Mabuse Lives! Dr Mabuse At CCC: 1960-1964 – Eureka Video (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Dates: West Germany/France/Italy, 1960 (The Thousand Eyes of Dr. Mabuse), West Germany/France/Italy, 1961 (The Return of Dr. Mabuse), West Germany/France/Italy, 1962 (The Invisible Dr. Mabuse, The Testament of Dr. Mabuse), West Germany, 1963 (Scotland Yard Hunts Dr Mabuse), West Germany/France/Italy/Malta, 1964 (The Death Ray of Dr Mabuse)
Directors: Fritz Lang (The Thousand Eyes of Dr. Mabuse), Harald Reinl (The Return of Dr. Mabuse, The Invisible Dr. Mabuse), Werner Klingler (The Testament of Dr. Mabuse), Paul May (Scotland Yard Hunts Dr Mabuse), Hugo Fregonese (The Death Ray of Dr Mabuse)
Cast: Dawn Addams, Peter van Eyck, Gert Fröbe, Wolfgang Preiss, Howard Vernon (The Thousand Eyes of Dr. Mabuse), Gert Fröbe, Lex Barker, Daliah Lavi, Fausto Tozzi, Werner Peters, Wolfgang Preiss (The Return of Dr. Mabuse), Lex Barker, Karin Dor, Siegfried Lowitz, Rudolf Fernau, Wolfgang Preiss (The Invisible Dr. Mabuse), Gert Fröbe, Senta Berger, Helmut Schmid, Charles Regnier, Wolfgang Preiss (The Testament of Dr. Mabuse), Peter van Eyck, Sabine Bethmann, Dieter Borsche, Werner Peters, Klaus Kinski, Wolfgang Preiss, Agnes Windeck (Scotland Yard Hunts Dr Mabuse), Peter van Eyck, O.E. Hasse, Yvonne Furneaux, Rika Dialyna, Wolfgang Preiss, Walter Rilla, Leo Genn (The Death Ray of Dr Mabuse)

Release Date: March 31st, 2025 (UK), April 1st, 2025 (USA)
Approximate Running Times: 103 Minutes 37 Seconds (The Thousand Eyes of Dr. Mabuse), 88 Minutes 43 Seconds (The Return of Dr. Mabuse), 89 Minutes 17 Seconds (The Invisible Dr. Mabuse), 88 Minutes 30 Seconds (The Testament of Dr. Mabuse), 90 Minutes 17 Seconds (Scotland Yard Hunts Dr Mabuse), 91 Minutes 10 Seconds (The Death Ray of Dr Mabuse)
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVCC (The Thousand Eyes of Dr. Mabuse, The Return of Dr. Mabuse, The Invisible Dr. Mabuse, The Testament of Dr. Mabuse), 1.37:1 Aspect Ratio / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVCC (Scotland Yard Hunts Dr Mabuse, The Death Ray of Dr Mabuse)
Rating: 15 (UK), NR (USA)
Sound: LPCM Mono German, LPCM Mono English (All Films)
Subtitles: English (All Films)
Region Coding: Region A,B
Retail Price: £46.99 (UK), $94.95 (USA)

"Fritz Lang made two of the defining works of early German cinema with Dr Mabuse the Gambler and The Testament of Dr Mabuse, two masterpieces centered on Norbert Jacques’ nefarious literary supervillain. In 1960, Lang was charged by Artur Brauner’s CCC Film with making a third crime thriller centered on the infamous Dr Mabuse, completing a trilogy nearly forty years in the making. A huge success, The Thousand Eyes of Dr Mabuse gave CCC the confidence to launch into an entire series focused on the master criminal between 1960 and 1964, with Wolfgang Preiss filling the title role. All six films are presented here alongside a wealth of new and archival extras.

In Fritz Lang’s final film The Thousand Eyes of Dr Mabuse, the eponymous master of disguise (Preiss) re-emerges in the Cold War era after a lengthy absence – and uses all manner of methods to insight murder and mayhem. The Return of Dr Mabuse sees him use brainwashed prison inmates to commit a litany of crimes while evading the German authorities and the FBI. In The Invisible Dr Mabuse, he seeks to use an amazing new invention – a device that renders the user invisible – to his own ends. The Testament of Dr Mabuse – a remake of Lang’s earlier film – has the German police tying themselves in knots as they try to figure out how their adversary could be continuing his reign of terror from inside an asylum. In Scotland Yard Hunts Dr Mabuse, Mabuse’s tentacles begin to creep across the English Channel. Finally, in The Death Ray of Dr Mabuse, the criminal mastermind comes to possess a weapon capable of unleashing untold destruction.

Directed by Fritz Lang, Harald Reinl (Face of the Frog), Werner Klingler (Police Raid), Paul May (Duel with Death) and Hugo Fregonese (Black Tuesday), the CCC Mabuse series continues Fritz Lang’s legacy while playing into a popular market taste in Germany for adaptations of literary krimis – or crime thrillers – that can also be seen in the enormous popularity of films based upon Edgar Wallace’s novels throughout the 1960s." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.25/5 (All Films)

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfers, "The Masters of Cinema series is honored to collect all six of the 1960s Mabuse films together in this set, presented in high definition from 2K restorations."

The Thousand Eyes of Dr. Mabuse comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 37.9 GB

Feature: 31.7 GB

This is the exact transfer that Eureka Video used for their 2020 Blu-ray release. The source looks great; any debris is very minor. Black levels are strong, image clarity, contrast, and compression are solid, and there does not appear to be any digital filtering

The Return of Dr. Mabuse and The Invisible Dr. Mabuse come on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 44.9 GB

Feature: 20.8 GB (The Return of Dr. Mabuse), 20.9  GB (The Invisible Dr. Mabuse)

The Testament of Dr. Mabuse and Scotland Yard Hunts Dr Mabuse come on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 44.4 GB

Feature: 20 GB (The Testament of Dr. Mabuse), 20.5 GB (Scotland Yard Hunts Dr Mabuse)

The Death Ray of Dr Mabuse comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 44.7 GB

The sources look great; any debris is very minor. Image clarity and contrast are solid, black levels are strong, compression is excellent, and the image retains an organic look.

Feature: 26.6 GB (The Death Ray of Dr Mabuse), 17 GB (I raggi mortali del Dr Mabuse)

Audio: 4.25/5 (LPCM Mono German - The Thousand Eyes of Dr. Mabuse, LPCM Mono German - The Return of Dr. Mabuse, LPCM Mono German - The Invisible Dr. Mabuse, LPCM Mono English - The Invisible Dr. Mabuse, LPCM Mono German - The Testament of Dr. Mabuse, LPCM Mono English - The Testament of Dr. Mabuse, LPCM Mono German - Scotland Yard Hunts Dr Mabuse, LPCM Mono English - Scotland Yard Hunts Dr Mabuse, LPCM Mono German - The Death Ray of Dr Mabuse), 3.75/5 (LPCM Mono English - The Thousand Eyes of Dr. Mabuse, LPCM Mono English - The Return of Dr. Mabuse, LPCM Mono English - The Death Ray of Dr Mabuse)

Each film comes with two audio options, a LPCM mono mix in German and a LPCM mono mix in English. Though most of the language tracks are comparable, there are a few that are not as strong. There is background hiss on The Thousand Eyes of Dr. Mabuse’s English language track. The Return of Dr. Mabuse and The Death Ray of Dr. Mabuse's German language tracks are cleaner than their English language tracks. That said, dialog comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, and range-wise ambient sounds are well-represented. Included are removable English subtitles for the German language tracks. Furthermore, The Thousand Eyes of Dr. Mabuse, The Return of Dr. Mabuse, The Invisible Dr. Mabuse, The Testament of Dr. Mabuse, and The Death Ray of Dr. Mabuse have removable English subtitle tracks for German text when watching with the English language track. And Scotland Yard Hunts Dr. Mabuse has a few scenes that revert to German when watching with the English language track, and these come with removable English subtitles.

Extras:

Extras for The Thousand Eyes of Dr. Mabuse include an alternate ending (1 minute 5 seconds, LPCM mono), U.S. theatrical trailer under the title Eye of Evil (2 minutes 43 seconds, LPCM mono English, no subtitles), an archival interview with actor Wolfgang Preiss (15 minutes 50 seconds, LPCM stereo German with removable English subtitles), an introduction by film expert and Video Watchdog founder Tim Lucas for The Thousand Eyes of Dr. Mabuse (12 minutes 13 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles), and an audio commentary with film-scholar and Fritz Lang expert David Kalat, author of The Strange Case of Dr. Mabuse: A Study of the Twelve Films and Five Novels

Extras for The Return of Dr. Mabuse and The Invisible Dr. Mabuse include a theatrical trailer for The Return of Dr. Mabuse (3 minutes 33 seconds, Dolby Digital mono German with non-removable English subtitles), U.S. theatrical trailer for The Return of Dr. Mabuse under the title The Phantom Fiend (1 minute 37 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), a theatrical trailer for The Invisible Dr. Mabuse (2 minutes 41 seconds, Dolby Digital mono German with non-removable English subtitles), U.S. theatrical trailer for The Invisible Dr. Mabuse under the title The invisible Horror (2 minutes 8 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), an interview with producer and managing director of CCC Film Alice Brauner, daughter of CCC founder Artur Brauner titled Mabuse Lives at CCC (15 minutes 54 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo German with removable English subtitles), an introduction by Tim Lucas for The Return of Dr. Mabuse (8 minutes 55 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an introduction by Tim Lucas for The Invisible Dr. Mabuse (6 minutes 28 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an audio commentary with David Kalat for The Return of Dr. Mabuse, and an audio commentary with David Kalat for The Invisible Dr. Mabuse.

Extras for The Testament of Dr. Mabuse and Scotland Yard Hunts Dr Mabuse include a theatrical trailer for The Testament of Dr. Mabuse (3 minutes 25 seconds, Dolby Digital mono German with non-removable English subtitles), U.S. theatrical trailer for The Testament of Dr. Mabuse (53 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), a video essay by David Cairns and Fiona Watson titled Kriminology (30 minutes 17 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with non-removable English subtitles for German film clips),  an introduction by Tim Lucas for The Testament of Dr. Mabuse (7 minute 58 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an introduction by Tim Lucas for Scotland Yard Hunts Dr Mabuse (8 minutes 37 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an audio commentary with David Kalat for The Testament of Dr. Mabuse, and an audio commentary with David Kalat for Scotland Yard Hunts Dr Mabuse.

Extras for The Death Ray of Dr Mabuse include an introduction by film expert and Video Watchdog founder Tim Lucas for The Death Ray of Dr Mabuse (14 minutes, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), and an audio commentary with David Kalat for The Death Ray of Dr Mabuse, and an alternate Italian cut of The Death Ray of Dr Mabuse titled I raggi mortali del Dr Mabuse (109 minutes 9 seconds, 1.37:1 aspect ratio, LPCM mono Italian with removable English subtitles).

Other extras include reversible cover art, a limited edition hard case, and a limited edition 60-page booklet with cast & crew information for each film, an essay titled Artur Brauner, Master of Cinema: A Brief History on CCC Film’s Mabuse Series written by  Tim Bergfelder, an archival essay titled Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey written by David Cairns, Fritz Lang on Dr Mabuse Scrapbook, an essay about Fritz Lang’s unreleased projects titled The Final Unreleased Projects written by Lotte Eisner and information about the transfers titled Notes on Viewing. Note: The hard case and book are limited to 2000 copies.

Summary:

The Thousand Eyes of Dr. Mabuse: The narrative revolves around a diabolical mastermind whose headquarters is a hotel equipped with surveillance devices installed by Nazis, who concocts a plan to steal nuclear technology from a guest staying at the hotel.

The Thousand Eyes of Dr. Mabuse was the last film directed by Fritz Lang, whose other notable films include Der Müde Tod (Destiny), Metropolis, Spies, M, Scarlet Street, The Woman in the Window, and The Big Heat. Though Fritz Lang is most remembered for his work within the film noir genre and directing the sci-fi masterpiece Metropolis, the Dr. Mabuse films are the only ones that he directed that are connected. He would direct three Dr. Mabuse films: Dr. Mabuse the Gambler, The Testament of Dr. Mabuse, and The Thousand Eyes of Dr. Mabuse.

By the time Fritz Lang directed The Thousand Eyes of Dr. Mabuse, he was already in the twilight of his career, and reportedly, his eyesight was greatly diminished. That said, the result is a film that shows Fritz Lang still had a lot to give as a filmmaker. Throughout his career, Fritz Lang was a filmmaker that adapted to the time, and this is most evident when it comes to The Thousand Eyes of Dr. Mabuse’s elaborate opening setup.

Performance-wise, the cast is all excellent in their respective roles, especially Wolfgang Preiss (Von Ryan’s Express), who takes on three roles: Professor Dr. S. Jordan, Peter Cornelius, and Dr. Mabuse. He delivers a phenomenal performance that perfectly embodies his character’s diabolical state of mind.

Other notable cast members include Howard Vernon (She Killed in Ecstasy) in the role of Dr. Mabuse’s assassin; Gert Fröbe (Goldfinger) in the role of police commissioner Kras; and Peter van Eyck (A Bullet for Joey) in the role of Henry B. Travers, a wealthy industrialist who owns nuclear technology that Dr. Mabuse wants to steal.

Besides an unconventional opening setup, another area where The Thousand Eyes of Dr. Mabuse excels is its visuals. Throughout his career, Fritz Lang’s films are overflowing with exquisite imagery, and with The Thousand Eyes of Dr. Mabuse, he once again delivers visually arresting moments.

Standout moments include a scene where a police commissioner's office gets destroyed after his tampered phone explodes, a séance scene that showcases Fritz Lang’s knack for creating tense moments, and a scene where a man spies on a woman in distress via a one-way mirror that’s forced to reveal his voyeurism.

Far too often, artists are unable to go out on their own terms. Fortunately, that’s not the case with Fritz Lang’s swan song, The Thousand Eyes of Dr. Mabuse.

The Return of Dr. Mabuse: Prison inmates brainwashed by Dr. Mabuse carry out a series of robberies.

The Return of Dr. Mabuse was directed by Harald Reinl, who also directed The Invisible Dr. Mabuse. He is also known for directing other films, such as Face of the Frog, The Treasure of the Silver Lake, The Strangler of Blackmoor Castle, and The Torture Chamber of Dr. Sadism.

Dr. Mabuse's character originated in two films directed by Fritz Lang, who also directed The Thousand Eyes of Dr. Mabuse. Though The Return of Dr. Mabuse was made as a sequel to The Thousand Eyes of Dr. Mabuse, the result is two films that feel far apart. The most glaring difference between these two films is how their directors took on similar subject matter. The other notable change after The Thousand Eyes of Dr. Mabuse is the reduced role that Dr. Mabuse plays in subsequent films.

By the time The Return of Dr. Mabuse went into production, the Krimi film movement was gaining popularity in German cinema. Krimi films were adapted from Edgar Wallace novels, and a later film in the Dr. Mabuse film cycle, Dr. Mabuse vs. Scotland Yard, was adapted from Bryan Edgar Wallace's novel The Device.

The Return of Dr. Mabuse lines up content- and tone-wise with the Krimi film movement. The narrative sees the return of the Commissioner Lohmann character, who brought Dr. Mabuse to justice in The Thousand Eyes of Dr. Mabuse. When a series of crimes occur that fit a familiar modus operandi, Commissioner Lohmann is determined that Dr. Mabuse is behind them, despite his apparent death at the end of the previous film. Though Dr. Mabuse's role is reduced, the return of Commissioner Lohmann strengthens The Return of Dr. Mabuse's connection to its predecessor.

All around, none of the performances are lacking; despite his limited screen time, Wolfgang Preiss's portrayal of Dr. Mabuse is the standout. His character is not seen until the finale, proving that less can be more with his performance. Another performance of note is Daliah Lavi (The Whip and the Body), who portrays Maria Sabrehm, a reporter who helps uncover Dr. Mabuse’s sinister plot. That said, the weakest performance is Lex Barker (most known for portraying Tarzan), who portrays an FBI agent named Joe Como.

There are dueling narratives; one is a police procedural, and the other is a noisy reporter who joins forces with an undercover FBI agent. The narrative is well-constructed; things move briskly and build to a big action set piece finale in which Dr. Mabuse’s fate is once again left uncertain. Furthermore, the narrative does a solid job balancing exposition and crime set pieces. Ultimately, The Return of Dr. Mabuse is a well-made crime film that holds up better than most of the films that follow The Thousand Eyes of Dr. Mabuse.

The Invisible Dr. Mabuse: A professor has developed a device that renders a person invisible, and Dr. Mabuse is intent on acquiring it.

The Invisible Dr. Mabuse was directed by Harald Reinl, who also directed The Return of Dr. Mabuse. He is also known for directing other films, such as Face of the Frog, The Treasure of the Silver Lake, The Strangler of Blackmoor Castle, and The Torture Chamber of Dr. Sadism.

For the third installment in the 1960s Dr. Mabuse film cycle, it ventures into the realm of science fiction. This time around, the ability to become invisible is at the forefront. This is the first film in which Commissioner Lohmann does not appear, and in his place is FBI agent Joe Como, who returns from the previous film. What ensues is another cat-and-mouse game between Dr. Mabuse’s minions and the police. Though Dr. Mabuse’s presence is larger than it was in The Return of Dr. Mabuse, he is still a character that lurks in the shadows.

The loss of Gert Fröbe noticeably affects the story that unfolds; Lex Barker, who takes over as the lead investigator, does not have the screen presence. Wolfgang Preiss in the role of Dr. Mabuse once again makes the most of his screen time, and Karin Dor (You Only Live Twice), who portrays an actress who is part of a Grand Guignol, is another performance of note. That said, outside of these two performances, the rest of the cast are serviceable.

Though The Invisible Dr. Mabuse has most of the resources that its predecessor, The Return of Dr. Mabuse, has, the result is an inferior film. Where the vibe of its predecessor was Krimi, this time around The Invisible Dr. Mabuse takes on a Euro Spy vibe. That said, the narrative does a superb job keeping things from ever getting bland as it builds to an entertaining finale. Ultimately, The Invisible Dr. Mabuse is a case of one step forward, two steps back.

The Testament of Dr. Mabuse: When a series of crimes points to Dr. Mabuse, the police’s only lead is a professor who was once brainwashed by Dr. Mabuse and now resides in an insane asylum.

Werner Klingler directed The Testament of Dr. Mabuse. He is also known for directing other films, such as Spy for Germany and Ordered to Love. The Testament of Dr. Mabuse is a remake of Fritz Lang’s 1933 film of the same title.

Reportedly, producer Artur Brauner originally wanted Fritz Lang to remake The Testament of Dr. Mabuse, and when he refused, they made The Thousand Eyes of Dr. Mabuse instead. After a few sequels, Artur Brauner decided to finally remake The Testament of Dr. Mabuse, and trying to top a film held in such high regard is a daunting task. That said, when all was said and done, his remake was more in name only, as it only retained a few elements from the original The Testament of Dr. Mabuse.

Once again Dr. Mabuse plays an omnipresent role in the story that unfolds. No matter how many times Dr. Mabuse is presumed dead or defeated, he comes back more determined than ever. This time around he assembles a gang of thieves who steal gold, diamonds, and valuables for him to aid him in his quest for world domination.

From its opening moments The Testament of Dr. Mabuse does a phenomenal job drawing you in and holding your attention. The first heist sequence, an armored car filled with gold, does an exemplary job setting the foundation for what follows. That said, the narrative does a superb job balancing exposition and elaborate heist sequences. That said, it is the latter where it excels the most.

All around, the cast are excellent, especially the much-needed return of Gert Fröbe in the role of Commissioner Lohmann. This character makes for a formidable foe for Dr. Mabuse, and he delivers an exemplary performance. Other performances of note are Walter Rilla (The Face of Fu Manchu), who portrays a Dr. Pohland who runs an insane asylum, and Wolfgang Preiss, the only constant in the 1960s Dr. Mabuse film cycle, who returns in the role of the title character.

After a step back with its predecessor, The Testament of Dr. Mabuse is a film that comes closest to the vibe Fritz Lang created with The Thousand Eyes of Dr. Mabuse. The meticulously constructed narrative does a phenomenal job building momentum, and a car chase finale provides the perfect climax. Though The Testament of Dr. Mabuse never lives up to the film of its namesake, it is nevertheless the second-best film in the 1960s Dr. Mabuse film cycle.

Scotland Yard Hunts Dr Mabuse: The spirit of Dr. Mabuse inhabits the body of a professor and then unleashes terror on a city.

Though other 1960s Dr. Mabuse films had a Krimi vibe, Scotland Yard Hunts Dr. Mabuse is the first film that has a direct link because of author Bryan Edgar Wallace; it was adapted from his novel The Device. Excluding the ghost of Dr. Mabuse and Dr. Pohland, no other characters from the films appear in Scotland Yard Hunts Dr. Mabuse. That said, Scotland Yard Hunts Dr. Mabuse’s only connection to the other 1960s Dr. Mabuse films is the inclusion of Dr. Mabuse’s ghost.

The premise veers into far-fetched territory; Dr. Mabuse’s minions have a camera that, when pointed at someone, they can control their minds. Besides Krimi, other influences are Eurospy films and an Agatha Christie mystery. That said, the narrative strength is in moments with Dr. Mabuse and his minions on screen, while moments with the police tend to drag.

Despite Scotland Yard Hunts Dr. Mabuse's solid cast, most of them are wasted, especially Klaus Kinski, who portrays a police inspector. His character is one of the most passive that he has ever portrayed. Wolfgang Preiss returns as the ghost of Dr. Mabuse; unfortunately, he’s underused, and Peter van Eyck (The Wages of Fear), who portrays the lead investigator, lacks Gert Fröbe’s charisma.

Scotland Yard Hunts Dr. Mabuse is easily the weakest film in the 1960s Dr. Mabuse film series. The narrative is predictable, the pacing is lethargic, and an underwhelming ending tops everything off. Ultimately, Scotland Yard Hunts Dr. Mabuse is a low-budget B film that most will find a chore to get through.

The Death Ray of Dr Mabuse: A professor has developed a death ray, and Dr. Mabuse is intent on acquiring it in his quest to conquer the world.

Hugo Fregonese directed The Death Ray of Dr. Mabuse. He is also known for directing other films, such as Hardly a Criminal, One Way Street, Black Tuesday, and The Beasts of Marseilles.

There are two versions of The Death Ray of Dr. Mabuse; the Italian-language version has five additional scenes, is better edited, and has a different score than the German-language version. Spy cinema, like James Bond films, is a clear influence on The Death Ray of Dr. Mabuse. Once again, Dr. Mabuse has his sights set on world domination, and someone has invented a death ray that will help him achieve his goal.

The performances work well with the story that unfolds. Wolfgang Preiss (via archive footage) and Walter Rilla reprise their roles as Dr. Mabuse and Dr. Pohland. The standout performance is Yôko Tani (The Savage Innocents), who portrays the secretary of the man who's doing the bidding of Dr. Mabuse. The weakest performance is Peter van Eyck in the role of Major, tasked with taking down Dr. Mabuse.

What The Death Ray of Dr. Mabuse's narrative lacks, it makes up for with its well-executed action sequences. Despite the Italian language version being the stronger of two versions, it is also not without its flaws. Ultimately, though The Death Ray of Dr. Mabuse is a step up from Scotland Yard Hunts Dr. Mabuse, it is still one of the lesser 1960s Dr. Mabuse films.

Mabuse Lives! Dr. Mabuse at CCC: 1960-1964 is an excellent release from Eureka Video; each film comes with a strong audio/video presentation and informative extras. Highly recommended.

 

Written by Michael Den Boer