Old Hollywood
Cinema
1900-1979

Nostalgia is a seductive liar - George Wildman Ball
Vampyr (1932, dir. Carl Theodor Dreyer) (via)

Vampyr (1932, dir. Carl Theodor Dreyer) (via)

Conrad Veidt & Lil Dagover in The Cabinet Of Dr. Caligari (1920, dir. Robert Wiene) (via)
“I realized that the sets had to deviate completely in form and design from the usual naturalistic style. The images had to be like visionary nightmares - averted from reality, they had to acquire fantastic graphic form. No real structural elements could be recognizable…[Co-art director Walter] Reimann, who applied the Expressionist painting technique in his designs, succeeded with his idea that this subject had to have Expressionist sets, costumes, actors, and direction…
Furthermore, I would like to say that sets should remain as background in front of which the action takes place, reflecting it and supporting the actor, who is after all supposed to have the major supporting role. In Caligari, this relationship is reversed. In this single special case I will concede that the sets became the major means of expression.”
-Caligari art director, Hermann Warm (Caligari & Caligarismus)

Conrad Veidt & Lil Dagover in The Cabinet Of Dr. Caligari (1920, dir. Robert Wiene) (via)

“I realized that the sets had to deviate completely in form and design from the usual naturalistic style. The images had to be like visionary nightmares - averted from reality, they had to acquire fantastic graphic form. No real structural elements could be recognizable…[Co-art director Walter] Reimann, who applied the Expressionist painting technique in his designs, succeeded with his idea that this subject had to have Expressionist sets, costumes, actors, and direction…

Furthermore, I would like to say that sets should remain as background in front of which the action takes place, reflecting it and supporting the actor, who is after all supposed to have the major supporting role. In Caligari, this relationship is reversed. In this single special case I will concede that the sets became the major means of expression.”

-Caligari art director, Hermann Warm (Caligari & Caligarismus)

The Student of Prague (1926, dir. Henrik Galeen)

The Student of Prague (1926, dir. Henrik Galeen)

Conrad Veidt & Lil Dagover in The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920, dir. Robert Wiene)
“The scenes in the steep, dark, crooked alleyways belonged to him. Even when he was not in front of the camera, he would prowl around the studio and startle us.”
-Lil Dagover on Veidt
(via)

Conrad Veidt & Lil Dagover in The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920, dir. Robert Wiene)

“The scenes in the steep, dark, crooked alleyways belonged to him. Even when he was not in front of the camera, he would prowl around the studio and startle us.”

-Lil Dagover on Veidt

(via)

Lil Dagover, Walter Janssen, & Bernhard Goetzke as Death in Destiny (1921, dir. Fritz Lang) (via)

Lil Dagover, Walter Janssen, & Bernhard Goetzke as Death in Destiny (1921, dir. Fritz Lang) (via)

 Lil Dagover in The Cabinet Of Dr. Caligari (1920, dir. Robert Wiene) (via)

 Lil Dagover in The Cabinet Of Dr. Caligari (1920, dir. Robert Wiene) (via)

Vampyr (1932, dir. Carl Theodor Dreyer) (via)

Vampyr (1932, dir. Carl Theodor Dreyer) (via)

The Student of Prague (1926, dir. Henrik Galeen)
All sins cast long shadows.

The Student of Prague (1926, dir. Henrik Galeen)

All sins cast long shadows.

Vampyr (1932, dir. Carl Theodor Dreyer)

Vampyr (1932, dir. Carl Theodor Dreyer)

Vampyr (1932,  dir. Carl Theodor Dreyer)

Vampyr (1932, dir. Carl Theodor Dreyer)