Synopsis
Using his marauding robot and other futuristic weapons, power-crazed scientist Professor Ravello carries out various plots to win the hand of Evelyn away from her true love Harry Peel.
Rivals
1923 ‘Rivalen’ Directed by Harry Piel
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Alternative Titles
Il rivale del circo, The Miracle of Tomorrow
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Theatrical
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Germany
Releases by Country
Germany
23 Feb 1923
- Theatrical
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Robot Goes to Hell and Other Perils
At last, after three only-directed features, I get to see Harry Piel in front of the camera, as well, thanks to this year’s Pordenone Silent Film Festival. Claims of the would-be Nazi as the “German Douglas Fairbanks” are much exaggerated. Doug is a league above this, but there’s appeal here—actually a Harry Piel playing a “Harry Peel” (yes, Pordenone's Jay Weissberg already made that joke). Not one much for the pseudonyms, it appears. As his prior three directorial efforts suggested, especially the Louis Feuillade-esque “The Adventure of a Journalist” (1914), Piel seems to have specialized in serials, or at least serial-inspired pictures. Indeed, this one, “Rivals” (or “The Miracle of Tomorrow,” as it…
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The robot and the underwater tank were pretty cool but I still find it hard to watch these Piel films knowing he later joined the Nazi party and was a patron member of the SS. Like, you have very limited slots for the films you're gonna screen for the online arm of the festival and three of the slots so far have gone to a soon-to-be Nazi? Suss.
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Möchte behaupten: Ja, es ist möglich, diesen Film als Vorgänger von ‚James Bond‘ zu erkennen, oder ‚Mission: Impossible‘, oder - für mich am passendsten - ‚John Wick‘. ... Das Filmerlebnis war auch geil ... ‚John Wick 4‘ hat mich dennoch mehr gekickt. Bin ich jetzt ein schlechter Mensch? 😱
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As I'm learning is the norm for Harry Piel, Rivals presents a swift adventure story punctuated with bizarre and wonderful twists. Underworld masquerade parties, robots who shoot lightning, a torturous diving bell -- they just don't make 'em like this anymore.
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Wacky silent adventure from Harry Piel and Weimar cinema, budget be damned it seemed, as this thing spared no expense to generate twists and turns. The world’s most ostentatious costume ball, invaded by an electrified robot! A submarine! A bizarre Phantom Zone-style glass pyramid underwater death trap! Will never be accused of being boring, that’s for sure. Kudos for the production values and the creativity. I was thoroughly entertained. (Even if we were left with a cliffhanger for the sequel…)
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A silent action film with a hero that has the same name as the director and star with a different spelling of the last name. Lots of chases and action and stunts and it all sets up a cliffhanger for another film in the series. Some fun moments and a lot of running around and improbable things like a robot that breaks up a party by firing electrical bolts all around the room.
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I have seen 4 films and a fragment by Harry Piel and in two of them, Harry is shown as thinking about something by having that thing shown superposed on his head. The killer robot gets a lot of buildup, but is used much too early in the film.
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