Posted on May 27, 2014
Live + Sound + Cinema: Metropolis (1927, Fritz Lang)
Saturday, May 31 & Sunday, June 1; Brunch | Buy Tickets
Live Score by Black Lodge
Mostly known for his Expressionist work, Fritz Lang enjoyed an epic forty-year career and came close to putting out a movie a year between 1919 and 1960. After making a massive splash in German silent film, Lang ditched Germany when the Nazis came into power to spend a couple of decades in Hollywood making genre films. Below we’ve put together some of our favorite posters from Lang’s career, which, because it’s so long and hops from one continent to the other, is a pretty neat glimpse at the director’s career.
Der Herr der Lieve (1919)
There’s a hidden terrifying clown thing in this poster.
Dr. Mabuse: The Gambler (1922)
Siegfried (1924)
Kriemhild’s Revenge (1924)
This is one of the earliest Japanese movie posters I’ve ever stumbled on. So much text.
Metropolis (1927)
Couldn’t narrow it down to a single Metropolis poster, so many great designs over the years. We’re partial to the middle one with the groovy flapper in the sky.
Spies (1928)
I looked up how to make a cross-eyed emoticon (I’m dumb) and apparently it’s this: %)
Woman in the Moon (1929)
M (1931)
The Testament of Dr. Mabuse (1933)
This is Lang’s last German film for a long time. Hitler came into power roughly around the time of its release, and it was banned for being “a menace to public health and safety.”
Also: O_O
Liliom (1934)
Creeped out by a meeting with Joseph Goebbels, Lang skipped out on Nazi Germany and headed to Paris where he made this.
Fury (1936)
After Paris, Lang headed to Hollywood where he made a string of genre movies including a couple of westerns.
You Only Live Once (1937)
The Return of Frank James (1940)
Hangmen Also Die! (1943)
Dean Stockwell?
Ministry of Fear (1944)
Alternate title: Dead Dames Don’t Cast Shadows
Scarlet Street (1945)
Cloak and Dagger (1946)
Gary Cooper looks like a corpse in this poster.
Secret Beyond the Door (1947)
American Guerrilla in the Philippines (1950)
Cool title, rad stars and bars explosion. I also like that is has a picture of the book its based on right on the poster.
Rancho Notorious (1952)
Get a gander at them gams.
Clash by Night (1952)
The Blue Gardenia (1953)
This poster is legit troubling. Trashy yet powerful.
The Big Heat (1953)
This is a weird string of misogyny, but Glenn Ford’s weird face softens the blow.
Human Desire (1954)
Steamy.
Moonfleet (1955)
Unfortunately, Moonfleet does not seem to be about Cowboys and Indians on the Moon.
While the City Sleeps (1956)
Whereas Blue Gardenia‘s screaming woman is legit troubling, this one is just sort of EEEEEEEIIIIGGGNHHHHHH. Great looking hand though.
Beyond a Reasonable Doubt (1956)
After a certain point in the 50’s a law passed dictating that all movie posters look like this one.
Tiger of Bengal (1959)
In case it isn’t obvious, Fritz Lang stopped working in America at the end of his career.
The Tomb of Love (1959)
Please stop what you’re doing (reading this) and watch this lady charm the hell out of this snake:
The 1,000 Eyes of Dr. Mabuse (1960)
I count 26 eyes, but sure.
Tiger of Bengal (1960)
Lang’s final film
