Asphalt
Directed by	Joe May
Produced by	Erich Pommer
Written by	Hans Szekely
Starring	Gustav Fröhlich Else Heller Albert Steinruck Betty Amann
Cinematography	Günther Rittau
Distributed by	Universum Film AG
Release date(s)	March 11, 1929
Country	Germany
Language	Silent film German intertitles
All Movie Guide profile
IMDb profile

Asphalt is a 1929 German silent film. The film was one of the last silent films released in Germany as the world was entering the era of sound film. Joe May (born Joseph Mandel or Julius Otto Mandl November 7, 1880 in Vienna, died April 29, 1954, Hollywood, California) was an Austrian film director and film producer, one of the pioneers of German cinema. ... Erich Pommer (July 20, 1889 – May 8, 1966) was one of the most influential producers of the silent film era, having been one of the most influential creators being the German Expressionism movement as the head of production at Ufa from 1924 to 1926. ... Gustav Fröhlich Gustav Fröhlich (March 21, 1902 - December 22, 1987) was a German actor. ... Betty Amann (b. ... UFA logo Universum Film AG, better known as Ufa or UFA, was the principal film studio in Germany, home of the German film industry during the Weimar Republic and through World War II, and a major force in world cinema during its brief existence from 1917 to 1945. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Germany. ... is the 70th day of the year (71st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1929 (MCMXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Germany. ... A silent film is a film which has no accompanying soundtrack. ... See also: 1928 in film 1929 1930 in film 1920s in film 1930s in film years in film film // Events The days of the silent film were numbered. ... A silent film is a film which has no accompanying soundtrack. ... 1902 poster advertising Gaumonts sound films, depicting an optimistically vast auditorium A sound film is a motion picture with synchronized sound, or sound technologically coupled to image, as opposed to a silent film. ...

Production

Crew

Asphalt was made by UFA; a German studio, and produced by the Erich Pommer who was responsible for producing several films by directors including Fritz Lang (including Der müde Tod (1921), Dr. Mabuse, der Spieler (1922), Die Nibelungen (1924), Metropolis (1927), and Spione (1928)), FW Murnau (The Last Laugh (1924), Faust (1926), Tartüff (1927).) and other popular films of the era including The Cabinet of Dr.Caligari and Varieté. UFA logo Universum Film AG, better known as Ufa or UFA, was the principal film studio in Germany, home of the German film industry during the Weimar Republic and through World War II, and a major force in world cinema during its brief existence from 1917 to 1945. ... Erich Pommer (July 20, 1889 – May 8, 1966) was one of the most influential producers of the silent film era, having been one of the most influential creators being the German Expressionism movement as the head of production at Ufa from 1924 to 1926. ... Friedrich Christian Anton Fritz Lang (December 5, 1890 – August 2, 1976) was an Austrian-German-American film director, screenwriter and occasional film producer, one of the best known émigrés from Germanys school of Expressionism. ... Der müde Tod is a 1921 silent film directed in Germany by Fritz Lang. ... Dr. Mabuse, der Spieler (Dr. Mabuse, the gambler) is the first film in the Mabuse series by Fritz Lang from 1922. ... Die Nibelungen is a duology of fantasy films created by Austrian director Fritz Lang in 1924. ... For other uses, see Metropolis (disambiguation). ... Spione (English title: Spies) is a German silent espionage thriller written and directed by Fritz Lang in 1928. ... F W Murnau Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau (December 28, 1888 - March 11, 1931) was one of the most influential directors of the silent film era. ... The Last Laugh (Der Letzte Mann) is a 1924 silent film by German director F. W. Murnau and based on a Broadway play by Charles W. Goddard. ... Faust is a classic silent film produced in 1926 by UFA, directed by F.W. Murnau, starring Gösta Ekman as Faust, Emil Jannings as Mephisto, Camilla Horn as Gretchen/Marguerite, Frida Richard as her mother, Wilhelm Dieterle as her brother and Yvette Guilbert as Marthe Schwerdtlein, her aunt. ... The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari in German) is a groundbreaking 1919 silent film directed by Robert Wiene. ... Variety (original title: Varieté) is a 1925 silent drama film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont based on the novel Der Eid des Stephan Huller by Felix Hollaender. ...

Director Joe May co-wrote the script. The sets were designed by Erich Kettelhut who also worked on Dr. Mabuse, der Spieler, Metropolis, Berlin: Symphony of a Great City), with the uncredited assistance of Robert Herlth (Der müde Tod, Der letzte Mann, Tartüff, Faust) and Walter Röhrig (Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari, Tartüff, Faust). The cinematographer was Günther Rittau (Die Nibelungen, Metropolis, Der blaue Engel). Der Blaue Engel (English: The Blue Angel) is a film directed by Josef von Sternberg in 1930, and is one of the most famous films made by Marlene Dietrich. ...

Premiere

Asphalt was premiered on March 11, 1929 at Berlin's prestigious Ufa-Palast am Zoo. Critics noted the cheap, pulp-fiction nature of the plot but also praised May’s skill and cinematography and editing. is the 70th day of the year (71st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1929 (MCMXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the capital of Germany. ... ‹ The template below is being considered for deletion. ...

External links

• Essay on Asphalt at the Masters of Cinema website
• Asphalt at Rotten Tomatoes