THE LOVES OF PHARAOH (DAS WEIB DES PHARAO)
Ernst Lubitsch's DAS WEIB DES PHARAO, produced in Berlin in 1921, was the most expensive German film production of its time. Premiering in New York in February 1922, THE LOVES OF PHARAOH began a successful international release in many countries. Its director, Ernst Lubitsch was at the top of the German film industry following-up on his international hit MADAME DUBARRY (1919). In addition to its great cost and success, THE LOVES OF PHARAOH was a significant and transitional film for Lubitsch in several ways. Kristin Thompson writes, it "was the first film he directed after seeing modern Hollywood, and the change from his earlier work is striking," noting that Lubitsch displays quick mastery of sophisticated lighting techniques to best display the elaborate and expensive sets and costumes. THE LOVES OF PHARAOH also proved to be Lubitsch's last German-language feature before embarking upon his legendary Hollywood career, as the director of such masterpieces as THE MARRIAGE CIRCLE, LADY WINDEMERE'S FAN, TROUBLE IN PARADISE, NINOTCHKA, THE SHOP AROUND THE CORNER, TO BE OR NOT TO BE and many others.
THE LOVES OF PHARAOH (1922) — Ernst Lubitsch
Despite its great success at the time, THE LOVES OF PHARAOH suffered the fate of so many silent productions, becoming nearly forgotten until 1970, when a heavily damaged nitrate fragment was discovered in Moscow's Gosfilmofond archive. Restoration began in 2003, following the repatriation of the original nitrate material to the Bundesarchiv in Berlin. An intensified search for the missing scenes discovered an Italian print in the Roberto Pallme Collection at the George Eastman House with a different edit and additional scenes. In 2008 Alpha-Omega took over completion of the restoration project. In 2010 a new recording of the original score, composed by Eduard Künneke as commissioned by Ernst Lubitsch, was arranged and performed by the WDR Orchestra under the direction of Frank Strobel, and presented now in its premiere recording.
Dagny Servaes as Theonis, the slave girl -
THE LOVES OF PHARAOH
Emil Jannings, in costume as Amenes, Pharaoh of Egypt, and director Ernst Lubitsch on the set.
The restoration of THE LOVES OF PHARAOH received its premiere public screening on September 17, 2011 at Berlin's Neues Museum. The film's U.S. premiere quickly followed in October, quite appropriately, at Hollywood's historic Egyptian Theater, now home to the American Cinematheque. Since then, the film has continued to thrill festival audiences in Glasgow, Montreal, Copenhagen, San Francisco, Chicago, New York and other cities. This digital restoration of THE LOVES OF PHARAOH recreates the original color-tinting scheme in accordance with the surviving print fragments and is available on either Region Free DVD-NTSC or Region Free Blu-Ray.
Bonus features include: 10 different language options for the film's subtitles; the trailer for the restoration, presented in both German and English versions; THE RETURN OF LUBITSCH'S PHARAOH, a 38-minute documentary about the film's restoration; THE LOVES OF PHARAOH - FILM CONCERT OF THE WDR RUNDFUNKORCHESTER, a 100-minute documentary that records the entire newly-commissioned performance of the original score, using the footage from 16 different cameras; digital galleries reproducing the film's production stills and original program booklet as well as a photo-illustrated index of missing scenes; and a 20-page bi-lingual text, in German and English, with essays by Thomas Bakels and Kristin Thompson, and a letter of appreciation from Nicola Lubitsch, daughter of Ernst Lubitsch, to her father's fans.
DAS WEIB DES PHARAO (1922) — Ernst Lubitsch
Contents
Format: Blu-ray & DVD-NTSC / Region A & Region 0
(No Regional Code)
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THE LOVES OF PHARAOH (DAS WEIB DES PHARAO)
(Germany, 1922)
Director: Ernst Lubitsch
Screenplay: Norbert Falk & Hanns Kräly
Cinematographer: Theodor Sparkuhl & Alfred Hansen
Art Direction: Ernst Stern & Kurt Richter
Costume Design: Ernst Stern & Ali Hubert
Music: Eduard Künneke
Production Company: Ernst Lubitsch-Film GmbH (Berlin)
Producer: Ernst Lubutsch & Paul Davidson
Cast: Emil Jannings, Harry Liedtke, Dagny Servaes, Paul Wegener, Lyda Salmonova, Albert Bassermann, Paul Biensfeldt, Friedrich Kühne, Mady Christians, Tina Dietrich, Bernhard Goetzke, Waldemar Potier & Elsa Wagner
• 100 minutes
• B&W, Tinted & Toned
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Bonus Material
RECONSTRUCTION TRAILER
(Germany, 2011)
• 3 minutes
• Color
• German & English versions
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THE RETURN OF LUBITSCH'S PHARAOH (DIE RÜCKKEHR VON LUBITSCHS PHARAO)
(Germany, 2011)
Director: Achim Zieman, Thomas Bakels
• 38 minutes
• Color
• German, English subtitles
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FILM CONCERT OF THE WDR RUNDFUNKORCHESTER (FILMKONZERT DES WDR RUNDFUNKORCHESTERS)
(Germany, 2012)
Director: Thomas Bakels
• 100 minutes
• Color
• Sound
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• Production stills, missing scenes & program booklet.
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Total Running Time: 03:59:08 (Blu-ray, 1 Disc / DVD, 2 Discs)
Language: German intertitles, English, French, Italian, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, & Thai subtitles
Musical Score: Eduard Künneke. Performed by the WDR Rundfunkorchester, under the direction of Frank Strobel
Booklet Text: Thomas Bakels, Nicola Lubitsch, Kristin Thompson & Berndt Müller (Bilingual German & English)
Published By: Alpha-Omega
Institutional Price: $300 (plus shipping)
To order call: 212.280.8654 or click here for information on ordering by fax, e-mail or post.