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| Lawrence Journal World, 27 October 1927 |
Contents
- Introduction
- Press book / sheet images (3)
- Extant campaign materials (16)
- Newspaper advertisement Slicks (9)
- Miscellaneous advertising material (4)
- Newspaper advertisements
- Later campaigns (1)
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1) Introduction
A deal of mystery surrounds the American promotional campaign for Fritz Lang's monumental film Metropolis. Produced by UFA, Germany, it was released therein by Paramount during March 1927, following on the Berlin premiere of 7 January. Unfortunately, few elements of the US poster campaign have survived, or are known, and the largest extant record is the numerous newspaper advertisements. Of the former, the following 15 smallish items are known:
- An insert poster (1)
- A window card (1)
- An oversized lobby card (1)
- A jumbo lobby card (1)
- Various lobby cards (4) from an original set of 8
- A herald (1)
- Still photographic images (8 known, of which 5 have a Paramount Pictures inscription)
- Full colour or black and white trade and magazine advertisements (4)
Associated promotional items include:
- A press book / sheet (3 pages extract available)
- Newspaper advertisements (various)
Whether this was the totality of the original promotional campaign is unknown. For example, the number of black and white still photographic images made available is unclear, as they can exist in both press material and those intended for display in cinema lobbies. More importantly, and of concern, is the fact that there are no extant 1-sheets or larger posters, unlike those produced for campaigns in various countries around the world. In France, for example, there was a number of large posters up to 4-sheet size, along with a novelisation and other promotional material, plus a press book or press sheet. The same occurred in Germany, where two large 3-sheets are known and there are cinema-front images of 24-sheet size posters. A copy of the original United States Paramount press book / sheet outlining specific elements of the campaign is only known to this author from three blurry, low-grade black and white photographs presented on a late 1990s(?) eBay auction sale. From that it is unclear whether some of the images therein relate to posters ranging from 1-sheet through to 24-sheets in size, or are merely small, newspaper advertisement inserts. It is also likely that there were two different press sheets issues, at various pointed during 1927. Reproductions off all the known original promotional material are included below, along with copies of contemporary newspaper advertisements featuring black and white line artwork derived from the press books and other, independent or official Paramount sources.
The artist responsible for the official Paramount campaign is unknown, though it is likely that the larger poster items and illustrations such as that at the head of this article were the work of Glenn Cravath, who did the poster and supplementary artwork for Fritz Lang's 1928 Paramount release Spies and, more famously, 1933's King Kong for RKO. It should be noted that some of Cravath's artwork is cartoonish and the figures very Americanised, with little relationship to the actual footage from the German film or to the original German-release artwork as evidenced by the posters of Heinz Schultz-Neudamm and Werner Graul. This is understandable as Cravath came from a cartooning background and may not have seen the film prior to its American release, apart from a few still photographs.
This blog attempts to reconstruct the US press book and related campaign material from various sources, including subsequent auction sales and contemporary newspaper advertisements. The majority of items are related to the 1927 American premiere campaign, and a few to the later 1936 and subsequent re-releases. As a result of this research, some 28 pieces of original artwork have been identified and are listed below.
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2) Press sheet images 1927
Three images reproduced below #1-3) are supposedly from the original 1927 Paramount Metropolis press book. A fourth image was posted during the late 1990s / early 2000s online auction sale but has subsequently disappeared and is not available. The images are of low quality and the text therein cannot be discerned, so it is impossible to determine if the images represent posters or mere suggestions for newspaper advertisements. In addition, during 2019 this author also came across so-called newspaper advertisement 'slicks' sold by the New York gallery Posteritati and apparently related to the press book. The nine items therein corresponded to a number included in the press book extract and one of the known, official full colour trade advertisements, along with numerous newspaper advertisements.
1. Evil Maria captured - possible poster design, though only known in small, black and white press book newspaper advertisement form (illustrated below). Refer also to a copy from a contemporary newspaper and illustrated at the top of this blog.
2. ?Posters or newspapers advertisement slicks, and a herald cover. Image from press book.
3. Lobby cards, 11 x 14 inches - set of 8. Images from press book.
Unfortunately the present author has not seen a full copy of the original press book or press sheet, which may run to anywhere from 4 pages up to 16. Some of the material presented therein is reproduced below.
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3) Extant campaign materials 1927
1. Insert, 14 x 36 inches, stone lithograph in 4 colours. This is the only poster known to have survived from the original 1927 Paramount Metropolis promotional campaign. A single copy has sold at auction.
2. Oversized (jumbo) lobby card, 22 x 28 inches. Features the unconscious Maria strapped into Rotwang's transformation machine.
3. Window card, 14 x 22 inches. This image is derived from the original German release Werner Graul art utilised in a large, lithographed 3-sheet poster and on the cover of the German novelisation by Thea von Harbou. Therein the image was of a blue face with red lips and dark brown background, rather than the orange and yellow-green of the US version.
4. Lobby card #5, 11 x 14 inches. Number 5 of a set of 8. Image of a group off exhausted, stooped workmen passing in front of the paternoster machine. From the original 1927 release. Illustrated in press book / sheet.
5. Lobby card #4, 11 x 14 inches. Number 4 of a set of 8. Image of Joh Fredersen standing before a articulating Rotwang and the female robot behind.
6. Lobby card #7, 11 x 14 inches. Number 7 of a set of 8. Image of the Evil Maria during her dance at the Yoshiwara nightclub emerging from a large crystal bowl. [Faded]
7. Lobby card #8, 11 x 14 inches. Number 8 of a set of 8. Image of the Evil Maria preaching before a group of workers.
8. Herald, 6 x 9 inches. Front and back reproduced below. The front features a drawing of Rotwang's robot, whilst the back reproduces images from the film. Illustrated in original press book.
9. Maria in the transformation machine, still photograph, black and white, 8 x 10 inches. Image of Maria in Rotwang's transformation machine. This was turned vertical to form the basis for the jumbo lobby card. Photographic negative number: 933-39A. Paramount Pictures inscription and UFA logo. Original release.
10. Flood scene, still photograph, black and white, 8 x 10 inches. Photographic negative number: 933-34A. Paramount Pictures inscription and UFA logo.
11. Still photograph, black and white, 8 x 10 inches. Joh Fredersen, Rotwang and the Robot. Photographic negative number: 933-5A. Paramount Pictures inscription and UFA logo.
12. Evil Maria captured, still photograph, black and white, 8 x 10
inches. Photographic negative number: 933-3A. Paramount Pictures
inscription and UFA logo.
13. Joh Fredersen and Rotwang, still photograph, black and white, 8 x 10
inches. Paramount Pictures
inscription.
14. Maria, still photograph, black and white, 8 x 10 inches. Photographic negative number: 933-27. Culver Pictures label on reverse. Press photograph. Likely from the original release.
15. Moloch Machine, still photograph, black and white, 8 x 10 inches. Photographic negative number: 933-37. No inscription.
15. Freder and Rotwang fighting on the top of the cathedral, still photograph, black and white, 8 x 10
inches. Photographic negative number 933-86. Inscription - Printed in the USA.
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4) Newspaper Advertisement Slicks
During the 2010s the New York gallery Posteritati sold a collection of Metropolis press book 'Ad Slicks', some of which were seen in the press book extract reproduced above. The status of these items is not known. They were used for newspaper advertisements during the premiere release season throughout 1927.
1. Moloch machine with crowd of workers. Size: 2 1⁄2 x 5 7⁄8 inches. Image reproduced in press book.
2. Maria sounds the gong alarm as a flood rages around the abandoned children. Size: 4 1⁄8 x 2 1⁄8 inches.
3. Maria, instead of Freder, collapses on the paternoster machine. Size: 3 x 1 1⁄2 inches.
4. The Evil Maria is captured, as in the background the true Maria tries to save the children from drowning. Size: 4 3⁄4 x 5 1⁄4 inches.
5. The robot's stylised head before a cityscape of the metropolis. Size: 3 3⁄4 x 1 1⁄4 inches.
6. Rotwang's robot. Size: 3 x 4 3⁄4 inches.
7. The Metropolis cityscape of tall buildings. Size: 1 3⁄4 x 4 3⁄8 inches. Image reproduced in press book.
8. Part of the robot's head and skyscrapers. Size: 2 1⁄4 x 5 1⁄4 inches.
9. Maria and the gong alarm. This image also appeared as a full colour trade advertisement (refer above). Size: 8 3⁄4 x 11 1⁄4 inches.
Some of the above slicks appeared in newspaper advertisements known to this author, whilst additional promotional copy was also used. Reproductions are included below from the 1927 original release campaign in the US.
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5) Newspaper advertisements
For a detailed list of United States newspaper advertisements from 1927 see ...
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12 September 1927, Emporia Gazette.
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6) Miscellaneous advertising material
1. Trade advertisement. Source: 15th Anniversary Paramount Exhibitor's Book, 1926-7. It is suggested therein that one of these images is of the soon to be released 24-sheet for Metropolis. The artwork - possibly by Glenn Cravath - is decidedly different to the on screen imagery, with, for example, the male and female leads clothed in American-style dinner attire, rather than the simple clothes of Freder and Maria as in the original movie. The image is of Freder rescuing an exhausted Maria from the flooding, underground city.
2. Trade advertisement. The image features the head of the Evil Maria on the left, glaring at the image of the real Maria sounding the alarm gong in the underground city as flood waters rise. 9 1/4 x 12 1.4 inches.
3. Trade advertisement. Reproducing an image from the film of Freder and Maria meeting up as the flood rages and they attempt to rescue the children.
4. Paramount Pictures, Ladies Home Journal, September 1927, p.43. 'Metropolis - High into the air! Deep into the earth! The indescribable Paramount-Ufa cine-miracle that startled New York. Directed by Fritz Lang, adapted by Channing Pollock. The advertisement includes promotional artwork produced by Paramount Pictures of a tied up woman floating in the air above a cityscape. A ?modern coloured version is known.
The full extent of the 1927 Paramount promotional campaign for Metropolis remains unclear. The above would suggest that Cravath designed a number of posters, possibly up to 24 sheet size, however they apparently were never printed. Only full access to the original press sheet / book will solve this mystery.
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7) Later campaigns
1. Jumbo lobby card, 14 x 17 inches (possibly from the 1935-6 re-release). The image is of Freder Fredersen holding a collapsed and exhausted Georgy in front of the the paternoster machine. The image has been coloured with sepia, red and blue tones.
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Last updated: 15 June 2023.
Michael Organ, Australia
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