 1921 silent film directed by F. W. Murnau and starring Conrad Veidt. It tells the story of a male dancer who falls in love with a grand duchess, only to be arrested, and his subsequent attempt to find the duchess.
Ilka Grüning was an Austrian-Hungarian actress. Born in Vienna in the old Austrian-Hungarian Empire, she was one of many Jewish actors and actresses that were forced to flee Europe when the Nazis came to power in 1933. A respected and famous actress of her time in the German-language area, she was forced to play bit parts in Hollywood.
Olaf Holger Axel Fønss was a Danish actor, director, producer, film censor and one of Denmark and Germany's biggest stars of the silent film era.
Satan is a 1920 silent German drama film in three parts, directed by F. W. Murnau, written and produced by Robert Wiene. It was one of Murnau's first directorial attempts, and along with his 1920 Der Januskopf, is today considered a lost film. The film starred Fritz Kortner, Sadjah Gezza and Conrad Veidt. Karl Freund was the cinematographer.
Gertrude Welcker was a German stage and silent film actress. She appeared in 64 films between 1917 and 1925.
Erna Morena was a German film actress, film producer, and screenwriter of the silent era. She appeared in 104 films between 1913 and 1951.
Karl Grune was an Austrian film director and writer who made many silent films in the 1920s.
William Tell is a 1923 German silent adventure film directed by Rudolf Dworsky and Rudolf Walther-Fein and starring Hans Marr, Conrad Veidt, and Erich Kaiser-Titz. The film portrays the story of the legendary Swiss national hero William Tell. The sets were designed by Rudi Feld. It premiered at the Marmorhaus in Berlin.
A Debt of Honour (German:Ehrenschuld) is a 1921 German silent drama film directed by Paul L. Stein and starring Olaf Fønss, Boris Michailow and Gertrude Welcker. It premiered in Berlin on 4 August 1921 at the Marmorhaus.
The Love Affairs of Hector Dalmore is a 1921 German silent drama film directed by Richard Oswald and starring Conrad Veidt, Erna Morena, and Kitty Moran. It premiered in Berlin on 22 February 1921.
Figures of the Night (German:Nachtgestalten) is a 1920 German silent horror film written, directed and produced by Richard Oswald and starring Paul Wegener, Conrad Veidt, Reinhold Schünzel and Erna Morena. It is based on the novel Eleagabal Kuperus by Karl Hans Strobl. Strobl was the editor of a German horror fiction magazine called Der Orchideengarten which was said to have been influenced by the works of Edgar Allan Poe. Strobl was an anti-Semitic and later willingly joined the Nazi Party, which may explain why he has become an obscure literary figure today.
Auguste Marie Christine Holl was a German actress and singer. Holl was briefly a silent film star during the early Weimar Republic, appearing in productions such as F. W. Murnau's Desire (1921). As of 2021, only one of her films survives.
Diary of a Lost Woman is a 1918 German silent drama film directed by Richard Oswald and starring Erna Morena, Reinhold Schünzel, and Werner Krauss. The rising star Conrad Veidt also appeared. It is now considered a lost film. It was remade at the end of the silent era as Diary of a Lost Girl by Georg Wilhelm Pabst.
Kurfürstendamm is a 1920 German silent drama film directed by Richard Oswald and starring Conrad Veidt, Asta Nielsen, and Erna Morena. It is set on the Kurfürstendamm in central Berlin. It is now considered a lost film.
The Night at Goldenhall is a 1920 German silent film directed by and starring Conrad Veidt. It is now considered a lost film.
The Night of Decision is a 1931 American drama film directed by Dimitri Buchowetzki and starring Conrad Veidt, Olga Chekhova, and Peter Voß. Based on the 1928 play The General by Lajos Zilahy, it is also known by the alternative title of Der General. It was made at the Joinville Studios in Paris as the German-language version of the Hollywood production The Virtuous Sin. It is now considered a lost film.
Manja Tzatschewa was a Bulgarian-born actress, who starred in many German silent films during the 1920s.
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