West Germany, 1952
92m
35mm film, black and white, 1.37:1
mono, English
A German fantasy film directed by Arthur Maria Rabenalt.
Plot Summary
A mad scientist uses semen from a dead man to artificially inseminate a prostitute. His experiment creates a beautiful young woman who turns out to be fatally flawed – she has no conscience and is unable to understand why it's wrong to kill.
Credits
Crew
Director: Arthur Maria Rabenalt
Deutsche Styria Film GmbH
Producers: Otto Lehmann, Günther Stapenhorst
Script: Fritz Rotter
Based on characters from Jewish legend and from the novel Alraune by Hanns Heinz Ewers
Director of Photography: Friedl Behn-Grund
Music: Werner W. Heymann
Song: “Heut' gefall' ich mir” by Werner R. Heymann, Jean Gilbert
Song: “Das Lied vom einsamen Mädchen” by Werner R. Heymann, Jean Gilbert, performed by Hildegard Knef
Costumes: Herbert Ploberger
Sets: Robert Herlth
Cast
Hildegard Knef (Alraune)
Erich von Stroheim (Jacob ten Brinken)
Karlheinz Böhm (Frank Braun)
Harry Meyen (Count Geroldingen)
Rolf Henniger (Wolf Goutram (Ralph Goutram in US version))
Harry Halm (Doctor Mohn)
Hans Cossy (Mathieu, the coachman)
Gardy Brombacher (Lisbeth)
Trude Hesterberg (Fuerstin Wolkonska (Princess Wolkonski in US version))
Julia Koschka (Olga Wolkonska (Wolkonski in US version))
Denise Vernac (Mlle. Duvaliere)
Alternative Titles
Mandrake
Alraune – naispaholainen – Finnish title
La Mandragora – Italian title
Alraune DCA
Mandrake
Unnatural – US video title
Unnatural… The Fruit of Evil
Links
See also
Alraune (1918a)
Alraune (1918b)
Alraune (1928)
Alraune (1930)
Alraune und der Golem (1919)
References
Periodicals
Film Français no.488 (13 November 1953) p.18 – review
Filmblätter no.44 (31 October 1952) p.973 – review
Filmfax no.61 (June / July 1997) pp.61, 61 – illustrated credits, review
Mein Film vol.22 no.34 (22 August 1952) – note
Mein Film vol.22 no.38 (19 September 1952) – review
Nebula Science Fiction vol.1 no.2 (Spring 1953) p.96 – note (Scientifilm previews by Forrest J. Ackerman)
Psychotronic no.22 p.11 – credits, review
Variety 12 October 1952 – note
Variety 10 December 1952 – credits, review
Books
Aurum Film Encyclopedia: Science Fiction by Phil Hardy (ed). p.133 – illustrated credits, review
Hoffman's Guide to SF, Horror and Fantasy Movies 1991-1992 p.20 – credits, review
Horror and Science Fiction Films IV by Donald C. Willis p.13 – credits
Reference Guide to Fantastic Films by Walt Lee p.10 – credits
The Science Fiction and Fantasy Film Handbook by Alan Frank p.11 – credits, review
