4 Devils (lost F. W. Murnau drama film; 1928)

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4devils filmprogrammetitle.png

Title page of F.W. Murnau's 4 Devils Danish film program.

Status: Lost

4 Devils was one of renowned director F.W. Murnau's final films, detailing the lives of four trapeze performers who were orphaned as children. The film was released in both silent and sound versions under close supervision by production company Fox Films, which limited Murnau's artistic freedom. It was a failure at the box office but was met with many glowing reviews.

Both versions of 4 Devils are lost. Some speculate that one of the film's actresses, Mary Duncan, borrowed the only surviving copy and never returned it to 20th Century Fox. She reportedly misplaced it, though some suspect that her heirs may have found it.

A slideshow of 4 Devils was included as a special feature on Sunrise's out-of-print DVD release in 2003. It featured the script played out in its entirety, with rare production photos and vocal narration to accompany it.

Gallery

2003 featurette from Sunrise.

External Links