LANG, Fritz (dir.)

Inquire · Offered by Peter Harrington

Metropolis: Premier Presentation at Marble Arch Pavilion, W.1. Monday, March 21st. Special Season. Striking souvenir programme for the British premiere of Lang's masterpiece.Included among statements by the producer, cast and principal crew are some marvellous descriptions and scenes from the making of the film. A full synopsis is given and a particularly interesting section, entitled "Death to the Machines! These pages show how Thea von Harbou constructed the scenario of 'Metropolis' from the lines of her novel", illustrates in parallel text how passages of film were adapted from the fictional source. Metropolis had its premiere at the Ufa-Palast am Zoo in Berlin on 10 January 1927. The arresting cover image - depicting Maria in the headpiece that transfers her animus to her robotic double - is taken directly from the original German poster artwork by Kurt Degen, a leading designer who created posters for Murnau's Nosferatu (1922), Frankenstein, and M (both 1931). Decidedly scarce: very few copies appear in commerce.

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