Alraune

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ALRAUNE:

After the novel of the same name by Hanns Heinz Ewers

???

in this world.

???

in this world.

???

???

all because of a little girl,

all because of a sweet woman.

I know why such an old fellow like me...

...is a perpetual student.

I know why I have debts...

Same here!

I know why my head hurts when I look at the calendar:

all because of a little girl,

all because of a sweet woman.

All because of a little girl,

all because of a sweet woman,

sweet woman,

sweet woman!

Go on, go on!

No, folks, Frank now has to go to his uncle, Privy Councillor ten Brinken

and congratulate him to his birthday!

- What? It's ten Brinken's birthday? - Indeed!

Folks! It's ten Brinken's birthday! That needs to be celebrated!

Folks, let's go and sing a song for him!

Yes, let's go!

All because of a little girl,

all because of a sweet woman!

All because of a little girl,

all because of a sweet woman,

sweet woman,

sweet woman!

Everything went fine.

The prince has paid the promised money.

One million.

A lot of money for a daughter.

Well, is the prince satisfied with the offspring?

He is very proud.

I deposited the money at the regional state bank

and put it under your control.

Ah.

I thank you for the trust, princess, that you put into my mercantile talents.

I'll do my best to increase your wealth.

Dear Privy Councillor, you are and have been a friend.

May I now...

For your favour...

- Thank you. - I have to thank you!

My scientific experiments require enormous financial means.

But dear Privy Councillor!

Otherwise the two of us would probably have never got together.

- Doctor Petersen. - Yes, please!

Does Dr. Petersen know?

Privy Councillor, may I express my most cordial congratulations.

Very, very friendly. Many thanks.

Dear Dr. Petersen, I'm glad to see you!

My attorney, Herr Manasse, is in the next room,

he will certainly be very happy about the child.

I'll join you soon.

Well, dear colleague?

The money for the child that we provided the princess with.

What does the prince say?

He thinks he's the father.

Very proud.

Out of gratitude, he gave the princess a little million

which she has put under my control.

- Under your control? - Yes.

Have you prepared the new experiments in the laboratory?

Petersen, we have money!

Petersen, now we can proceed!

Until we reach our aim!

And then...

Yes... then you'll be the world famous Privy Councillor ten Brinken.

- And I? - Why you?

- I finally demand that... - What do you demand!?

Will you have a glass of punch with us next door, dear colleague?

Thanks, I'll go to the laboratory.

Very well, dear colleague.

When it's happening, call me, I'll come down then.

So there's a lot of happiness about the little daughter

in the house of Prince Wolkonski?

Ah yes, attorney, so much depended on it for me.

Ah, the birthday child in person!

Well, Privy Councillor, how are your creatures?

Creatures?

Manasse means my artificial rats.

Artificial rats?

Yes, Princess.

Our dear privy councillor has discovered a method

to artificially produce those lovely animals en masse.

So if you're interested...

Rats!

What's going on there?

Well?

Privy Councillor, Herr Frank Braun and your students.

Well, that's very nice!

They were all I needed!

Jakob! Punch!

Silentium! Silentium!

Professor ten Brinken! Hooray! Hooray! Hooray!

Well, good evening, gentlemen!

I almost said good night!

Do come in, have a glass of punch!

Dear uncle, bound together most cordially by tender family ties

we stand facing each other.

Already in the time of early boyhood...

Yes, yes, forget it, forget it!

Please devote your affections to my punch!

Professor ten Brinken! Cheers to him!

This thing here dropped down and smashed one of your old, valuable vases.

That's an 'alraune'.

It's also called a mandrake.

A magic root:
according to superstition it yields its owner luck and wealth.

But it will bring unhappiness and death if he separates from it.

- May I have a look? - Certainly.

That's very interesting.

Very strange is the legend of this root's origin.

The moment a hanged man breathes his last breath,

earth receives his last virtue.

And the mating of man and earth

has created these roots.

And?

It was this inconspicuous root

which was the starting point of my experiments on artificial insemination.

Experiments which, as you know, gentlemen,

were successful for the most part.

Ah yes, the rats.

Professor, everything's prepared.

Very good, Dr. Petersen, I'm coming!

Please excuse me, gentlemen, I must go to the laboratory.

An experiment which can't be postponed.

My nephew will fill in for me.

- Goodbye. - Goodbye, Professor!

We'll escort the princess!

Gentlemen, I'll invite you all to my house!

Long live the princess!

Are you coming?

No, I'll go to my uncle, to the laboratory.

- Well, goodbye then. - Goodbye.

What do you want here?

The poor animals.

Why poor animals?

The rats were created by me through artificial insemination of the mother.

And who has an advantage of a dozen rats more or less?

But if it were human beings...

Human beings?

Human beings...

Yes! Human beings!

If you could manage that, with your intelligence, with your knowledge

to artificially create a human being,

a living mandrake,

that would be a deed!

Or do you want somebody else beat you to it?

No, nobody else.

But which people could be won over to it?

Take a robber and murderer sentenced to death, and...

And?

And the woman...

I'll show her to you.

Out! Out! Get that rascal out!

Good evening, gentlemen! Yes, you're in the right place!

You're completely right here!

Please enter this venue, the most atmospheric venue in this town!

Gentlemen, I've reserved a table for you.

That wasn't easy considering the number of people.

Waiter! Waiter!

Gentlemen, the table over there.

Please come over, gentlemen!

Please take a seat, sit down, gentlemen!

I'm fully equipped.

Don't worry, here you'll find everything.

What may I offer you, gentlemen?

Just a little something. A bottle of sparkling wine.

Sparkling wine? French one?

- Mumm. - Mumm, yes, very well.

Our specialty. One moment, gentlemen, the waiter...

???

What's the matter?

What is it, you old brass pipers?

A break? Every time I look you have a break.

Not with me! I'm not paying for breaks!

Rattle away, will you?

Start!

Very nice, eh?

Ah, Doctor! Finally.

Have two gentlemen come here, an older and a younger one?

Yes, they're over there in the box.

Ah, I see.

Good evening!

You're not very punctual.

But I'm sure that we'll find here what we're looking for.

I'm very happy, Doctor, that you're visiting my establishment again!

- I can't tell you... - So you're a regular here?

Yes, here's where I study.

Let Alma sing!

Of course, Doctor, she's over there, at once!

In my time they studied at the university.

Besides, this seems to be the only place where you are called a doctor.

But my dear, I ask you, please.

Alma, you're to sing!

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