Metropolis
(1927) German
B&W : 17 reels / 4189 metres
Directed by Fritz Lang

Cast: Gustav Fröhlich [Freder Fredersen], Brigitte Helm [Maria, the robot], Alfred Abel [Joh Fredersen], Rudolf Klein-Rogge [Rotwang], Theodor Loos [Josaphat], Heinrich George [Grot], Erwin Biswanger [Georg], Olaf Storm [Jan], Fritz Rasp, Hanns Leo Reich, Heinrich Gotho, Margarete Lanner, Max Dietze, Georg John, Walter Kuhle, Arthur Rheinhard, Erwin Vater, Grete Berger, Olly Böheim, Ellen Frey, Lisa Gray, Rose Lichtenstein, Helene Weigel, Beatrice Garga, Anny Hintze, Helen von Münchhofen, Hilde Woitscheff, Fritz Alberti

Universum-Film Aktiengesellschaft [UFA] production; distributed by Universum-Film Aktiengesellschaft [UFA]. / Produced by Erich Pommer. Scenario by Thea von Harbou + [Fritz Lang], from the novel Metropolis by Thea von Harbou. Production design by Otto Hunte, Erich Kettelhut and Karl Vollbrecht. Sculpture by Walter Schultze-Mittendorf. Costume design by Aenne Willkomm. Cinematography by Karl Freund and Günther Rittau. Special effects photography by Eugen Schüfftan. Original music score by Gottfried Huppertz. / Premiere 10 January 1927 at UFA Palace-cinema in Berlin, Germany. / Standard 35mm spherical 1.37:1 format. / The film was reedited to ten reels by Channing Pollack, Julian Johnson and Edward Adams, and released in the USA by Paramount Pictures Corporation in 1927. A ‘restored’ version based on the original scenario and the novel by Thea von Harbou, with film stills and additional intertitles to replace missing footage, was prepared by Enno Patalas for the Munich Filmmuseum. / Silent film.

Drama: Science fiction.

Survival Status: Prints exist in the Munich Filmmuseum film archive, in the Museum of Modern Art film archive, and in the International Museum of Photography and Film at George Eastman House film archive.

Keywords: Children - Cities - Robots - Science fiction - Water - Workers

Listing updated: 12 October 2007.

References: Film viewing : Bardèche-History pp. 105, 260-261, 343; Bohn-Light pp. xxiii, 127-128, 159; Brownlow-Parade p. 353; Everson-American pp. 137, 314, 321, 327; Fell-History p. 23; FilmDaily-1926 front endpapers; Geduld-Birth pp. 39, 147; Jensen-Lang pp. 26, 38, 39, 43, 58, 59-69, 70, 75, 78, 79, 80, 85, 91, 92, 94, 100, 104, 163, 174, 180, 198, 203, 207; Kael-Kiss pp. 309-310; Lahue-Collecting pp. 38-39; Leish-Cinema pp. 34, 35; Limbacher-Feature p. 159; Maeder-Hollywood p. 112; Maltin-Guide p. 825; Manchel-Terrors pp. 29-31, 39, 67; Mandelbaum-Screen pp. 166, 172, 186; Marrero-Vintage pp. 4, 15, 18, 25, 158; Nollen-Karloff pp. 96, 106; Perry-British p. 50; Shipman-Cinema pp. 96, 97; Sinyard-Silent pp. 8, 162, 163, 164, 165 : Cinemonkey-16 p. 35.

Home Video: DVD.