The Testament of Dr. Mabuse (1962 film)
The Testament of Dr. Mabuse (German: Das Testament des Dr. Mabuse) is a 1962 German film directed by Werner Klingler. It was the fourth part of the Dr. Mabuse series from the 1960s and was a remake of the 1933 Fritz Lang film The Testament of Dr. Mabuse.[1]
| The Testament of Dr. Mabuse | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Werner Klingler |
| Produced by | Artur Brauner[1] |
| Screenplay by | |
| Starring | |
| Music by | Raimund Rosenberger[1] |
| Cinematography | Albert Benitz[1] |
| Edited by | Walter Wischniewsky[1] |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Constantin Film Verleih GmbH (München) |
Release date |
|
Running time | 88 minutes[1] |
| Country | West Germany[1] |
Cast
Cast adapted from Filmportal.de.[1]
- Wolfgang Preiss as Dr. Mabuse
- Gert Fröbe as Kriminalkommissar Lohmann
- Senta Berger as Nelly
- Helmut Schmid as Johnny Brigge
- Charles Régnier as Mortimer
- Walter Rilla as Prof. Pohland
- Harald Juhnke as Kriminalassistent Krüger
- Leon Askin as Flocke
- Ann Savo as Wackel-Heidi
- Claus Tinney as Jack
Production
In 1962, producer Artur Brauner set-up a new mini-studio of CCC Film called CCC Filmkunst (transl. CCC Art film).[2] This production set with make three films a year on lower budgets with more freedom to develop a film, which included The Testament of Dr. Mabuse.[2] The Testament of Dr. Mabuse was shot on location in Berlin and at CCC-Studios Berling-Spandau between May 16 and May 23, 1962.[1]
Release
The Testament of Dr. Mabuse was distributed theatrically in West Germany by Constantin Film on September 2, 1962. [1] The film was released in 1965 in the United States and was the last of the Dr. Mabuse films to be released theatrically there.[3][4]
Reception
From contemporary reviews, an anonymous reviewer in the Monthly Film Bulletin reviewed an 88 minute English-dubbed version of the film.[5] The reviewer declared the film "another black mark on the West Germany industry" and "one of the worst of the recent batch of Dr. Mabuse fabrications" stated that despite borrowing elements from Fritz Lang's original film, "lacks even a glimpse of Lang's dramatic flair [...] Things are made worse by an extremely tatty production—somewhat reminiscent of British films of the '30s" and poor quality dubbing.[5]
References
- "Das Testament des Dr. Mabuse" (in German). Filmportal.de. Retrieved July 4, 2020.
- Kalat 2005, p. 177.
- Kalat 2005, p. 173.
- Kalat 2005, p. 178.
- "Testament des Dr. Mabuse, Das (The Testament of Dr. Mabuse, West Germany, 1962". Monthly Film Bulletin. Vol. 32 no. 372. British Film Institute. January 1965. p. 10.
Sources
- Kalat, David (2005). The Strange Case of Dr. Mabuse: A Study of the Twelve Films and Five Novels. McFarland. ISBN 0-7864-2337-4.