The Kaiser, the Beast of Berlin
Encyclopedia
The Kaiser, the Beast of Berlin (1918
) is a silent movie
that stars Lon Chaney, Sr.
The film contains a propagandist view of the First World War, showing the political greed of the German Kaiser Wilhelm II, the resistance of some of his own soldiers, and fanciful prediction of the nature of the war's end. The film is now considered a lost film
.
production, this movie was an independent production produced by Rupert Julian for Renowned Pictures. Julian licensed the distribution rights to Renowned, who in turn sold the rights to Universal Jewel for world-wide distribution. Julian was such a convincing Kaiser that he was asked to reprise the role in many subsequent films.
The film was a blockbuster when it was released, and Universal spared no expense in advertising the film. Universal studio head Carl Laemmle
pushed the film to the theater owners as hard as he sold it to the viewing public. "A whirlwind of Applause - A Landslide of Money," "Unparalleled Receipts," and "The Picture That Blocked Traffic on Broadway" were some of the headlines for ads that ran in trade publications in an attempt to get theater owners to book the picture.
According to a report in Exhibitor's Trade Review on the film's success in Omaha, 14,000 saw the film there in a single week, a record for that city. "Wild cheering marked every show when the young captain socked the Kaiser on the jaw. Patriotic societies boosted the picture because of its aid in stirring up the country to war. Street car signs were used; huge street banners swung over the crowds in the downtown district, and a truck paraded the streets with the Kaiser hanging in effigy and a big sign 'All pro-Germans will be admitted free.' None availed himself of the invitation."
Prints of the film no longer survive, and this title is on the American Film Institute
's list of the "Ten Most Wanted" lost films. Alternative titles for this film are The Beast of Berlin and The Kaiser.
In 1919, a short (two-reel) parody of the film was released titled The Geezer of Berlin.
In a modern interview, Edgar G. Ulmer states that Erich von Stroheim
wrote the film's script and played the role of a German general.
1918 in film
The year 1918 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*Following litigation for anti-trust activities, the US Supreme Court orders the Motion Picture Patents Company to disband....
) is a silent movie
Silent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted through muted gestures, pantomime and title cards...
that stars Lon Chaney, Sr.
Lon Chaney, Sr.
Lon Chaney , nicknamed "The Man of a Thousand Faces," was an American actor during the age of silent films. He was one of the most versatile and powerful actors of early cinema...
The film contains a propagandist view of the First World War, showing the political greed of the German Kaiser Wilhelm II, the resistance of some of his own soldiers, and fanciful prediction of the nature of the war's end. The film is now considered a lost film
Lost film
A lost film is a feature film or short film that is no longer known to exist in studio archives, private collections or public archives such as the Library of Congress, where at least one copy of all American films are deposited and catalogued for copyright reasons...
.
Synopsis
Moving Picture World offered this plot summary:- Macas, a mighty man, is a blacksmith in Louvain, while in the palace in Berlin lives the Kaiser. A captain of the guard, chided for the appearance of his men, in anger knocks the Kaiser down and then commits suicide. The Kaiser soon after starts the world war. Louvain is invaded; the blacksmith, though wounded, saves his daughter from a German soldier. Later, the Lusitania is sunk. The commander of the submarine is decorated and then goes mad. In an interview with Ambassador Girard the Kaiser says he will stand no nonsense from America after the war. Then follow further incidents and happenings leading up to the declaration of war by the United States, and Gerard secures his passports. Scenes of America's military and naval preparations are shown; then the scene shifts to the close of the war. The principal allied generals are gathered in the palace in Berlin, the Kaiser is a captive and is turned over to the King of Belgium, who appoints the blacksmith as his jailer.
Background
Although frequently listed as a Universal StudiosUniversal Studios
Universal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....
production, this movie was an independent production produced by Rupert Julian for Renowned Pictures. Julian licensed the distribution rights to Renowned, who in turn sold the rights to Universal Jewel for world-wide distribution. Julian was such a convincing Kaiser that he was asked to reprise the role in many subsequent films.
The film was a blockbuster when it was released, and Universal spared no expense in advertising the film. Universal studio head Carl Laemmle
Carl Laemmle
Carl Laemmle , born in Laupheim, Württemberg, Germany, was a pioneer in American film making and a founder of one of the original major Hollywood movie studios - Universal...
pushed the film to the theater owners as hard as he sold it to the viewing public. "A whirlwind of Applause - A Landslide of Money," "Unparalleled Receipts," and "The Picture That Blocked Traffic on Broadway" were some of the headlines for ads that ran in trade publications in an attempt to get theater owners to book the picture.
According to a report in Exhibitor's Trade Review on the film's success in Omaha, 14,000 saw the film there in a single week, a record for that city. "Wild cheering marked every show when the young captain socked the Kaiser on the jaw. Patriotic societies boosted the picture because of its aid in stirring up the country to war. Street car signs were used; huge street banners swung over the crowds in the downtown district, and a truck paraded the streets with the Kaiser hanging in effigy and a big sign 'All pro-Germans will be admitted free.' None availed himself of the invitation."
Prints of the film no longer survive, and this title is on the American Film Institute
American Film Institute
The American Film Institute is an independent non-profit organization created by the National Endowment for the Arts, which was established in 1967 when President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act...
's list of the "Ten Most Wanted" lost films. Alternative titles for this film are The Beast of Berlin and The Kaiser.
In 1919, a short (two-reel) parody of the film was released titled The Geezer of Berlin.
In a modern interview, Edgar G. Ulmer states that Erich von Stroheim
Erich von Stroheim
Erich von Stroheim was an Austrian-born film star of the silent era, subsequently noted as an auteur for his directorial work.-Background:...
wrote the film's script and played the role of a German general.
External links
- The Kaiser, The Beast of Berlin at silentera.com