User reviews

This is a filmed crossword puzzle - 3 vertical and 3 horizontal so 6 riddles in all. Visual clues are given and it's up to the audience to solve the puzzle. Except for one of the words, it's pretty easy to solve - though kids might find it challenging. The film is about 15 minutes long and is quite snazzy - lots of camera movement, overlays, animation, all combined together - Leni pulls out all the stops and haves fun in the process. I'd rate it higher except that the transfer is pretty bad in that there's a sizable chunk cut-off on the left hand side making it difficult or even impossible to read some of the inter-titles. Still, a pretty interesting use of the medium. This film can be found on the Waxworks DVD.

Although created for German cinema audiences, the version which appears on the Kino Video 'Avant Garde 2: Experimental Cinema 1928-1954' DVD set has been adapted for English-speaking audiences. This 'rebus' film is a visual crossword puzzle which was shown in two parts. In the first 10-minute segment, the half-dozen clues are presented through both vivid animation bits as well as film clips derived from current newsreels. There is even a pause to allow the audience to bring out their pencils and paper which the average moviegoer was assumed to be carrying on his/her person. Then a separate short film was shown before the Rebus Film returned for a 5-minute wrap-up, in which the solutions are shown one by one and the viewers can congratulate themselves on their cleverness.

An "extra" shown in two parts at the movie theater, before and after a feature: part one gives the clues to six words in a crossword puzzle, and part two has the solution.

I have to give a shout-out to Emil Jannings, whose name appears on a marquee in this film for the movie "Variety". This has nothing to do with the plot, but I thought it was nice of Jannings to find a place in a film like this.

While the concept is simple, this film adds a little bit of fun and interaction to the theater experience. I could use a bit more of that at the theater. And it is more colorful than a simple crossword, as they (Paul Leni and whomever else) mixed animation, photos and video into a nice collage.

Lastly, I have to give the film credit for teaching me that "jazzband" is one word and not two. A little weird, but if Paul Leni says so...