[Update: This week’s mystery movie has been Fritz Lang’s 1928 film “Spies,” starring Willy Fritsch, Gerda Maurus and Rudolf Klein-Rogge and released on DVD by KINO. ]
I’m still moving into my new place but I don’t want to go for even a day without a mystery photo. Have fun! The trick this week (in case you can’t read my mind) is to identify the movie.
There’s a new photo on the jump!
I started “Spies” with high hopes. The exposition is suitably vague, like a silent version of “The X-Files,” and the film, photographed by Fritz Arno Wagner with art direction by Otto Hunte and Karl Vollbrecht, is full of stunning visuals.
A fantasy sequence involving dead Japanese spies!
Once the plot detours into a love story between two spies (Willy Fritsch and Gerda Maurus) it becomes a rather tedious exercise in scenery chewing. Even in light of the exaggerated gestures of silent film – and granted, the story is a fantasy – the forehead grabbing and desk pounding, etc., are wearing.
Fortunately, “Spies” has a great villain in Rudolf Klein-Rogge (also seen in “Metropolis” and “Dr. Mabuse,”) an evil genius with a wicked hairdo who has all sorts of modernistic equipment at his command. He would be perfectly at home in a James Bond film.
The worst thing about this movie – and it’s really dreadful – is the chintzy score by Donald Sosin, done with a synthesizer and minimal creativity. I can’t think of a clearer example to show how a lousy score can sink a film. I’m not sure even Bernard Herrmann or Carl Davis could have saved “Spies,” but it would be more fun.
“Spies” was apparently done on a lavish budget – it even has a train crash:
In fact, it has just about everything, which is part of the problem. There are so many twists and turns in the sprawling script by Fritz Lang, based on a novel by Thea von Harbou (a.k.a. Mrs. Fritz Lang and Mrs. Klein-Rogge), it’s no wonder that the film endured a fairly ruthless pruning after it was released.
“Spies” is an interesting look at what Lang did aside from “Metropolis” before he made “M.” Watch it with the sound muted.
[Update: Please congratulate Mike Hawks and Stacia for identifying our mystery film!]
Here’s our mystery photo for Monday!
[Update: The Brain Trust never fails. Please congratulate C. Stuart and Sarah for identifying our mystery film! You folks are incredible!]
Here’s our photo for Tuesday. How about that desk clock?
[Please congratulate Mary Mallory for identifying our mystery film! Mike Hawks and Mary have identified the cast and Stacia says: Yay! I wondered how long it would be before my beloved …. would show up.]
And for Wednesday, we have a mystery lady!
For Thursday, a mystery boxing ring shot from high overhead, typical of our mystery director.
And then the mystery boxing ring turns into a dance floor!
For Friday, a mystery fellow with a mustache!
For Saturday, we have three shots of our mystery clown.
The first two show an instrument that I have only seen in books. It’s called a Stroh violin and was equipped with two horns to amplify the sound.
Here are some examples:
Uh-oh.
Broderick Crawford before he got a CHP car to drive?
Evel Knievel?
The Great Escape … Steve McQueen.
The Wild One? Cycle Trash Grease Monkees?
Easy Rider?
I have no guess yet for either picture, but I just wanted to thank you, Larry, for continuing “The Daily Mirror” at this new home. I’m overjoyed! I enjoy your engaging writing style, and love the unusual nuggets of L.A. history which you mine for us.
Chopper Dan on his way to a Hell’s Angels meeting.
Glad you are still around Larry.
I’d have to take a wild guess…”The Wild One”? The other photo looks like a shot from an old “Waiting For Godot.”
This blog is already great!
The movie is SPIES, the man is Willy Fritsch.
The movie is SPIES, the man Willy Fritsch.
Larry, I am so glad you’re keeping it going!!
Lars Hanson and THE INFORMER?
Oh! how wonderful, you’re back before you were ever really gone!! I would have said Steve McQueen in The Great Escape, but that has already been guessed. Amarcord?
Ed Wynn?
Don’t have a guess for either picture, but I am so glad you are back in my world. Thanks.
Margie
Hooray! It’s only moved to a new location! SEBASTIAN CABOT!!
Fritz Lang’s Spies! I just saw this a few months ago, loved it! The 2nd picture is Willy Fritsch.
Good morning, fellow movieland mysterites! We’re happy to see our Chief Investigator has found a new clubhouse!
i dont know any of the photos, but i am so glad that you are back.
A pleasure having you back!
I’m totally stumped….but who cares? I’m just delighted that you’ve relocated! I was already feeling blue that the Daily Mirror was no longer. But here you are….I’ve got you bookmarked, moved to favorites…and DELETED my link to the LA Times. Best of luck, and we all thank you, Larry, for all your work!
Cheers,
Gregory Moore
NYC
Metropolis?
Is the film Fritz Lang’s “Spies”?
I forgot to mention in my guess at this week’s mystery film how much I like this new format. Cheers!
Is the mystery film Fritz Lang’s “Spies”?
Spione (Spies), Fritz Lang, 1928. Thank you for continuing the Daily Mirror — now my days will be complete!
I’ve already bookmarked the new site. Good to have you back
Beat me who that is!! Hey Larry, are you going to have an RSS feed for this blog?
@ Barbara: If I can figure out how to set up an RSS feed I’ll do it. I’m pretty much a novice at WordPress since the previous incarnation of the Daily Mirror was on TypePad.
@Barbara: It’s at the bottom of the right rail.
Yay Larry! Thanks!
These are all from same movie?
@Dewey: Yes. I’m improvising a mystery photo until I figure out how to handle them.
It’s very simple how you handle mystery photos. You look at the photographs and pick those that will torture us poor souls. And suffer we do, but we love itl. A shrink would have a field day with your faithful followers….
Finally! It’s SPIES. When I saw yesterday’s photo I knew I had seen it before, just took me awhile to figure it out. The blonde haired man is Willy Fritsch, yesterday’s photo shows Rudolf Klein-Rogge, and today shows Gerda Maurus.
What do you mean by trying to figure out how to handle the msmp?
The man behind the desk is Rudolf Klein-Rogge, the lady is Gerda Maurus.
Fibber is right. These four photos don’t look like the same movie, and I can’t find any clue as I’ve
no idea who any of the people are. Grrrrrrrrrr!
Glad you are back and at it, sir.
Would the mystery guy be Conrad Nagel?
Just a guess. And, no clue as to the lady.
Yay! I wondered how long it would be before my beloved Gerda Maurus would show up.
Larry:
So good to see you here!
I *know* what this movie is; I just read about it on some blog (I recognize the desk clock!), but I can’t bloody remember *which* blog! Bested already!
Pamela
Larry – Yet another movie that I don’t recognize, but no bother. I’m glad to see you have risen from the ashes. My thanks to Arthur Marx – I missed the first clue. Good luck in your new digs.
Aren’t the days off for each photo? Today’s photo should be for Wednesday, not Thursday. Maybe because you posted the first one on Sunday.
@Mary: Oops, you’re right!
Great to hear that The Daily Mirror will live on. Boo on The Times.
Gidget Goes Potemkin?
The movie is “They Made Me a Criminal” directed by Busby Berkeley.
This film has the look of an early John Ford picture. Could it be “Mother Machree Goes West”?
Oh, it’s great to know that my favorite blog will continue.
I think I’ve seen the Stroh violin in early Vitaphone shorts and also late silents with scenes in nightclubs.
@Mary: I was really surprised to see it and this is one the reasons I did this movie. Stroh also did cellos, I believe.
This is from a movie? Seems more like visions from a bad dream. Some horror from early Erich von Stroheim?
Your new logo is very interesting. The lady on the left is actress Frances Farmer but I don’t know who the guy on the right is, looking at the Luger pistol. I assume the lineup of guys betwixt those two are the “usual suspects.” Sure would be nice if you had a Speed Graphic-toting dude in the logo, but whut the heck.
@Fibber: The gent on the right is Sid Hughes, who worked at just about every paper in Los Angeles and died about 50.
@Fibber: and thanks for the photo!
Though I don’t know the boxing ring movie, your hints immediately take me to Busby Berkeley as director – of at least the choreographed scenes.