drug abuse flourished, as old moral engineers market crashes and inflations Germany’s Master Villain restraints evaporated. This is the climate (the belief that the great inflation of the by Cora Buhlert that bred Mabuse. early 1920s was engineered by nefarious The novel begins with the young powers was a popular conspiracy theory The history of Norbert Jacques’ villain, Dr Mabuse prosecutor Von Wenk investigating a at the time) to create chaos and usher in series of gambling frauds, which have a reign of crime. Mabuse also wants to He was a true mastermind of evil, a led the easy living Count Todd and his found his own kingdom, called villain on the scale of Fu Manchu or wife to their ruin. The trail leads to a Eitopomar, in the Amazonian jungles. Blofeld. His criminal career spawned criminal syndicate headed by Dr. What makes Mabuse so dangerous are more than six decades, from the unrest Mabuse (who incidentally got his name his hypnotic powers, which he uses to of the Weimar Republic to the fall of the from a 15th century Flemish painter). By control his victims. Only Von Wenk is Berlin Wall, and even death itself could day, Mabuse is a respected psychologist immune to Mabuse’s powers, making not stop him. Dr Mabuse, respected (psychoanalysis was only becoming him the only man who can take Mabuse physician, crazed genius and master popular at the time and was still viewed and his organisation down. Von Wenk’s mesmerist, always plotting to plunge the with suspicions by many people). By resolve is strengthened when he falls in world into chaos and usher in an age of night, he controls criminal operations love with Mabuse’s lover, the dancer crime. ranging from gambling fraud via Cara Carozza. Mabuse was the brainchild of writer prostitution, drug trading and Modern day critics are not sure what Norbert Jacques. Jacques was born in counterfeiting to murder. Given the to make of Jacques’ novel. Is it a deeply Luxembourg in 1880. After studying law economic problems in Germany at the conservative text and is the aristocratic at the University of Bonn, he became a time, it is not surprising that Mabuse prosecutor Von Wenk a symbol for the journalist and world traveller. His also sets his sights on the economy. He old German empire, beleaguered by the experiences led him to writing travel new republic and its vices as symbolised memoirs and adventure novels. His first Below: The cover of the DVD of Fitz Lang’s Dr by Mabuse. Or is it a highly prophetic novel, Funchal, appeared in 1909. It was Mabuse the Gambler. novel with Mabuse as a Hitler-like followed by dozens of other novels in a figure? One thing is clear however: variety of genres. Was Norbert Jacques a Although a villain, Mabuse is the true pulp author? He himself would probably star of the novel. have disputed that claim. After all Norbert Jacques was good friends Jacques never wrote for the German with Thea von Harbou, who worked as a pulps, his novels were serialised in screenwriter for the German film respectable newspapers of the day. And production company UFA. Thea von Jacques was hardly a hack, considering Above: Cover of the 1996 edition of Doctor Harbou introduced Jacques to her that even Thomas Mann lauded his Mabuse, the Gambler husband, director Fritz Lang. Lang had abilities as a writer. Nevertheless, many just had his first big success with the unstable and had very little support of his works have a certain pulpy feel to jungle adventure The Indian Tomb and among the population. Elections were them. This is particularly true for the was looking for a follow-up picture. frequent and majorities changed every novel that would make Jacques famous, Thea von Harbou suggested an few months. There was rioting in the Dr Mabuse, der Spieler (Dr Mabuse the adaptation of Dr Mabuse, the Gambler, streets and various uprisings both from Gambler), which was serialised in the which premiered later in 1922. In the the left and the right. Inflation reached newspaper Berliner Illustrierte Zeitung film, Mabuse was played by Rudolf incredible heights, even everyday items between September 25th, 1921, and Klein-Rogge (best know for playing the such as bread cost millions and billions January 29th, 1922. mad scientist Rotwang in Fritz Lang’s of marks. The big cities, most notably In Germany, the early 1920s were a Metropolis). Berhard Goetzke was Von Berlin, had developed a very active time of political and social uproar. The Wenk. Norwegian actress Aud Egede nightlife with all the attendant Weimar Republic, which had risen from Nissen played Cara Carozza. Somewhat problems. Prostitution, gambling and the ashes of the old empire, was highly overshadowed by the better known Metropolis, Dr Mabuse, the Gambler is features one of the first crossovers in Testament would not see a cinematic nevertheless one of the gems of German cinema history. Because Mabuse’s release until after the war. And as the silent cinema. It can also be seen as a nemesis in Testament is none other than film was noticeably dated by then, it precursor to M, Lang’s 1930 masterpiece Inspector Lohmann, a character who had never had the success it deserved. about the hunt for a serial killer. first appeared in M. Lohmann, whose Even though two of his films had The film was a faithful adaptation of gruff manners and overweight body been banned, Goebbels asked Fritz Lang the novel. The only difference was the concealed a sharp mind, was a much to stay in Germany and even offered him end. In the novel, Mabuse was killed. more interesting character than Mabuse’s the post of director of the film The final scene of the film shows previous adversary Von Wenk. Otto production company UFA. However, Mabuse in his lair, playing with Wernicke played Lohmann in both M Lang refused. He divorced Thea von banknotes, beyond punishment, utterly and Testament. Rudolf Klein-Rogge Harbou, who supported the Nazi cause, mad. The film’s ending has a much more returned as Mabuse. and left Germany for Hollywood not sinister air than the tidy solution of the Testament begins with a man spying long after. Lang would continue making novel. Incidentally, it also left open the on a counterfeiting workshop, only to be films throughout the 1940s and 50s, possibility for a sequel. And given the brutally murdered soon after. Other even though he could never repeat his success of both the novel and the film, a murders follow. Inspector Lohmann is early successes. Meanwhile, Norbert sequel was almost inevitable. convinced that Mabuse is the Jacques continued working as a Norbert Jacques was the first to mastermind behind the crimes. The screenwriter for the UFA, a career revisit the character in his 1930 novel audience is convinced as well. After all, launched by the success of the first Mabuses Kolonie (Mabuse’s Colony), they see and hear Mabuse — only Mabuse film. But Jacques too found which remained unfinished. Mabuses appearing as a shadow on a screen — Above: Programme booklet cover for the 1933 himself increasingly at odds with the Kolonie, which concerned the jungle giving orders to his gang. But the real version of The Testament of Dr Mabuse. Nazi regime, because his Luxembourger kingdom of Eitopomar, was only Mabuse is safely locked away in an citizenship made him suspicious. published in 1997, together with insane asylum. Or is he? Upon visiting testament are floating on the water. Nevertheless, Jacques stayed in Germany Jacques’ novellas Ingenieur Mars the asylum, Lohmann sees Mabuse Testament was filmed in the fall of throughout the war years. His refusal to (Engineer Mars, 1923) and Chemiker sitting in his cell, tirelessly scribbling 1932 and set to premiere on March 24th, leave later got him in trouble with the Null (Chemist Zero, 1934). what he has termed his testament. A 1933. However, the situation in Germany Allied authorities and he was even Meanwhile, Fritz Lang himself was testament which accurately describes had changed. For on January 30th Adolf briefly arrested. considering a sequel to the highly the very crimes Lohmann is Hitler had come to power. Although It would seem that Mabuse had been successful Mabuse film. He approached investigating. Yet Dr Baum, the director Fritz Lang had Jewish ancestors, both forgotten, but that was not the case. And Norbert Jacques to write a second of the asylum, assures Lohmann that Hitler and Goebbels were fans of his after the war, he quickly reappeared. In Mabuse novel. Instead of finishing Mabuse cannot possibly escape. The work and listed Metropolis and Die 1950, Norbert Jacques finally published Mabuses Kolonie, Jacques came up with situation becomes even more baffling, Nibelungen (The Nibelungs) among their The Testament of Doctor Mabuse under an entirely new novel which was when Mabuse is found dead in his cell. favourite films. But the parallels the title Mabuses letztes Spiel (Mabuse’s entitled Das Testament des Doctor It turns out that Dr Baum himself has between the situation in described in last gamble). The film version also Mabuse (The Testament of Doctor fallen under the influence of Mabuse’s Testament and the Nazi’s rise to power finally received a theatrical release in Mabuse). The sequel was finished in hypnotic powers and has been were too close for comfort and so the Germany. Meanwhile, the rights to the 1932 and adapted for the screen. orchestrating the crimes as detailed in film was banned a day before the two Mabuse films had ended up with However, Testament was not published, the testament. In a very impressive premiere. M was banned as well, as the producer Artur Brauner. Brauner saw the as it was feared that the book would sequence, Mabuse’s spirit literally rises depiction of crime running rampant did potential in the character and hamper the success of the forthcoming from his body and enters Baum’s. This is not agree with the Nazi’s vision of what approached Norbert Jacques to write a film. Besides, Fritz Lang had promised the moment where Mabuse turns from a Germany should be like. Testament screenplay for a third Mabuse film. Jacques a cut of the film profits that larger than life villain into a finally premiered in Vienna. The French Jacques did finish a screenplay draft, but promised to be greater than the royalties supernatural menace. The film ends version of Testament — which had been he died before production began. from the book. with Baum fleeing the police in a furious shot back-to-back with the German In the late 1950s, Fritz Lang returned Testament was clearly written with and brilliantly photographed car chase version, using different actors — came to Germany as well. He made three more the film adaptation in mind. Moreover, it only to drive into a lake. Shreds of the out in France. But in Germany, films, all of which revisited to his pre- war successes. In 1959, Lang directed built by the Gestapo to spy on foreign Harald Reinl. Wolfgang Preiss starred returned as Mabuse, before taking over Der Tiger von Eshnapur (The Tiger of tourists and has now been taken over by again as Mabuse, Gert Fröbe played his the body of psychiatrist Dr Pohland Eshnapur) and its sequel Das Indische Mabuse. His latest plan includes using a nemesis, now finally called Lohmann. (Walter Rilla). Like the earlier version, Grabmal (The Indian Tomb), remakes of beautiful young woman (Dawn Adams) Joining them were Lex Barker as the FBI Testament again ends with Pohland Lang’s 1921 film of the same title. to set up businessmen staying at the agent Joe Como and Israeli singer and crashing his car into the river, leaving Though lesser known than some other hotel. The damsel in distress is actress Daliah Lavi as the beautiful behind pages of the testament floating on Lang films, Tiger and Tomb are beautiful supposedly on the run from her brutal daughter of a scientist menaced by the water. pulpy jungle adventures in their own husband who suddenly appears at the Mabuse. The final scene of In the Steel Apparently, both Mabuse and the right. hotel only to be murdered by his wife’s Net of Dr Mabuse is especially chilling. testament survived, for in 1963 the next Finally in 1960, Artur Brauner new protector. Thanks to the cameras, Mabuse has clearly gotten away once film, Scotland Yard jagt Dr Mabuse managed to convince Lang to return to Mabuse has got everything on film and again. Lohmann is staring out of a (Scotland Yard vs. Dr Mabuse), the character of Dr Mabuse once more can now blackmail the businessmen. His window, looking at a busy street with appeared. As the title suggests, Mabuse with Die Tausend Augen des Dr Mabuse aim is once again to cause economic hundreds of people hurrying by, musing — still occupying the body of the (The Thousand Eyes of Dr Mabuse). havoc and get his hands on nuclear that Mabuse could be anyone. psychiatrist Dr Pohland — is apparently Mabuse’s nemesis in this film was material. As in Testament, Mabuse only As it was, Mabuse was still played by fed up with having his plans thwarted by Commissar Krass, a Lohmann-like appears as a shadow on a viewscreen. Wolfgang Preiss in the next film of the the German police time and again and character played by Gert Fröbe (best His true identity remains a secret until series, Die unsichtbaren Krallen des Dr moves his operations to Britain, where known to international audiences for the end, when he is revealed to have Mabuse (The Invisible Claws of Dr he plans to take over the country with playing Goldfinger in the eponymous been Cornelius all along. It is never Mabuse), which was released in 1962 the aid of a hypnosis machine. He is Bond film). In later films, Fröbe’s revealed how Cornelius came to be and again directed by Harald Reinl. Lex stopped by Inspector Vulpius of the character would actually be called Mabuse. Presumably, Mabuse’s spirit Barker reprised his role as Joe Como. The Hamburg police, yet another Lohmann- Lohmann again. He appears to be the took over his body at some point before gruff inspector was played by Siegfried like character played by Werner Peters, inspector first seen in Testament and M. the film. Lowitz and Karin Dor (best known to and Major Adams of the British Secret The film begins with an inexplicable The Thousand Eyes of Dr Mabuse is international audiences for playing a Service (Peter Van Eyk, who had also crime, as a man is murdered by shooting an excellent film, yet Fritz Lang was not villainess in the Bond film You only live starred in The 1000 Eyes of Doctor a needle into his brain. Krass is happy with it. He retired and never twice) was the damsel in distress. This Mabuse). In the end, Mabuse’s spirit goes immediately reminded of Mabuse whom made another film until his death in time around, Mabuse is attempting to in search of a new host, leaving behind a he helped to track down thirty years 1976. Artur Brauner, however, was eager gain control of a device which can turn distraught Dr Pohland who keeps on before. But nobody believes Krass, to continue the Mabuse series, as he human beings invisible. As a McGuffin muttering “It wasn’t me. It was Mabuse” Mabuse is after all dead. However, Krass hoped it would become a franchise to the invisibility device is much less over and over again. receives unexpected help from Peter rival the highly successful Edgar Wallace believable than the assorted hypnosis With Scotland Yard vs. Dr Mabuse, Cornelius (Wolfgang Preiss), a blind series. Since Brauner was unable to drugs and mindcontrol devices of the the marriage between Mabuse and fortune-teller, who believes that Mabuse convince Fritz Lang to make another other films. However, it makes for a very Wallace films was finally completed. has marked him for death. One of the Mabuse film, he instead hired Harald suspenseful scene where the police The script was based on the Edgar film’s most memorable scenes has all the Reinl, a veteran of the Wallace series. Im attempts to protect an airplane from Wallace story The Device and the cast players gathered for a seance with Stahlnetz des Dr Mabuse (In the Steel Mabuse’s invisible assassins. included such Wallace film regulars as Cornelius, when suddenly a shot is fired Net of Dr Mabuse), the first post-Lang The next film in the series was Das Klaus Kinski (playing a policeman for through the window. A bullet apparently Mabuse film, was released in 1961. This Testament des Dr Mabuse (The once), Agnes Windeck and Ady Berber meant for Cornelius. time around, Mabuse has developed a Testament of Dr Mabuse), a virtual (who plays a hangman hypnotised into Meanwhile, Krass discovers that the mind-controlling drug and is trying to remake of the 1933 film with the hanging himself in the film’s most murdered man was a guest at the Hotel strike a deal with the Chicago mob. Any political aspects edited out. It is here memorable scene). Luxor where an unproportionate high political or economic motivations are that Fritz Lang’s genius becomes truly The final film of the series, Die number of guests meet an untimely end. gone by now, making Mabuse just apparent, for while this version of Todestrahlen des Dr Mabuse (The Death But the Luxor is no ordinary hotel. Every another mad scientist villain. Testament is an entertaining thriller in Rays of Dr Mabuse) veered off into a room is equipped with hidden cameras, Nevertheless, Steel Net is an its own right, it cannot hold a candle to completely different territory though. controlled from an impressive monitor atmospheric little thriller, which is the original. Gerd Fröbe is back as Instead of emulating the Wallace series, room in the basement. The hotel was largely due to the stylish direction by Inspector Lohmann. Wolfgang Preiss the 1964 film tries to cash in on the growing popularity of the James Bond underwater scenes hopelessly murky. was still so popular that the British Finally, in 1990 Mabuse returned once movies. It looks like a poor man’s What is more, the film’s scientific horror film Scream And Scream Again more to international cinemas in Claude Thunderball, complete with “exotic” menace — death rays straight out of a would be entitled Die lebenden Leichen Chabrol’s film Dr M., which was intended locales (here Malta), beautiful girls and 1930s science fiction novel — seemed des Dr Mabuse (The Living Corpses of Dr as a homage to Fritz Lang. In Dr M. Berlin underwater stunts. Peter Van Eyk stars rather anachronistic in 1964, four years Mabuse) for its German release in 1969. is shaken by a wave of inexplicable once again as Major Adams of the British after the invention of the laser. This flaw Watching the film in its German version, suicides, which are traced back to a Secret Service. In the beginning, Mabuse might have been forgivable, if we had it is easy to forget that this is not an bizarre holiday camp run by a mysterious is still in the body of Dr Pohland ever gotten to see the death rays in official part of the series. And Vincent doctor. The evil doctor, who is called (contradicting the previous film), but action. But we don’t and so they never Price makes a brilliant Mabuse. A pity Marsfeldt here, is played by Alan Bates. Mabuse soon transfers himself into the manage to present a convincing menace. that he never got to play the part for real. Jennifer Beals is his adopted daughter body of the scientist Dr Botani. The lab from where the rays are In 1971, Artur Brauner made a final Sonja and Jan Niklas is the young police At first glance, the idea of mixing controlled is one of the few impressive return to the Mabuse franchise. A detective sent to investigate. As the name Mabuse and Bond seems like a match sets of the film, though. Another leftover script from the 1960s became Mabuse is not even mentioned in Dr M. it made in heaven. After all, Dr Mabuse is problem is that Peter Van Eyk, an actor the basis for La Venganza de Doctor is disputable whether the film can be clearly the stuff that Bond villains are used to playing straightforward heroes, Mabuse (The Vengeance of Dr Mabuse), considered an official part of the series or made off. One can easily imagine him never manages to pull off the detached helmed by Spanish cult director Jess not. What is more, Dr M. was not very having a talk with Blofeld or Goldfinger irony required by his Bond-like Franco. Incidentally, this was also the successful and thus the possibilities of and giving 007 more than a few character. The presence of the gruff first Mabuse film in colour, not counting seeing Mabuse return to the big screen are nightmares. And Spectre embodies inspector as played by Peters or Fröbe is Scream and Scream Again. slim at the moment. Mabuse’s old goal of the reign of crime. sorely missed. Fans of Jess Franco’s work seem to But in the meantime, Mabuse’s Nevertheless, the move towards techno Given its shortcomings it is not enjoy The Vengeance of Doctor Mabuse, tentacles have reached out to other media. spy thrillers was probably what killed surprising that Death Rays almost but for fans of the Mabuse series the film A journal for alternative medicine entitled the series. The stylish black and white became the death knell of the Mabuse is a huge disappointment. There is a mad Dr. med. Mabuse has been appearing in photography, which had lent so much series. Yet Mabuse had evaded certain scientist in The Vengeance of Doctor German since 1975 (somehow I believe atmosphere to the previous films, did death before and he would return, at Mabuse, he is even called Mabuse, but that whoever chose the title had never not work for the many location shots in least in name, to German cinemas. Even apart from that he has nothing in seen the films). Somewhat truer to the Death Rays and made the many in the late 1960s, the Mabuse franchise common with the brilliant criminal source material was the six-part Mabuse mastermind of the past. And the plot is a comic book by writer/artist Isabel Kreitz, hopelessly convoluted mess about which was published in 2001. New Below: Programme booklet covers for The Thousand Eyes of Dr Mabuse, the 1963 version of The Testament striptease dancers, Frankenstein-like editions of the original novels by Norbert of Dr Mabuse and The Invisble Claws of Dr Mabuse monsters and policemen inexplicably Jacques (including the unfinished dressed like cowboys. Not surprisingly, Mabuses Kolonie) appeared in 1996/97. In The Vengeance of Doctor Mabuse never the same year, an audio play, based on the saw a theatrical release in Germany, first novel, was released. though it occasionally shows up on late Even though it has been almost 40 night TV. Even Artur Brauner preferred years since the last official film, Dr to disown this film and it credited as Art Mabuse is still a household name in Bern for writing the script. Germany. Through the novels and Following the disaster of Vengeance, especially the films, the character has Mabuse remained absent from German entered the German psyche. He is screens for more than a decade. In 1983 Germany’s Moriarty, Blofeld, Fu the character made a brief appearance in Manchu. And he will never truly die? an episode of the Austrian cult TV-series Mabuse is just biding his time, his Kottan Ermittelt (Kottan investigates). malicious spirit waiting to take over the The episode was entitled, appropriately mind of a young writer or film director, enough, Mabuse kehrt zurück (Mabuse so he can set out to build his empire of returns). crime once again.