The Invisible Dr. Mabuse

1962 1h 28m DE

👍

6.8

SOLID

⭐

5.6

IMDB

★6.8TMDB · 13★5.6IMDB · 622

CrimeThrillerScience FictionHorror

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Strange things happen in a revue theatre. The dancer Maria seems to be hunted by an invisible admirer. When the body of a probable FBI agent is found in a trunk the police asks FBI man Joe Como for help. Como gets interested in the revue theatre and an ominous transport firm soon. When he is receiving mysterious threatening letters he is sure that Dr. Mabuse has risen again. But what is going on at "Enterprise X" so that both the goverment and the mad genius in crime are interested in it?

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Lex Barker
FBI Agent Joe Como
Karin Dor
Liane Martin
Werner Peters
Martin Droste, aka Bobo the Clown
Siegfried Lowitz
Police Commissioner Brahm
Walo Lüönd
Detective Haase
Wolfgang Preiss
Dr. Krone / Dr. Mabuse
Kurd Pieritz
Dr. Bardorf
Rudolf Fernau
Professor Erasmus

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Harald Reinl
Writers: Ladislas Fodor
Languages: German
Countries: Germany

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

88 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

64 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "Dr. Mabuse Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Harald Reinl, shot by Ernst W. Kalinke. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Peter Sandloff. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Hermann Haller shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Lex Barker and Karin Dor and Werner Peters carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0056639 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Harald Reinl directs. Ernst W. Kalinke behind the camera. Peter Sandloff scores. Hermann Haller cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Germany. Dialogue in German.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

188 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
264 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Part of the "Dr. Mabuse Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
4Directed by Harald Reinl, shot by Ernst W. Kalinke. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Peter Sandloff. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Hermann Haller shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Lex Barker and Karin Dor and Werner Peters carry the top of the cast.
8IMDB entry: tt0056639 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 13 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Cinematography: Ernst W. Kalinke
Original score: Peter Sandloff
Editing: Hermann Haller
Production design: Gabriel Pellon
Costume design: Irms Pauli
Makeup / hair: Heinz Stamm
Runtime: 88 min · 1h 28m
Status: Released
Original language: DE
IMDB: The Invisible Dr. Mabuse (1962)
IMDB rating: 5.6/10 · 622 votes
MPAA: Not Rated

Part of

Dr. Mabuse Collection

Dr. Mabuse the Gambler (German: Dr. Mabuse, der Spieler) is the first film in the Dr. Mabuse series about the character Doctor Mabuse who featured in the novels of Norbert Jacques. It was directed by Fritz Lang and released in 1922. The film is silent and would be followed by the sound sequels The Testament of Dr. Mabuse (1933) and The Thousand Eyes of Dr. Mabuse (1960). It is four and a half hours long and divided into two parts, originally released a month apart. The title, Dr. Mabuse, der Spieler, makes use of three meanings of the German Der Spieler which can mean gambler, puppeteer, or actor. The character Dr. Mabuse, who disguises himself, manipulates people, and is a notorious gambler, embodies all senses of the word. Therefore, the Player might be a more appropriate translation of the title. The film is included in the book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, being the first of five Lang films to be entered.