Pandora's Box (1929 film)

Pandora's Box
theatrical poster
Directed by	G. W. Pabst
Produced by	Seymour Nebenzal
Written by	G. W. Pabst Ladislaus Vajda
Based on	Frank Wedekind ("Lulu" plays)
Starring	Louise Brooks Francis Lederer Carl Goetz Alice Roberts
Cinematography	Günther Krampf
Distributed by	Süd-Film
Release date	Germany: January 30, 1929 United States: December 1, 1929 (New York City, New York)
Running time	100-152 minutes (US) 133 minutes (dir. cut)
Country	Germany
Language	Silent film German intertitles

Pandora's Box (German: Die Büchse der Pandora) is a 1929 German silent melodrama film based on Frank Wedekind's plays Erdgeist (Earth Spirit, 1895) and Die Büchse der Pandora (1904). Directed by Austrian filmmaker Georg Wilhelm Pabst, the film stars Louise Brooks, Fritz Kortner and Francis Lederer. Brooks' portrayal of a seductive, thoughtless young woman whose raw sexuality and uninhibited nature bring ruin to herself and those who love her, although initially unappreciated, eventually made the actress a star.

Lulu (Louise Brooks) is the mistress of a respected, middle-aged newspaper publisher, Dr. Ludwig Schön (Fritz Kortner). One day, she is delighted when an old man, her "first patron", Schigolch (Carl Goetz), shows up at the door to her apartment. However, when Schön also arrives, she has Schigolch hide on the terrace. Schön breaks the news to Lulu that he is going to marry Charlotte von Zarnikow (Daisy D'ora), the daughter of the Minister of the Interior. Lulu tries to get him to change his mind, but when he discovers the disreputable-looking Schigolch, he leaves. Schigolch introduces Lulu to Rodrigo Quast (Krafft-Raschig), who wants her to join his new trapeze act.

The next day, Lulu goes to see her best friend Alwa (Francis Lederer), who happens to be Schön's son. Schön is greatly displeased to see her, but comes up with the idea to have her star in his son's musical production to get her off his hands. However, Schön makes the mistake of bringing Charlotte to see the revue. When Lulu refuses to perform in front of her rival, Schön takes her into a storage room to try to persuade her otherwise, but she seduces him instead. Charlotte finds them embracing.