Phantom / Die Finanzen Des Grossherzogs

A central figure in German Expressionism, F. W. Murnau was also one of the great innovators in film form. His gliding camera movements and troubled inner landscapes influenced both Orson Welles and Alfred Hitchcock. Two of Murnau's greatest silent films are featured in this collection - which also highlights the tremendous verstility of his work. PHANTOM (1922) tells the story of a store clerk who is almost driven to insanity when he sees an apparition of a girl driving a team of white horses. He is sentenced to 20 years in jail when he is convicted of stealing to raise money for a prostitute who looks just like the ghost girl. Though best known for his brooding dramas Murnau stepped out of the shadows for the silent German comedy THE GRAND DUKE'S FINANCES. The 1924 film follows the outlandish Grand Duke (Harry Liedtke) as he tries to deliver his small island nation from economic woes, and, if time permits, romance a Russian princess. Max Schreck (NOSFERATU) makes an appearance as one of the Duke's arch-fiends.