Metropolis.

Berlin: August Scherl,, 1926. First edition, first printing, of the "billigen ausgabe" ("cheap edition") issued in wrappers and including illustrations from the film. This edition was printed in a run of 10,000 copies, a separate production to the cloth edition which was issued without the stills from the film. Based on the original screenplay written by German director Fritz Lang and his wife Thea von Harbou in 1924, this novelization was published before the release of the film version on 10 January 1927. The film Metropolis is a classic both of German expressionism and of silent-era science fiction; it remains the most expensive silent film ever made, costing approximately 5 million Reichsmark. Influenced by the Soviet science fiction film Aelita (1924) by Yakov Protazanov, which was an adaptation of a novel by Alexei Tolstoy, Metropolis advocates non-violent non-collaboration rather than the Marxist ideal of "class struggle" promoted by Aelita. Octavo. Original wrappers illustrated by Willy Reimann. With 8 plates featuring stills from the film. An exceptional copy with only light rubbing, and some toning and spotting to the rear wrapper, very good indeed.