Dr. Mabuse, the Gambler

1922 4h 31m DE

🙌

7.7

BANGER

★7.7TMDB · 218

CrimeThriller

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Dr. Mabuse and his organization of criminals are in the process of completing their latest scheme, a theft of information that will allow Mabuse to make huge profits on the stock exchange. Afterwards, Mabuse disguises himself and attends the Folies Bergères show, where Cara Carozza, the main attraction of the show, passes him information on Mabuse's next intended victim, the young millionaire Edgar Hull. Mabuse then uses psychic manipulation to lure Hull into a card game where he loses heavily. When Police Commissioner von Wenk begins an investigation of this mysterious crime spree, he has little to go on, and he needs to find someone who can help him.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Rudolf Klein-Rogge
Dr. Mabuse
Aud Egede-Nissen
Cara Carozza
Gertrude Welcker
Countess Dusy Told
Alfred Abel
Count Told
Bernhard Goetzke
Prosecutor von Wenk
Paul Richter
Edgar Hull
Robert Forster-Larrinaga
Spoerri
Hans Adalbert Schlettow
Georg

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Fritz Lang
Writers: Thea von Harbou, Norbert Jacques, Fritz Lang
Languages: No Language
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 / 6

RUNTIME

Did you know

At 271 minutes, this is a three-hour-plus commitment — longer than 95% of films ever made.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 6

ERA

Did you know

104 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 6

CINEMA

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 6

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Fritz Lang, shot by Carl Hoffmann. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 6

CAST

Did you know

Rudolf Klein-Rogge and Aud Egede-Nissen and Gertrude Welcker carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 6

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0013086 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Fritz Lang directs. Carl Hoffmann behind the camera. A long sit — settle in. Produced in Germany. Dialogue in No Language.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1At 271 minutes, this is a three-hour-plus commitment — longer than 95% of films ever made.
2104 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Part of the "Dr. Mabuse Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
4Directed by Fritz Lang, shot by Carl Hoffmann. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Rudolf Klein-Rogge and Aud Egede-Nissen and Gertrude Welcker carry the top of the cast.
6IMDB entry: tt0013086 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
7Classified under 13 themes, including "mask", "magic", "identity", "dollar".
8Released under 31 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Carl Hoffmann
Runtime: 271 min · 4h 31m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Original language: DE
IMDB: Dr. Mabuse, the Gambler (1922)

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.