Please Help Me With Info About This Nordisk Film Silent.

[Claus H.]

I acquired a Standard-8mm reel of part of this film. It's by Nordisk and it has Spanish titles (no cast listing.)

"The Mysterious Host" or "Suggestion of a Dream"
Sorry for the poor screen shots; I did what I could to clean them up.








The stranger is supernatural, able to appear and vanish at will, and there seems to be some kind of Faustian deal going on with him and the hero. Hard to tell, though, as the film starts in mid-action after the title.
This is not a cut in my film; that is how the print runs. First title, then straight into some action at a window...odd.

Any and all information about this is welcome.

Thanks,

[Brooksie]

It would appear to be the Danish film `The Mysterious X' (Det hemmelighedsfulde X), but with Spanish titles.

There are some narrative postcards (including one of the creepy gent with the bat wings) at http://www.prospectosdecine.com/?nav=li ... &pagina=10.

Second Danish mystery of the week!

[Claus H.]

Brooksie,

Thank you! Those cards are from that film.
The strange part is, when I look up Benjamin Christensen's "Mysterious X" it has a whole different story that doesn't mention the man with the cape.
Maybe I am just missing too much of the film for it to make sense.

[radiotelefonia]

A better translation to Spanish is THE MYSTERIOUS GUEST (SPELL OF A DREAM).

[BenModel]

I've played for Christensen's "Mysterious X" (also known as "Sealed Orders", a 1914 spy thriller) three times earlier this year, and these frames are not from it.

[Claus H.]

Silent,

Thank you for verifying that.

So, what the heck is this one?

[Brooksie]

Brooksie,

Thank you! That is from that film.
The strange part is, when I look up Benjamin Christensen's "Mysterious X" it has a whole different story that doesn't mention the man with the cape.
Maybe I am just missing too much of the film for it to make sense.

Yes, now that I've started to poke around, I agree - the website has incorrectly attributed those cards and it's definitely not `Mysterious X'.

I can see why they got confused - you would not believe how many films Nordisk made around this time which are titled `The Mysterious So and So!' or `Madame/Mr/Dr X' or have very similar plots!

I thought I had narrowed it down to Doktor X (known either as Dr X or Dr Voluntas in English), directed by Robert Dinesen. The synopsis, as found in `The Horror Film' by Stephen Prince, sounds absolutely identical to the story recounted on the cards that were at the link - right down to a sinister Faustian figure who scares people with his strange cape - and yet the screenshots, several of which are at http://www.davidbordwell.net/essays/nordisk.php#_edn9, looked nothing like the ones you've posted!

However, I've now found the real deal. The film is Den Mystiske Fremmede (known in English as `A Deal With the Devil' but translated literally as `The Mysterious Stranger'), directed by Holger-Madsen - see http://www.dfi.dk/faktaomfilm/nationalf ... x?id=21484 for screencaps.

Misterioso solved!

[Claus H.]

Brooksie,

Thanks! Great detective work. (I should of course have gone to the DFI to search )

I wonder if it still exists in a full-length print? I am puzzled by the way my print goes from the title to the middle of a scene. Even if this were sold as a condensation, surely this would not be the way to cut it.

Anyway, a Holger-Madsen film from 1914. Good to know. I appreciate all the input on this.

Claus.

[radiotelefonia]

This is from Fernando Martín Peña, who gave me an explanation about this print in Facebook. Below is my translation.


No es muy difícil, pero hay que saber danés. El origen de la copia es argentino (las hacía Vigévano y las vendía Bouchard). Yo la tengo en 16mm. El actor de la izquierda es Joihannes Meyer, el mismo de EL AMO DE LA CASA de Dreyer. Con ese dato hay que buscar la ayuda de algún danés y buscar en www.dfi.dk. Una posibilidad es GREV DAHLBORGS HEMMELIGHED, que es de Nordisk y es también uno de los pocos que no aparece identificado con foto o reparto.


This is not difficult, but you must know Danish. The print is from Argentina (it was prepared by Francisco Vigévano and sold by Enrique Bouchard). I have it in 16mm. The actor on the left is Joihannes Meyer, the same from Dreyer's MASTER OF THE HOUSE. With this information you have to get some Danish help and look for data on www.dfi.dk. A posibility is GREV DAHLBORGS HEMMELIGHED, which was produced by Nordisk and it is one of the that are not identified with a still or a cast.

[Claus H.]

radiotelefonica,

Thank you for that; I will try to see what else I can find on this. I wonder if this was put out full-length on DVD (now I am curious to see it.)