Know When to Fold 'Em

I've always been curious about Dr. Mabuse: The Gambler (1922) once I figured out that it is a different thing than The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. Easy mistake to make: two doctors with mesmeric powers in German silent films.

It starts with Dr. Mabuse (Rudolph Klein-Rogge) shuffling through a deck of photos like they were playing cards. He is deciding on his disguise for the day while berating his man-servant for taking cocaine again. His plan is simple: One of his thugs will get on a train, steal a large commercial contract, and throw it out the window. It drops into a car waiting under the train tracks. Then after Mabuse studies the contract, he will sneak it into the backseat of cab. On the news of the theft of the contract, certain stocks plummet - with Mabuse buying. On the news that the contract is found, he waits until the stocks skyrocket, and sells.

But this is just a side project. His main gig is to go to gambling clubs in disguise snd use his telepathic powers to win. His latest target is Edgar Hull (Paul Richter), a wealthy young man. Mabuse telepathically makes him play and keep playing badly, until he loses his whole stake. When his friends look at the "losing" hand he threw down, they discover it was a strong hand - he can't explain why he gave up. As Mabuse carries out his campaign against him, in different disguises in different clubs, he also sends the beautiful Cara Carozza (Aud Egede-Nissen) to seduce him. We get to see a little of her act, which includes standing around on stage in a skin-colored body suit.

But Mabuse has an opponent: State Prosecutor von Wenk. But will he be able to pierce Mabuse's veil oif secrets?

Let me mention here that this movie comes in two parts, and each part is over two hours long. The above description covers about 30 minutes. At some point, I began drifting in and out of sleep, and gave up and went to bed before I got to Part 2. So I still can't say I've seen Dr. Mabuse: The Gambler. It's a complicated story, with several people using disguises and playing multiple roles. And of course, since it's silent, if your eyes drift closed, there's no dialog to help you keep up. Great soundtrack, though.

In conclusion, there isn't much of the famous German Expressionism here. It is generally realistic with a few flourishes. I hope to watch it someday.