The Grand Duke's Finances

This full colour lithograph promotes the UFA production The Grand Duke’s Finances (original German title: Die Finanzen des Großherzogs). This film is legendary German director FW Murnau’s only comedy film.

The poster features a tied-up Grandduke of Abacco (Harry Liedke) with a distressed Olga (Mady Christians) trying to free him. Below is a scene of three men having a conversation and one holding a gun. It’s an odd poster because the selected focus makes the film look like a drama or thriller, rather than a comedy.

The poster doesn’t credit Murnau, despite the film’s release following one of his most successful films, Nosferatu, a Symphony of Horror (original German title: Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens). However, this is not so surprising, as Nosferatu did not have a contemporary Australian release and this poster slightly predates Cinema Art’s release of another classic Murnau film, Faust.