Mabuse Lives! Dr Mabuse at CCC (1960 - 1964)

"An Essential Set"

Following on from their previous excellent Blu-ray releases of Fritz Lang's Dr Mabuse trilogy - DR MABUSE THE GAMBLER (1922), THE TESTAMENT OF DR MABUSE (1933) and THE THOUSAND EYES OF DR MABUSE (1960), Eureka are now bringing out a welcome set of all six films made by producer Artur Brauner's Central Cinema Company (better known as CCC) featuring Fritz Lang's master criminal. All the films are 1080p presentations from 2K restorations of the original film elements, and come with plenty of extras. So let's take a closer look at everything we get:

The Thousand Eyes of Dr Mabuse (1960)

I previously reviewed Eureka's release of this here. The disc included in the box set is essentially the same with the same extras. However you do get a newly recorded 12 minute introduction from Tim Lucas that sets the scene nicely for the series of films you're about to watch and concisely explains the relationship between Artur Brauner and Fritz Lang. If you already own Eureka's previous disc think of this as a nice bonus addition.

The Return of Dr Mabuse (1961)

This hugely entertaining follow up to THE THOUSAND EYES OF DR MABUSE sees us with a different director in Harald Reinl (Lang and Brauner having fallen out on the previous film) and the return of Gert Fröbe, this time as Inspector Lohmann, the character previously played by Otto Wernicke in both The Testament of Dr Mabuse (1933) and M (1931).

The plot involves the creation of a private army using prisoners injected with a will-destroying drug, and there's an impressive climax that involves an attack on a power station. In the Edgar Wallace krimis (and in the Italian giallos that followed) the question usually being asked was 'Who is the murderer?' In Mabuse pictures the question tends to be 'Who is Mabuse?', and there are plenty of suspects to keep you guessing. It's all fast-paced deliriously entertaining stuff that's at least as much fun as its precursor.

Extras include another excellent nine minute introduction from Tim Lucas who sets the scene very helpfully production-wise, and a very enthusiastic commentary from David Kalat that's very listenable, although I can't say I agree with his high praise of the first two JURASSIC PARK sequels. There's also an English language dub if you don't fancy subtitles. 

The Invisible Dr Mabuse (1962)

Returning director Harald Reinl engineers a splendid climax in this tale of the hunt for an invisibility device, involving an invisible army attacking an airport, a man guillotining himself, and Mabuse's face melting off. Reinl's wife Karin Dor stars as a Grand Guignol actress mixed up in events (and performing regularly at the Metropol theatre which also appears in Lamberto Bava's 1985 DEMONS) and Lex Barker is back as FBI agent Joe Como. 

        Tim Lucas provides another excellent introduction (just over six minutes this time), David Kalat's on hand with another very good commentary, there's an English dub track for those who need it, and the final extra here is a 16 minute interview with Artur Brauner's daughter Alice who discusses her father's career in relation to the Mabuse films (she even mentions Jess Franco, who made the final Brauner-produced one) and her plans for the future of the Mabuse character.

The Testament of Dr Mabuse (1962)

As much a sequel to the 1933 film as a remake of it, the fourth CCC Mabuse film takes the idea of Mabuse (Wolfgang Preiss again in the role he was revealed to be playing in THE THOUSAND EYES OF DR MABUSE and featuring - albeit briefly - in every subsequent film so far) being in an asylum where he is collating all his ideas for super crimes into a large handwritten manuscript that will form his testament. Professor Pohland (Walter Rilla) is the head of the institution and, unknown to his 'non-criminal side' is becoming heavily influenced by Mabuse, who, as in the 1933 version, dies during the film, his spirit possessing Pohland. This is very much a background to a series of action-packed and entertaining 'caper' robberies that culminate in a bank vault job. In keeping with many fourth films in a franchise, everyone knows what they're doing here and the result is slick and slightly crazy entertainment.

Extras include an eight minute Tim Lucas introduction, a David Kalat commentary and an English language dub. There's also a very good 30 minute visual essay in which David Cairns discusses the three Lang Mabuse pictures in relation to the themes of surveillance and destiny that also run through some of Lang's other movies. It's also a good primer for the entire series but you might prefer to watch it after all the films to avoid spoilers.

Scotland Yard Hunts Dr Mabuse (1963)

Dr Mabuse is dead. Professor Pohland looked as if he was dead at the end of the previous film but actually he is (inexplicably) alive and is now Mabuse. Got that? This one's a bit of a downturn for the series (after all it was the fifth one) with a mind control device being at the centre of things. Mabuse wants it to master the world but also to 'restore the British Empire to its former glory', possibly because much of the action of this one takes place in the UK (hence the title). No Gert Fröbe this time. Instead we have dashing Peter van Eyck who lives with his crime novel-reading mother. There's a lot more talk and less incident that previous series entries, but a highlight is a bizarre hanging scene in which the executioner is forced to hang himself. 

Extras include nine minutes of Tim Lucas introduction, another David Kalat commentary (that he can keep up that level of enthusiasm with his engaging style for this number of films is impressive in itself), a trailer and an English language dub.

The Death Ray of Dr Mabuse (1964)

The series reaches its end with what is something of a generic spy thriller (hardly surprising in the wake of the success of the James Bond films). Professor Pohland undergoes hypnotherapy that works a bit too well and Mabuse 'lives' again! This time he's after the death ray that Professor Larsen is building on an island off the coast of Malta. Peter van Eyck as essentially the same character as last time but with a name change because of rights issues is assigned to protect him. There's a great shootout with Mabuse's frogman army at the end but everything really is a bit strained here, especially the ending's 'Mabuse reveal', but if you go in with reasonably low expectations you'll still have a good time.

Extras include a 14 minute Tim Lucas introduction, in which he recommends watching the Italian version (also included on the disc) which runs at 109 minutes compared with the German 91 minute version and he's absolutely right, so go for that option on your first watch. The German version has an optional English dubs and comes with another David Kalat commentary.

The set also comes with a 60 page booklet featuring new writing on the films, including a career overview of Artur Brauner, a lengthy piece on the CCC Mabuse films with a short essay on each individual entry, and a Fritz Lang scrapbook. Finally, the discs and the booklet come in a hardbound case to complete what is a truly excellent presentation of some little-seen films. Here's a trailer for the set:

MABUSE LIVES! DR MABUSE AT CCC is out in a four disc Blu-ray set from Eureka on Monday 31st March 2025