The Strange Case of Dr. Mabuse: A Study of the Twelve Films and Five Novels

by David Kalat

The Mabuse phenomenon is recognized as an icon of horror in Germany as Frankenstein and Dracula are in the United States. A study of the 12 motion pictures and five books (and some secondary films) that make up the eight decades of adventures of master criminal Mabuse, created by author Norbert Jacques in the best-selling 1922 German novel and brought to the screen by master filmmaker Fritz Lang in the same year. Both on screen and off, the story of Dr. Mabuse is a story of love triangles and revenge, of murder, suicides, and suspicious deaths, of betrayals and paranoia, of fascism and tyranny, deceptions and conspiracies, mistaken identities, and transformation. This work, featuring much information never before published in English, provides an understanding of a modern mythology whose influence has pervaded popular culture even while the name Mabuse remains relatively unknown in the United States.

Genres: Film, Nonfiction, Speculative Fiction

315 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2001

Reviews

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's been quite some time since I first purchased this eBook, and to be honest I can't quite specifically remember what motivated me to seek out this book in the first place. However, Dr. Mabuse is one of my favorite cinematic characters, having been introduced to him through the three films that Fritz Lang did. Those three films certainly form a basis for what followed although the final chapter hasn't yet been written, so to speak. Since the original novels are all but out of print in English, this book is likely all I'll ever know about the source material. There was also a string of films after Fritz Lang's that continued the legacy of this enduring character. David Kalat who, based on this work alone is a fine historian and a consummate storyteller, wrangles the many threads of this literary and cinematic property with surprising coherence considering the vast amount of research that went into this. However, one thing that stands out from everything else is level of film scholarship at play here, and that shows a keen understanding of how the film industry works. Far and away my favorite passages are the ones that delve into the conflict between the artistic and the commercial that has been going on for about as long as films have been made, and still goes on to this day. And since a number of these films have fallen into obscurity, although most are available in some form or another, he provides detailed plot synopses and essentially reviews each film in the long-running series as well as commenting on running themes and a myriad of connections between the films themselves as well as the creative talent behind them. What's more, finishing this book has prompted me to finally check out the other films in the series, post-Lang. This is a truly fascinating and riveting work of scholarship that deserves to be read by every film student, and any person who considers themselves a cinephile.

[Erick Felinto · Rating 5 out of 5]

David Kalat's superb study reads like a mystery novel. He delves into the fascinating character of Dr. Mabuse, following his adventures in literature and cinema. Twelve different films (three by Fritz Lang) and five novels have sought inspiration in Mabuse. In this fascinating work, Kalat explores the motivations behind Mabuse's surprising popularity - a character that is himself an allegory of cinematographic art.

[Victor Mabuse · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was first introduced to the Dr. Mabuse mythos by a friend who screened The Testament of Dr, Mabuse with us several years ago. It was an amazing film that hooked me. From that point, I made it my goal to collect all things Mabuse, which is not easy. David Kalat's book is a must have for any fan of the enigmatic doctor. It is your guide into the Mabusian cinematic world and a treasure trove of information!

[Michael P. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this book was destined for a 5 star rating until I got to the chapter about THE DEATH RAY MIRROR OF DR. MABUSE. Kalat's reading of the films and his research into the making and their content had been superb up to that point, but suddenly he missed the point. Maybe he is too close to the material, but he understands DEATH RAY in light of the previous films and finds it wanting because there is too much of the sixties B-picture spy genre in it, but it is perfectly obvious that the producers of the sixties Mabuse films tried a new approach by imitating the Italian/German Kommissar X and French O.S.S. films, casting Mabuse and the, let's say, Bond villain. Viewed that way, the film is not nearly as terrible as Kalat tells us it is. Oh, it isn't very good, but it isn't a whole lot worse than the films it imitates. Nothing in Kalat's book indicates that he understands this.

His final chapter, a summary of what the Mabuse films mean, did not convince me. Kalat claims these are parables about political fascism. Perhaps they are, but they sure feel like crime films when you watch them, and I do not think that Kalat successfully makes the case that they are not.

This is otherwise a fine, indeed, very fine book about a fascinating series of overrated (in my opinion) films that reflects excellent research, reverses some myths about Fritz Lang as a film maker, and smartly uncovers how most of the films attain their effects on viewers.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a fan of Dr. Mabuse, Fritz Lang, and German krimi films, I couldn't have enjoyed this book more.
Author David Kalat provides an astounding wealth of deeply researched information about everything related to the character and idea of Dr. Mabuse. There is extensive detail about just about everything even remotely tangential to the subject. His book goes beyond the books and films and their respective productions, but also has incredibly detailed information about the lives of the filmmakers, including Fritz Lang, Jess Franco, Artur Brauner and CCC Films, and, Claude Chabrol.
The book also covers the German krimi films and the man upon whom many of the stories were based, Edgar Wallace. Kalat even goes so far as to include the books and films featuring the character of Fantomas, an earlier arch-criminal mastermind similar to Dr. Mabuse.
The historical, social and political context of the Weimar Republic, the Third Reich, and post-World War II Germany, especially as it relates to a divided Berlin, is explored as a key to understanding Dr. Mabuse and the themes of the movies.
Spoilers abound; however. Kalat provides a detailed synopsis of all the films as well as the books by Norbert Jacques, who first created the Mabuse character. I recommend seeing as many of the movies as you can before reading the book.
Kalat's style makes for an easy and enjoyable read.

[mabuse cast · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here is a very niche but still great and invaluable film history book about a recurring pulp fiction character that has oddly stuck around in cinema for a long time/has had long legs!

This book is both a blessing and a curse for people in the English speaking world! If for no other reason then it contains so much great information here on films you have never heard but are really fascinating hidden gems that you will spend years tracking down and watching like I have!
It got to the point where it has taken me a good 5 to 7 years to watch them all in order/track them down that it took me about as long to finish reading author David Kalat's book!

That is not to say this book is bad by any means! The exact opposite, this book is a great read for anyone interested in genre cinema, horror films, pulp literature, and the almost nonexistent divide between "low brow trash" and "high brow art" in general!

An essential read for anyone who is curious about offbeat cinema in general!

[Fraser Sherman · Rating 5 out of 5]

YMMV because it's a specialized topic. Dr. Mabuse was a master villain created by Norbert Jacques, then immortalized on screen in Fritz Lang's Dr. Mabuse: The Gambler and The Testament of Dr. Mabuse. He was revived for multiple thrillers in the 1960s, then various directors (Claude Chabrol, Jess Franco) created their own quasi-Mabuse films (Chabrol's Dr. M, for instance). Kalat goes over the development, story and merits of each film, plus details on the major creators. It's an exhaustive study and as a fan of the films, I found it insightful and informative.

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice overview of the history of the underrated supervillain of German cinema, Dr. Mabuse. Covers the 12 or so movies that have featured Dr. Mabuse including concise but interesting biographies of the respective directors, summaries of their plots, histories of their productions, analysis of their themes, and relevant contextual placement within German and filmic culture as well as in relation to each other.

[Steven Linden · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Strange Case of Dr. Mabuse is a pretty thorough account of the history of the Mabuse franchise, from Norbert Jacque's original bestseller, through Lang's masterpieces, to the '60s revival, and beyond. Dr. Mabuse is pretty much known in America only to cinephiles, but - at least at one time - in Germany he was a villain of comparable status to, say, Dracula. The book was quite good, going into great depth on the German film industry both in the Weimar and post-war eras, and giving substantial biographies of most of the directors, producers, and writers involved.

[Jack Heath]

Synopsis: Mabuse is an icon of horror in Germany. This study covers the master criminal from 1922: revenge, murder, fascism, deception, the lot.