4 Devils (lost F. W. Murnau drama film; 1928)
Title page of F.W. Murnau's 4 Devils Danish film programme.
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.
Neither the sound nor the silent version of 4 Devils is found. 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. This special feature has been uploaded to YouTube, which can be found in the source list below.
Gallery
These are some of the rare photographs taken during and around the time of production.
