Metropolis - Channing Pollock version score
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Introduction
The following is a listing of annotations / prompts taken from the printed Metropolis score (n.p., n.d., 1927, 207p) in the collection of ScreenSound Australia (formerly National Film & Sound Archives), Canberra. This 207 page publication supposedly contains the shortened version of the score as originally composed by Gottfried Huppertz for the original German edition. This latter score was meant to accompany the edited, Channing Pollock version of Metropolis which was released in the United States during March 1927 and in Australia the following year. As can be seen from the following table, the 207 page score is broken down into 84 movements, and within each movement there are annotations or prompts which have been added to assist the musicians in accompanying the film. These prompts refer to intertitle cards and scenes which act as cues to changes in the accompanying score. The prompts are useful to modern researchers in indicating the version of the film which was issued at the time, prior to being edited by local theatre managers or later exhibitors. A copy of the longer, original German score (both in manuscript and printed form) exists in the collection of the Deutsche Kinemathek, Berlin. The ScreenSound score contains 327 prompts, whilst the original German edition contains some 1029 prompts. This difference is accounted for by the fact that within the German version prompts are given at approximately every 3 bars; additionally, more than 41% of the film was cut for the American version, reducing screening and playing time from 3 hours 48 minutes when run at 16 frames per second (as shot) down to just 89 minutes at the modern, sound-based speed of 24 frames per second.
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Page No. |
Section No. |
Annotations / Prompts |
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1 |
1 |
Introduction |
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DbC until machine effects |
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2 |
2 |
Machine effects |
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Siren Blows |
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3 |
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Next cue T: "The Day Shift" |
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4 |
4 |
T "The Day Shift" (Marching Workers) |
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Into the elevator |
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Going down |
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5 |
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At bottom |
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6 |
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Next cue: T "And high above, a pleasure garden" |
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5 |
"And high above, a pleasure garden" |
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7 |
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Chase around fountain |
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8 |
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He catches her |
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9 |
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Embracing |
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Door opens |
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Next cue: Maria and children enter |
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10 |
6 |
Maria and children enter |
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11 |
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She points |
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12 |
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C.U. (Close up) Maria |
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Men to her |
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13 |
7 |
Freder with hand on heart |
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14 |
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Freder forward |
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Runs out door |
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8 |
T "The Great Machines" |
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15 |
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(Machine Room) |
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Large machine |
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16 |
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Thermometer Rising |
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17 |
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Thermometer nearing top - explosion |
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18 |
9 |
Thermometer nearing top - explosion |
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Explosion |
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Men falling |
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19 |
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"Moloch!" |
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Next cue: Vision of Statue of Moloch |
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20 |
10 |
Vision of Statue of Moloch |
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21 |
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Marching into fire |
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Next cue: Picking up wounded |
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22 |
11 |
Picking up wounded |
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12 |
Work goes on |
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23 |
13 |
Freder runs to auto |
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14 |
View of Metropolis |
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24 |
15 |
T "Office of John Fredersen - the Master of Metropolis" |
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25 |
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Clerks |
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26 |
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Secretary to Son |
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16 |
Freder describes an accident |
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27 |
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28 |
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To Father |
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29 |
17 |
Father goes to Secretary |
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(Angry etc) |
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(Secretary goes) |
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30 |
18 |
Freder pleads (after T "Why did you go down there?") |
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31 |
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Freder sitting |
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32 |
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To Father |
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33 |
19 |
Freder points out window - City Buildings |
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Next cue: T = "In their proper place - The Depths" |
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34 |
20 |
T = "In their proper place - The Depths" |
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Curtains Closed |
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Secretary In |
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35 |
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Foreman Enters |
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36 |
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Foreman shows Map |
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37 |
21 |
Father angry - shows map to Secretary |
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38 |
22 |
Secretary fired |
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39 |
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Secretary out door |
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23 |
Son to Father |
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T "Father, don't you realise" |
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40 |
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Son runs out |
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41 |
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Runs down steps |
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Grabs gun from Secretary |
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Next cue: Son and Secretary |
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42 |
24 |
Son and Secretary |
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43 |
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Arm on shoulder |
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They shake |
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Next cue: Down to Engine Room |
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44 |
25 |
Down to Engine Room |
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In Door |
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Marchers |
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45 |
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Freder watches man at machine |
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Grabs man |
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46 |
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Takes his place |
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47 |
26 |
In the middle of the city was an old house |
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Inventor Rotwang |
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48 |
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49 |
27 |
Engine Room |
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Exchange clothes |
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Other exits |
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Next cue: Inventor and Fredersen |
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50 |
28 |
Inventor and Fredersen |
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51 |
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Raises arms excited |
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Next cue: Into laboratory |
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52 |
29 |
Into Laboratory |
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53 |
30 |
Mechanical Woman Rises |
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55 |
31 |
Inventor to Fredersen |
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56 |
32 |
Machine Room |
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57 |
33 |
Inventor and Fredersen |
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Next cue: (Freder at wheel) |
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58 |
34 |
Freder at wheel |
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Note |
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59 |
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Man to him |
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Men above |
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60 |
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Machine again |
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Clock |
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61 |
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Thermometer rising |
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62 |
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63 |
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Calls for help |
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35 |
Siren blows |
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Next cue: Men Shifting |
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64 |
36 |
Men Shifting |
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37 |
2 men at table |
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65 |
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C.U. Maria |
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38 |
Workers down steps |
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Next cue: Back to Fredersen |
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66 |
39 |
Back to Fredersen |
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67 |
40 |
Two men start out |
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Down stairs |
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Trap door |
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Next cue: Workers down steps |
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68 |
41 |
Workers down steps |
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Freder looks up |
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69 |
42 |
Maria preaching before altar |
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Hat off |
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70 |
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He kneels |
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The 2 men above |
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71 |
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72 |
43 |
T "Today I will tell you the story of the building of the Tower of Babel" |
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73 |
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The Tower |
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74 |
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Men Marching |
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75 |
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Pulling Stone |
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76 |
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Shake fists |
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77 |
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Run up stairs |
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Tear down tower |
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44 |
Back to Maria preaching |
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78 |
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Men bow heads |
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79 |
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T "But where is our Mediator" |
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80 |
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Be patient |
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Next cue: The men above |
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81 |
45 |
The men above |
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82 |
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83 |
46 |
Men shake hands |
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Light on Inventor |
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Next cue: Maria and Freder alone |
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84 |
47 |
Maria and Freder alone |
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She turns |
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85 |
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The two together |
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86 |
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They kiss |
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87 |
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Parting |
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Maria alone |
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She goes |
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Next cue: Inventor breaks rock |
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88 |
48 |
Inventor breaks rock |
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Shadow |
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89 |
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Hand puts out candle |
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90 |
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Flash light on her |
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91 |
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Maria runs |
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92 |
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Up stairs |
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93 |
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Light on her |
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Next cue: Maria runs |
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94 |
49 |
Maria runs |
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95 |
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End of Part 1 |
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50 |
Interior of Cathedral |
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96 |
51 |
Statues of 7 Deadly Sins |
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97 |
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C.U. Freder |
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He goes |
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52 |
T "Maria was a prisoner" |
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98 |
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Freder walking |
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T "Come, I am going to…" |
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99 |
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Struggle |
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100 |
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Freder hears |
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101 |
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Next cue: Runs to door |
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102 |
53 |
Runs to door |
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Knocks |
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Door opens |
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Enters |
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103 |
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He runs about |
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104 |
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Knocking |
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Down stairs |
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105 |
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Doors |
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106 |
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Stick in door |
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Door slams |
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107 |
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Pounds door |
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108 |
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Piece of dress |
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109 |
54 |
Laboratory (Maria on table) |
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Next cue: Inventor throws switch |
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110 |
55 |
Inventor throws switch |
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Boiling, Machines starting, etc |
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111 |
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Another switch on |
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Currents, etc. |
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112 |
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Electric rings |
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Flashes etc |
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113 |
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114 |
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115 |
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Rings etc |
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116 |
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Face of Maria |
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117 |
56 |
Freder outside |
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In door |
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Inventor appears |
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118 |
57 |
Freder rushes to inventor |
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T "Where is Maria?" |
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Artificial Maria enters |
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119 |
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Maria and Father |
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120 |
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C.U. Maria |
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121 |
58 |
Freder enters sees Maria |
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Flashes etc |
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Room revolving |
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People in circle etc |
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He falls thru space |
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Next cue: Freder in bed |
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122 |
59 |
Freder in bed |
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123 |
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Doctor goes |
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Reaches for card |
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Next cue: Invitation card to party |
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124 |
60 |
Invitation card to party |
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125 |
61 |
Large cauldron |
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Lid rises |
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Maria appearing |
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Next cue: Maria starts to dance |
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126 |
62 |
Maria starts to dance |
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Freder in bed |
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127 |
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Back to dance |
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128 |
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Wild dance etc. |
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129 |
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Freder |
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Dance wilder |
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Next cue: Maria on Serpents |
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130 |
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Maria on Serpents |
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131 |
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Seven Deadly Sins come to life |
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132 |
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Death with scythe |
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133 |
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(Maria and Inventor) |
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(Other Maria preaching) |
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134 |
66 |
Other Maria preaching |
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135 |
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Freder in room |
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Next cue: Maria inciting workers |
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136 |
67 |
Maria inciting workers |
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137 |
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T "You have waited" |
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138 |
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Freder enters sees Maria |
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139 |
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T "Let the machines stop" |
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Next cue: "Destroy the Machines" |
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140 |
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T "Destroy the Machines" |
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She sees Freder |
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He points to her |
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141 |
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142 |
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Carry her (2nd time) |
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T "Kill him" |
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143 |
68 |
Mob in square |
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People running etc |
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144 |
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145 |
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To elevators |
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146 |
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Up elevator |
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147 |
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Into long hall |
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148 |
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To gates |
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149 |
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Breaking gates |
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150 |
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Women in elevator |
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Enter machine room |
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151 |
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Fredersen enters office |
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Ticker tape |
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To telephones |
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Next cue: Foreman answers "People at gate" |
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152 |
70 |
Foreman answers "People at gate" |
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T "The workers are destroying the machines!" |
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153 |
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Mob into room |
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154 |
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Mob to foreman |
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155 |
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Maria at switches |
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156 |
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Machines flashing |
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Up ladder |
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157 |
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Real Maria out of house |
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Down elevators |
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Next cue: Crashes and explosions |
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158 |
71 |
Crashes and explosions |
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Maria sees |
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159 |
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Next cue: Water into square |
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160 |
72 |
Water into square |
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Children running (2nd) |
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161 |
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Children enter |
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162 |
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Large square |
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163 |
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Crash |
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164 |
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Gong |
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165 |
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Freder above |
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C.U. Gong |
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They run down |
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166 |
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167 |
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They embrace |
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168 |
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Carrying children |
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169 |
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To stairs |
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Next cue: City lights |
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170 |
73 |
City Lights (Fredersen in office) |
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Office of Fredersen |
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He rises |
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171 |
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Servant enters office |
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Crash |
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172 |
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Back to office |
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173 |
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174 |
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With children |
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She looks up |
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175 |
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Workers dancing around machine |
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Children |
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176 |
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Dance again |
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177 |
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Foreman yells (up steps) |
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Whistles |
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178 |
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T "Where are your children?" |
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T "The entire workers city" |
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179 |
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180 |
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Crowd cheers forward |
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181 |
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Maria (Witch) and crowd dancing |
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182 |
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Wild dancing etc |
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Mob up steps |
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183 |
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Mob across bridge |
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Next cue: Mob rushes into party |
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184 |
78 |
Mob rushes into party |
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Grabs Maria |
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185 |
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186 |
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Drags her to |
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187 |
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Tied to stake |
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188 |
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Grab Freder |
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Lights fire |
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189 |
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Fire etc. |
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190 |
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Inventor out |
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191 |
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Porch of church |
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192 |
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193 |
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Maria runs |
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194 |
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Chase in cathedral |
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Fire |
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195 |
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Next cue: Inventor chases Maria on roof |
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196 |
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Inventor chases Maria on roof |
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Freder up |
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197 |
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198 |
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Fight |
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199 |
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Father sinks to knees |
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200 |
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Up top of roof |
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Roll down |
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Inventor falls |
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201 |
80 |
After fall |
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Fredersen bows head |
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Next cue: Maria and Freder embrace |
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202 |
81 |
Maria and Freder embrace |
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203 |
82 |
Cathedral / Workers march to door |
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They stop |
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Next cue: Group comes out of church |
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204 |
83 |
Group comes out of church |
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205 |
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Maria to Freder |
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T "There can be no understanding unless" |
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206 |
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Freder persuades Father |
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Next cue: As they join hands |
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207 |
84 |
As they join hands |
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Shake |
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End of picture |
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It can be seen from these annotations that the score accompanied a version of the film which survives in large part to this day, and can be seen in most video copies of Metropolis, though the Moroder version contains some additional scenes via the use of stills.
Site last updated: 20 March 2000.
Michael Organ
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