The Serpent's Egg (1977)
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- R
- 1h 59min
- Drama, Mystery
- 15 Feb 1978 (USA)
- Movie
Berlin, 1923. Following the suicide of his brother, American circus acrobat Abel Rosenberg attempts to survive while facing unemployment, depression, alcoholism and the social decay of Germany during the Weimar Republic.
Director:
Writer:
Stars:
Photos and Videos
Cast
| Liv Ullmann | ... |
Manuela Rosenberg
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| David Carradine | ... |
Abel Rosenberg
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| Gert Fröbe | ... |
Inspector Bauer
(as Gert Froebe)
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| Heinz Bennent | ... |
Hans Vergerus
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| Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
| Toni Berger | ... |
Mr. Rosenberg
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| Christian Berkel | ... |
Student
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Paula Braend | ... |
Mrs. Hemse
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Erna Brünell | ... |
Mrs. Rosenberg
(as Erna Bruenell)
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Paul Bürks | ... |
Cabaret Comedian
(as Paul Buerks)
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| Gaby Dohm | ... |
Woman with baby
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Emil Feist | ... |
Miser
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| Kai Fischer | ... |
Prostitute
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Georg Hartmann | ... |
Hollinger
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Edith Heerdegen | ... |
Mrs. Holle
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Klaus Hoffmann | ... |
Commando Announcer
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Grischa Huber | ... |
Stella
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| Volkert Kraeft | ... |
Commando Leader
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| Gunther Malzacher | ... |
Husband
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Lisi Mangold | ... |
Mikaela
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| Günter Meisner | ... |
Convict
(as Guenter Meisner)
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Kyra Mladeck | ... |
Miss Dorst
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Adelheid Picha | ... |
Wife
(as Heide Picha)
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| Hans Quest | ... |
Dr. Silbermann
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| Charles Regnier | ... |
Doctor
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| Walter Schmidinger | ... |
Solomon
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Irene Steinbeisser | ... |
Bride
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Fritz Straßner | ... |
Dr. Soltermann
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| Glynn Turman | ... |
Monroe
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| Ellen Umlauf | ... |
Hostess
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| Wolfgang Weiser | ... |
Civil Servant
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| James Whitmore | ... |
The Priest
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| Ralf Wolter | ... |
Partner of the Master of Ceremonies
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| Isolde Barth | ... |
Girl in Uniform (uncredited)
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Richard Bohne | ... |
Police Officer (uncredited)
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Paul Burian | ... |
Man in Experiment (uncredited)
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| Hildegard Busse | ... |
Prostitute (uncredited)
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Hans Eichler | ... |
Max (uncredited)
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| Herbert Fux | ... |
(uncredited)
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Renate Grosser | ... |
Prostitute (uncredited)
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Heino Hallhuber | ... |
Groom (uncredited)
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Rosemarie Heinikel | ... |
Girl in Uniform (uncredited)
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Harry Kalenberg | ... |
Coroner (uncredited)
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Andrea L'Arronge | ... |
Girl in Uniform (uncredited)
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Beverly McNeely | ... |
Girl in Uniform (uncredited)
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Anne Mertin | ... |
(uncredited)
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Hubert Mittendorf | ... |
Comforter (uncredited)
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| Klaus Münster | ... |
Mann auf Party (uncredited)
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Juergen J. Straub | ... |
Hans in Schlange (uncredited)
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| Hertha von Walther | ... |
Woman in Street (uncredited)
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Directed by
| Ingmar Bergman | ... | (a film by) |
Written by
| Ingmar Bergman | ... | (a film by) |
Produced by
| Dino De Laurentiis | ... | producer |
| Harold Nebenzal | ... | line producer |
| Horst Wendlandt | ... | executive producer |
Music by
| Rolf A. Wilhelm | ... | (as Rolf Wilhelm) |
Cinematography by
| Sven Nykvist | ... | director of photography |
Editing by
| Jutta Hering | ||
Editorial Department
| Petra von Oelffen | ... | assistant editor |
Casting By
| Irmi Kelpinski | ||
Production Design by
| Rolf Zehetbauer | ||
Art Direction by
| Werner Achmann | ||
| Friedrich Thaler | ||
| Herbert Strabel | ... | (uncredited) |
Costume Design by
| Charlotte Flemming | ||
Makeup Department
| Franz Göbel | ... | hair stylist (as Franz Goebel) / makeup artist (as Franz Goebel) |
| Babette Juli | ... | hair stylist / makeup artist |
| Susi Krause | ... | hair stylist / makeup artist |
| Raimund Stangl | ... | hair stylist / makeup artist |
| Mathilde Basedow | ... | makeup artist (uncredited) |
| Gerda Bublitz | ... | makeup artist (uncredited) |
| Evelyn Döhring | ... | makeup artist (uncredited) |
| Ariane Dömel | ... | makeup artist (uncredited) |
| Dagmar Friedrich-Vacan | ... | makeup artist (uncredited) |
| Ute Hanow | ... | makeup artist (uncredited) |
| Marie-Luise Hantsch | ... | makeup artist (uncredited) |
| Helga Kempke | ... | makeup artist (uncredited) |
| Mathilde Kulhanek | ... | makeup artist (uncredited) |
| Erika König | ... | makeup artist (uncredited) |
| Albin Löw | ... | makeup artist (uncredited) |
| Theodor Maier | ... | makeup artist (uncredited) |
| Hedy Polensky | ... | makeup artist (uncredited) |
| Naksiye Prenovic | ... | makeup artist (uncredited) |
| Georg Rasche | ... | makeup artist (uncredited) |
| Ursula Schaffert | ... | makeup artist (uncredited) |
| Alois Steckermeier | ... | makeup artist (uncredited) |
| Eva Uhl | ... | makeup artist (uncredited) |
Production Management
| Franz Achter | ... | unit manager |
| Georg Föcking | ... | production manager (as Georg Foecking) |
| Rudolf Geiger | ... | unit manager |
| Roger J. Sorell | ... | unit manager (as Horst Scheerbarth) |
| Harry Wilbert | ... | unit manager |
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
| Wieland Liebske | ... | assistant director |
Art Department
| Barbara Freude | ... | props (as Barbara Freude-Schnase) |
| Harry Freude | ... | props |
Sound Department
| Milan Bor | ... | sound mixer |
| Theo Müller | ... | sound assistant (as Theo Mueller) |
| Armin Münch | ... | sound assistant (as Armin Muench) |
| Karsten Ullrich | ... | sound |
Special Effects by
| Karl Baumgartner | ... | special effects |
| Dieter Ortmeier | ... | special effects |
Camera and Electrical Department
| Norbert Friedländer | ... | assistant camera |
| Dietrich Lohmann | ... | second camera |
| Lars Looschen | ... | still photographer |
| Peter Rohe | ... | second camera |
| Alexander Witt | ... | assistant camera |
| Günther Adlmüller | ... | assistant camera (uncredited) |
| Hermann Fahr | ... | assistant camera (uncredited) |
| Gerhard Fromm | ... | assistant camera (uncredited) |
| Bernd Heinl | ... | assistant camera (uncredited) |
| Gernot Köhler | ... | assistant camera (uncredited) |
| Werner Lüring | ... | assistant camera (uncredited) |
Costume and Wardrobe Department
| Anton Eder | ... | wardrobe |
| Ute Klimke | ... | assistant costume designer |
| Friedel Schröder | ... | wardrobe (as Friedel Schroeder) |
| Egon Strasser | ... | assistant costume designer |
Script and Continuity Department
| Kerstin Eriksdotter | ... | continuity |
Additional Crew
| Chloe Amateau | ... | dialogue coach |
| Alan Blair | ... | translator |
| Heino Hallhuber | ... | choreographer |
| Vic Heutschy | ... | publicist |
| Paulette Hufnagel | ... | production accountant |
| Robert Kocourek | ... | production auditor (as Robert F. Kocourek) |
| Lilo Schick | ... | production secretary |
| Werner Uschkurat | ... | (dialogue manager) |
Production Companies
Distributors
- Tobis (1977) (West Germany) (theatrical)
- Fox-Stockholm Film Distribution (1977) (Sweden) (theatrical)
- Gaumont (1977) (France) (theatrical)
- Titanus (1977) (Italy) (theatrical)
- Adams Filmi (1978) (Finland) (theatrical)
- Enterprises Pictures Limited (1978) (United Kingdom) (theatrical)
- Paramount Pictures (1978) (United States) (theatrical) (dubbed)
- Syncron Film (1978) (Norway) (theatrical)
- Diasa (1978) (Spain) (theatrical)
- Distrifilms (1978) (Argentina) (theatrical)
- Filmes Castello Lopes (1978) (Portugal) (theatrical)
- Hafbo (1978) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
- Roadshow Films (1978) (Australia) (theatrical)
- Belga Films (Belgium) (theatrical)
- Mary-X Distribution (2018) (France) (theatrical) (re-release) (restored version)
- 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2004) (Japan) (DVD)
- MGM Home Entertainment (2004) (Australia) (DVD)
- MGM Home Entertainment (2004) (United States) (DVD)
- Roadshow Home Video (1983) (Australia) (video)
- Tec Home Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
- Universum Film (UFA) (2005) (Germany) (DVD)
- marketing-film (West Germany) (video)
Special Effects
Other Companies
- Svenska Filminstitutet (SFI) (digital restoration) (2017)
- Theaterkunst (costume rental)
Storyline
| Plot Summary |
It's early November 1923. Jewish-American brothers Abel and Max Rosenberg and Max's ex-wife Manuela Rosenberg had a trapeze act in a circus touring through Europe until a month ago when a wrist injury to Max sidelined the act. The three remained in Berlin, Germany generally depressed with rampant inflation leading to Abel taking up the bottle to cope. Jewish people are also being blamed for many of society's problems, but Abel fears no reprisal against himself if he does nothing wrong. Abel and Manuela, the latter who ended up living in a rooming house on her own while working in a cabaret, are reunited when Abel must inform her that Max committed suicide by a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. Feeling at a loss both professionally and emotionally, Abel and Manuela turn to each other for comfort and support, feeling they only truly have each other. Abel's life becomes even more complicated when Police Inspector Bauer, who handled Max's suicide case, questions Abel about a series of other mysterious deaths in the last month in the vicinity of where he lived, some of the people he admits to knowing if only by face. In the process, Abel begins to believe that he's being set up to take the fall solely for being Jewish. But as Manuela tries to set up some sort of life so the two of them can be together, Abel gets caught up in unwitting circumstances that might lead to the same fate as Max and the others Abel was shown in the morgue. Written by Huggo |
| Plot Keywords | |
| Taglines | Berlin 1923! A dangerous time to be alive and stay that way! See more » |
| Genres | |
| Parents Guide | Add content advisory for parents » |
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Additional Details
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Box Office
| Budget | DEM12,000,000 (estimated) |
Did You Know?
| Trivia | This is director Ingmar Bergman's only big-budget production. It was made at the height of Bergman's worldwide popularity as an arthouse filmmaker and produced by Dino De Laurentiis, who insisted on shooting in the English language and casting an American star to make it more appealing for the American market. Unfortunately, the film got mostly bad reviews and failed to generate any commercial interest in America, but it did respectable business in Europe. See more » |
| Goofs | The Nazi-looking thugs that are beating up people are wearing Model 1943 German army caps and 1940s style clothing. This film is supposed to take place in the 1920s. See more » |
| Movie Connections | Featured in Away from Home (2004). See more » |
| Soundtracks | Das Lied vom süssen Bonbon See more » |
| Quotes |
Abel Rosenberg:
I wake up from a nightmare and find that real life is worse than the dream. See more » |