application/pdf
2036-461X
21125
7
en
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Cinéma & Cie. Film and Media Studies Journal
Which Mabuse? Multiple Bodies, Multiple Voices
Text.Serial.Journal
https://riviste.unimi.it/index.php/cinemaetcie
5
Thematic issue / Section thématique
2005-10-01
2023-09-21
2005-10-01
2024-02-14
Cinéma & Cie
Massimiliano Gaudiosi
2005/10/01
Università degli Studi Suor Orsola Benincasa
2036-461X
7
en
Which Mabuse? Multiple Bodies, Multiple Voices
https://riviste.unimi.it/index.php/cinemaetcie/article/download/21125/18753
5
WHICH MABUSE? MULTIPLE BODIES, MULTIPLE VOICES
        Mossimiliano Gaudiosi, Università degli Studi Suor Orsola Benincasa, Napoli




 Das Testament des Dr. Mabuse (Fritz Lang. 1933) is one of the most famous films in
Multiple Language Versions dating back to the beginninz of the sound cd. Fritz lang
shot two versions simultancously. with Getman and French speding casts (le
 Teslament du Dr. Malusc): the latter was released in Italy at the end of sa33. with a
dubbed and re cited version "suitable" for an Italian audience.
   This version, on which this paper focuses, presents an interestinz     case of carly duh
bing practices in Italy and, at the same time, of the intervention of the          Censorship on
forcign films. In the carly 1930s, dubbing and censorship were areas which              usually
criss crossed cach other, producing tests which were quite distant fros the original
ones. As for the Italian version of Lang's Testament, a version of a film which so a: "Cool
ble" from its very beginning, we could casily talk about a "version of a horsion" aver
sion which is rather "unfaithful. " but only one of the different cuts dan a leose the two
films shot hy Lang. Both these different Mabuse run along two different routes which
lead to further conceptions of the original tests. Banned in Germany be the        Nori go
crnment, the German version disappeared for years. Until the endof the scond      Wort
War, the Testament was only available in the French version, shot by dang    in coopera
tion with Rene Sti, edited by bothar Wolff and released by Societe des films      died'    But
from these two initial films many other versions evolve.
   It is worth remembering. briefly. the versions released in the US d. The ties: dersion of
The Testament that appeared in America in goes was the french language           version pre
pared by Lothar Wolff, now retitled the Last Will of De. Wades. The subtitles      had been
written in part from Thea von Harbou's script, but were not translated difectly. Instead,
the distributor also took into account what lang said to the press atout the criticim of
the Nazi government present in his picture, and thus produced subtitled dialogue that
was even more pronounced in its political sentiments than had been true of the origi
nal work. In 39se the German version was dubbed and re edited in a new version: The
Crimes of D)r. Mabuse. In this last case. translator l.co Katcher created a more explicitly
political film than Lang had in fact originally fashioned: Crimes reconceised the events
from 1932 10 1939. placing the events squarely within the Nazi regime.
   Thus, the Italian censored and dubbed version is only one of many other transforma
lions of the original texts. In any case, compared to other existing cditions, the Italian
dubbing stands out for the high distortion imposed on the German director's film. If
dubbing as a translation." always shapes a new version, we also have to remember that
in the carly gogos, at the beginning of this process, foreign films were not only "trans
lated:" in order to obtain total ideological control, sery often technical limits and strict
censor cuts produced yet another different version.

     CivEltA & Cie. ra. 7. fall toss
 The Testoment and the Italian Dubbing in the Early 1930s

   The Testament of Dr. Mahuse was approved by the Italian censor in October 1933. a.
 it was relcased in Fchruary 1934.3 The film comes to Italy during a period of grea:
changes, hoth for dubhing and for censorship. Dubbing passes from a pionserie
 moment into a professional one; and censorship passes from a stage of strict cont
 coinciding with the prohibition of all films in forcign languages. do a stage where the
 censor's cuts become preventive and hidden.5
   At the end of 1933 Italian dubbing studios had heen open for only
 to Mario Quargnolo, the first one was opened in the spring to 32 by Cinss Fittale: 1. al
 was directed by Mario Almirante). And the very recent law of October 3. tossines
dubbing in Italy for all forcign films. Besides the defence of the Malian language *car
ness" promoted by the fascist regime. such prohibitions also dimed do mass
of imported pictures much casier.
  According to Sergio Raffaclli, from the end of to33 cen in decision: diagramed i:
ministcrial bullctins, thus going unmentioned. Therefore. it comes a: resume:
the Testament censor bulletin did not report directories: the only oneithera!
to show it to pcople under sixicon cars of age. Few years carlier. no the gratin. do
sor bulletins imposed every kind of cut and change.
  If the ministrial documents lack data. we can find some informataintele:
newspapers. In Corricro della Scra Filippo Sacchi argues that "the da will so:m al
strange to the sane audience." Much clearer is the article be Want Goes is
Stampa: "The current cdition. both because of some cuts and tea secitar.!
es' (clever, but added voices anyway) does not present the film in attities
and "sometimes the film doesn't hold and it doesnt collapse thaadios. d»t:
transferred to it by Lang. ** Therefore, criticism was wellinformedsonathsc
on the film. In spring 1933. the news of the ban issued in Germany active
                                                                     in   tea. 1
an Italian "revision" could be easily forescen.
  Very often the press protested against the cuts in foreian films because the ales a
so large that the films were defined "reductions. This is a very dourate destig:
because some films were cut until they became unrecognicable. Censussain aimed to
Cavour the Italian production, and the interventions on foreign films were ortodind
they were cither forbidden, or they were cut, the end was changed and the morning
the plot altered. 1 Usually foreign films passed through the censorship in their daste!
Italian version together with the script. If the studio prefessed a preventive opinion.
films were presented in the original version together with the translated script. In these
cases, films were then subjected to a new revision in their dubbed version.!
   Films such as Cimarron (Wesley Ruggles, 1935), Alleluja (King Vidor, 1931). Anna
Christic (Jacques leyder, 1931). Morocco (Josef von Sternberg, so 30), are just a few titles
transformed by censorship and dubbing. In 1933 Emilio Cecchi recalls these films.
 "where different parts were cut off, and other parts were transformed, replacing the
original characters with fake ones." As for Alleluja by King Vidor, Cecchi claims it.a:
 "the film was released in a censored folion version and the sense was swissed. Some
scenes of religion hysteria became incomprehensible, and the audience laughed their
heads off."12
  Cimarron, probably the most censored film of that period, is remembered in lates
Fascist. "The film presents less then thirty percent of the original film, which is an
                                           WHICH MASUSE? MULTIPLE SODIES, MULTIPLE VOiCES


cxample of coherence and clarity. Entire episodes are missing in the Italian version, as
are some characters and about ten years of the main character's life. who passes from
youth to death without any logical explanations." 3 About the same film. Filippo
Sacchi argues: "In the Italian version, the evident cuts make the sense almost imper.
ceptible." In that period, these kind of comments were very frequent in articles.


The Cuts to the Testament

 The comparative analysis of the French and the Italian versions suggests some keys to
interpretation of the principles adopted by the Censorship. Summing them up, sic
could stress the following kinds interventions to the film:

  Defense of the good reputation of the Police:
  Elimination of stimulus to crime and murder:
 Elimination of refrences to hypnotic powers and will control:
 Elimination or concealment of impressive images.

  Infringing many principles of the Censor Code, Lang's film made the censor's work
very difficult. We can imagine the climination of all instances of foreign language such
as the Police Inspector Lohmann's name on a doorplate: newspaper headlines, letter.
etc. In addition, many scenes which make the crime and the murder attractie are cut
off from the Italian version. The Mabuse character is distorted: the life el a criminal
genius who. through his hypnotic powers, commits murders with scientific precision.
and follows perfectly calculated plans was necessarily changed.
  Some sequences stressing the criminal adventures of abuse's gans ate completely
cul out: for example, the sequence depicting the reccipt of the stolen jewel. In this
sequence, two gangsters who control the stolen goods talk about the purposes of Dr.
Mabuses plans: these plans are incomprehensible because there scems to do no finan
cial gain from their pursuit. This sequence involves a flashback which shows the dead
body of a man who tried to discover Mabuse's true identity. Another brici moment. also
eliminated, show's the gang counterfeiting money.
  The cutting of the criminal scenes transformed the opinions ot the critics. In 1939
Massimo Alberini argues that "Mabuse's gang did not have very diabolical features:
sometimes the murders drifted into triviality."
   But most of the scenes couldn't be cut without spoiling the logic of the plot. In order
to avoid this risk, the Censorship particularly worked on the dubbing. The intersen
lions of the Censorship are evident in the first spoken sequence of the film, where
Police Inspector Lohmann receives a phone call from lofmeister, the ex detective
trapped by Mabuse's men. In the original French version, Lohmann defines Hofmeister
as a detective dismissed from the Police because he was involved in drug dealing and
bribery cases:
                                                                              Miesiamenio del Di. Mabase


                                        22.30serdera: cs: altair de
                                                                              Cheerial-sell.




 English translation (87)                                                           English tranilation (IDk)


                                                                              regain late a great mar.




  The Italian Censor Code stated that authorization of a film could to dorisdifit res
resented scenes, cents or subjects offensive to the good reputation of path in
tions, policemen and the Royal Army:"I€
  For these reasons, the Italian dubbing transforms the ambigusa cast ciBlimes
into a spotless past. While in the French version Hofmeister is a                                          detective    d.
the Police, in the Italian one "Hoffmare" (this is the Italian namo cites ca
becomes a fool who docsn't take his job very scriously. Thereíore. the laliantist
doesn't offend public authoritics.
  But we run into the real censorship when the characters talk doc      De. Mac. 1.
these cases, the topics of the conversation are very often re lated to crime                                            indi
as in the sequence in which Dr. Baum delivers a lecture at a liniversit

 le Testament du Dr. Ashuse

                                                                              8380 3 4088 :8838
                   dhyrouinmeadacutlesilsoamelsrodhraisalrarin:u
 Allearfatcommettredescrimesalominal.!rs.Ilstrorar

 costal ever uns riécision              sriranhiger selun cne       cunirp
 Pion mathimatigurmen                  parlate qui drus assure        d'ams   Und 604688485       P4!884


 English translation (EV')                                                    English translation (IDk')
 Da. Raum: The celebrard Da. Badass                  draided to devote dis Do Mum lagendline Nosedana.                             are
           saladson!rear and            singular serger to capriment in da    devoting his                                    'is, is..
                                                                                                                droadedonialerero:
   sir.is cartird out on his            patients without their Anowledge.     by many paticals. Then,         simalsters



                                   ganstbaraterrdimranity.




  In the French version, Baum describes Mabuse as a celebrated doctor used to hypno
lizing his patients and to committing perfect crimes. In the Italian version, Mabuse
becomes a celebrated doctor much sought by his patients: he plans crimes without cc
truly carrying them out; his murders seem to be no more than a figment of a paramo
delirium.
                                              WHICH MABUSE? MULTIPLE BODIES, MULTIPLE VOICES


    Baum also recalls the gunfight between Mabuses gang and the Policc. Mabuse was
 aricsied only after several uscless attempts by the Police. In the Italian dubbed ver
 son there is no gunfight, and Mabuse is directly delivered to justice, thanks to the
 prompt intcrvention of the Police. These distortions changed the meaning of the film.
 as is evident in an advertisement of The Testament appeared in Cinema Illustrazione
 in Fchruary 1934.17 This advertisement is an interesting case of photographic novel.
 iration: many pictures are focused on the arrest of the gang. and on the triumph of
 insticc.
   Further evidence of the climination of any reference to the hypnosis comes in the
 scquence of the meeting between Dr. Baum and his friend Kramm. Here. Kramm sug.
 sets that Mahuse. through his hypnotic powers, could tran-fer his plans to his gang.
 In the Italian dubbing. Kramms suggestion is quite different: abuse haint any hyp
 notic powers, hut could communicate his orders through an ambiguous "mystcrious
 DOW CT."
   The Malian Censor Code can account for such interventions. Another          part of the laws
 ic have already mentioned denicd the authorization when the film repissented        "sepul
 sire and crucI scenes, events or subiccts; impressive murders and suicides:   hypooliens
 psychic phenomena and, gencrally, scenes, events and subjects that can stimalate         in
 crime and murder."
   This point is confirmed by the last sentence of Baum's lecture:

                                                              Missarontodel Do. also



  ear sedalle             podigorie is it.     arrise Ci




  Inglish trantlation (F7°)
  1: 1
  58.508 0 came, a            gui.

     no. so said dials.




   If the texts of the French Mabuse compose "une véritable pedagogie du crime," the
 Italian Mabuse's tests represent only a clinical paradigm, an "absurd thought."
    All these changes are mirrored in the press. In seed, Sergio Romano argues that the
 Dr. Mabuse "spends his days noting incomprehensible things (k. great undertakings,
 and important discoveries "S There isn't any reference to a "primer in crime." Mabuse's
 notes have only ended up in criminal hands, and the doctor, as in the Italian dubbing.
 only represents a clinical paradigm, quite far from the character who foresees the
      Nazism in Lang's original work.
    How ever. the Malian press close to the fascist regime had a hand in the distortion of
the Alm. In Cinema Illustracione, the critic Enrico Roma recognizes in The Testament
 "a satiric flavour (.). All the criminal plans of the gang are conceived by the leader of a
 salver ive party which aims, in the opinions of his leader. both to solve the social injus
tices and to of   establish a communist dictatorship." In a few words. this is atotal trans
formation the film.
              :243 64106551




        These strategies of the censorship are related to a series of interventions which, is
  the sages, warned about the criminal dangers connected to the filmic experience.
  Luigi Freddi, director of the Italian Cinema Department from September 193%.
  reminds us how many scientists and cducationists showed "the influence of the cis.
  ma on crime and the psychic degencration." The scientists stressed three different les
                                                                                   sugges
  els af the criminal influence of the cinema: aesthetics suggestion, dialectical
  lion. technical suggestion.

       As for the first case. (cinema) works on a sort of moral justification of the m aids:.
      producing a sympathy for the right murder and a compation for the recesia
      murder |..J. The dialcctical succestion Jaime at showing the cuness ofthe mi
      der conccalment and to demonstrate the criminal infallibility. (.!. The technical
      suggestion is shown through the attractive caplanation of the criminal math:
      used to commit a crime. Cinema becomes a sortefprimet in crime

   Mcfind a number ofthese characteristics in Lang's film: sympathy hath:
 necessary murder (the main character Kent receives all the as
  spite of his murdcrous past); criminal infallibility: explanation scr
 wealso find the same words used hy Dr. Baum. primer in crime. "pi
 The opinions recalled by Freddi represented some of the most in
 circulating in the 1930s. Such opinions scre also influential on ti :
 and, of course, on the Italian Board of Film Censors. In The Testa
 reduced all the possible "criminal influences" of the cinema. A film a
 focused on the murderous actions of a criminal genius. had to      do r.
 sored.
    For these reasons. the main character's murderous pass is die
                                                              anothe
 Similarly, his role in Mabu e's pang is obncure, di stown in
         gangster talks about the Hofmeister assassination.
      \henthecensorcouldntcut.andhentheinterventionont
 she images themselves sere comored, In the sequenie set art
 Baum and Police Inspector Lohmann talk beside the corpse a al
 ened all the parts showing the criminal body. Way he suite a sal
 repulsive (Figs. 1 4).




100
                                                                   WHICH MABUSE? MULTIPLE BODIES, MULTIPLE VOICES




                           Fig.                                                                   fiz. s

  Besides containing "repugnant and grucsome scenes. facts or subject:" which prob
bly led the Censor to adopt this original device of darkening images. this sequence lea
tured an overt reference to Mabuse's criminal plans:

 Is Testament du M)r. Mahusc                                            Maestamento del Dr. Makes
13. Liam do versas neutail ancamir                      Thumanite. la   1r. Baura Questo dergalia suitors a
 regencies. dui. la purifier. per la gertranda ran largised             risinorarla.SuPuritic.adlare



  English translation (1V)                                              English translation (ITS)

                                                                        die raise it up arrow' duniy
                                                                        p'erness!




 Compromising expressions present in the french version such as "laid waste to
humankind " "terror and anguish° are cut to mthe room for word which make Dr.
Baum's monologue and Dr. Mabuse's social project, meaningless.


Conclusions

  This essay has tried to highlight some peculiarities of a version of Lang's Testament.
a version showing the destiny of many foreign films released in the early segos in Italy.
A version showing, in some cases, the consor's skill to go from the cutting of entire
scenes to changing the sense of the words through the dubbing.
  Very often the audience had to watch censored foreign films, especially in 1933. when
the films were reduced from sound to silent. Sometimes reviewers, especially the
reviewers close to the regime, praised the "miracles" worked by the censorship, when it
reduced a film by more than fifty per cent withous completely losing the logical
sequence of the plot. Alessandro De Stefani, a very important screenwriter of the carli
est Italian sound films, and also "adapter" and translator of some of the carliess films

                                                                                                              181
     dubred arthe Ciné Studio, fos esample, A nous la liberto (Renc Clair, 3938) and
     lord (legusto Genina, 1932) summarizes these tendencies:

     Whica the censonship has some douhis it mana es very otten to solve all the          prob'oms
     hyusina the scissorsand cuttins offthe "suille sconcs " So the film "reduced." moico:
     less mutilated, is suitahle for mur screensl..f. it happens that some dramatic cronis are
     misscd, and some momentare not very slear. hut such arhitrary desclopment are fre.
     guentevon when thiere are no curs, and the reason is becau e the discrimination lios a:
     the hack of the dirccior's mind. thus, there's not much lo complain shoati


a The author thanks Sergio Raffaclli and Augusto Sainati fnt their precisa: se.
    likcl tharthe lionch version would hare arrived on the lialian sergen: a: th: 31:
     the German version had not keen hanned: usually, in Italy. ofthe variasse air.ft3
   film. the french one would he privileged. This is one of the reason; wipt: liete
     Mans .Albers was little known in Itals. while his French "douhle" Pian M?.
     famous with the Malian rublic.
2 Cf. David Kalal The Stranze   Caccof Dr. Maluse Cefferson. N. C NeFatari Si Ci
 3    Notes from Elenco ddlle pellico' cinematografiche aeriova: dal al: -
        Direzione Generale di Pubblica Sicurca:a. Cilicio Revisione Ciroregwage
      According do the Consor's Certificate the film is 248s mettes long. de gare:
      Cincieca Nazionale, Roma, is 2.465 mettes lon:.
 4 CI. Mario Quargnolo, La parola ripudiata (lulino: Cinetica del Frisi,        ERa :   I
   esperienze del dommiato in Malia. Manco la Vere. no. g (Way duo%). fa. do.;:
 5  CM. Sergio Raffaclli, La lingua filmata (Risenze: le lettere. Co0 :). g. di
 6 Cf. Valentina Ruffin, Patrizia D'Agostino, Dialoghi di regime (Roma: I
 7    Filippo Sacchi, "Iltestamento del dottor Mabuie, I Corrieri di
8 Mario Grumo, "Sullo scherno: Ilteramento del docour Watere" Castanadi
9 Cf. Ettore Maria Margadonna, "Inchiesta nel cinema tedesco,"               lascino r.;
 10 Cf. Gian Piero Brunetta, Storia del cinema italiano, del e. Il ciaors
      (Roma: Editori Riuniti, 1993), p. 34.
 11 Cf. Luigi Freddi, Il cinema (Roma: l'Arnia, 8949). pp. 80; 80 g.
 12 Emilio Cecchi, "Cinema 1931." Scenario, no. a (anuary 8432), pp. e ».
 33 Unsigned article. Il lavoro fascista (914) 16, 493 3). p. 4.
 1 Filippo Sacchi, "I pionieri del west," Il Corriere della Sera (uly (. 8433).
 15 Massimo Alberini, "Mabuse:" Cinema, no. 77 (September do, 143)). p. de).
 16 Regulations contained in the Ruyal Decree April 22. 1920, no. 331. published on the Ciarzates
    Ufficiale (Official Gazette), no. so.) (Mag 8, 1920), on which are based allother Fascist lais
    relating Censorship such as the law June 18, 393t, no. sgr. Ci. Ernesto Guido lourd, La cre
    sura cinematografica (Roma: Edizioni di Bianco S: Nero, 1961).
 3% Cf. Cinema Illustrazione. no. 9 (Tebruary :8, 1934). p. 83.
 •5 Sergio Romano, "Il testamento del dottor Alobuse." Cinema, no. : (Sovember 10, 8488). p. i :
 19 Enrico Roma, "Il testamento del doror Mabuse" Cinema Illustrazione, no. da (Sarch
    1939.0.18.
 :o Luiri fredui. Il cinema, cit, p. 105.
 il Alessandro De Sicfani, "Il pelo nell'uovo (a proposito della con ura cinemato
             Comodia, no. 3 (March April 8933). p. 10.

102
