Name: Alraune
Director: Henrik Galeen
Released: 1928

Alraune

1928 · Ama-Film GmbH · Dir. Henrik Galeen

Hanns Heinz Ewers' grim science-fiction novel Alraune has already been filmed twice when this version was assembled in 1928. In another of his "mad doctor" roles, Paul Wegener plays Professor Brinken, sociopathic scientist who combines the genes of an executed murderer with those of a prostitute. The result is a beautiful young woman named Alraune (Brigitte Helm), who is incapable of feeling any real emotions -- least of all guilt or regret. Upon attaining adulthood, Alraune sets about to seduce and destroy every male who crosses her path. Ultimately, Professor Brinken is hoist on his own petard when he falls hopelessly in love with Alraune himself. Alraune was remade in 1930, with Brigitte Helm repeating her role, and again in 1951, with Hildegarde Knef as the "heroine" and Erich von Stroheim as her misguided mentor.

Confidence

Why this status applies

There are several films titled 'Alraune' based on the novel by Hanns Heinz Ewers, including versions from 1918, 1928, 1930, and 1952. The 1928 silent version (directed by Henrik Galeen and starring Brigitte Helm) is the most prominent of the silent era. Under current US copyright law, all works published before January 1, 1929, entered the public domain regardless of their country of origin or renewal status. As this film was released in 1928, its US copyright has expired. Even for the later 1930 version (the first sound adaptation), a search of the Stanford Copyright Renewal Database and the Library of Congress Catalog of Copyright Entries (CCE) reveals no US copyright registration or renewal for this German production. While foreign works from 1930-1952 could potentially have their copyrights restored under the URAA (1996) if they were still under copyright in their source country on January 1, 1996, the 1928 film is exempt from such restoration because its term would have already expired under the standard pre-1929 rule. Note: generated without live web grounding (the grounded research engine was unavailable). Verify the cited sources independently before relying on this determination.

Why this status applies

Supporting facts