The Robber Symphony

The Robber Symphony (1936) is one of those rare cinematic oddities that defies easy categorization. Part musical, part fable, part silent-era throwback - it's a film that dances to the rhythm of its own imagination.

Directed with bold experimental flair by Friedrich Feher, the film blends music and visuals in a way that feels avant-garde even by modern standards. The use of music isn't just accompaniment - it's embedded into the film's emotional core, guiding tone and momentum like a silent symphony with images. The visuals, at times surreal, at times theatrical, seem lifted from a dream.

Its story is simple, but the execution is far from conventional. It plays like a visual poem, a strange and stirring moral tale with hints of melancholy and whimsy.

The Robber Symphony isn't for everyone - but for adventurous viewers or cinephiles curious about early experimental film, it's a fascinating, underseen treasure.

This movie is not for those who only like high-paced films full of explosions, sex and cruelty.

The story is at times unclear, the acting often overdone and the plot totally unlikely, but I found the movie *very* enjoyable!

The music, the subtle humor, the creative way of shooting it (the camera's point of view often low and unexpected) - they all make it a movie worth seeing. The music will stay in your mind, the images of the humorous bassoon and other instruments too. The main character, a young boy, does a great job of acting.

I am glad people have done the effort to rescue the film from oblivion.

Joost Boekhoven

Author of Gem's story - a spiritual journey

This film - clumsy as the few remaining copies now might seem to us - has an unforgettable poetry in it. The film is about a treasure hidden in an pianola or organ. It develops this theme with an imagery which one never forgets. For example images of pianola's dashing through the snowy forests, huge round barrels drawn by horses through the country as a hide out for the robbers, musical robbers playing the saxophone while frozen to the bone and so on and so on. An above all music which will remain in one's head for the rest of his life.

The Amsterdam film museum made a wonderful fresh restaurated copy of the Robber Symphony, which today, Sept. 3 2006, was shown on TV in the Netherlands, after a promised emission some years ago failed. Nobody should miss this wonderful artistic and musical happening of 1936(!!!!!) in black and white. One wonders where the nature shots where made, the landscape is surrealistic, though many scenes are clearly in a studio setting.

I saw this film in the fifties an never could forget it, neither the the themes of the music played by the London Philharmonics. So today was a Sentimental Journey.

The funny thing is that the film is described as "a musical", though it couldn't be further away from a contemporary musical. A musical "avant la lettre".

This is not a review of the Robber Symphony, but i cannot find any other way to bring you more information on Alfred Tokayer You mention only the film and the documentary "Attention aux Enfants" There is also a CD of his compositions and it can be found on Google.

But more importantly, it is safe to say that all the uncredited items in the film belonged to Tokayer and that in all likelihood he composed the music for the entire film.

In the thirties, although France and Britain took in refugees from Hitler's Germany, they did not allow them to work and many musicians had to find a "porte-nom" to survive. This means they received an income but the credit for their work went to their employer . This I believe was at the basis of the relationship between Friedrich Feher, an actor and producer and Alfred Tokayer.

I am the daughter of Alfred Tokayer. I was in London when the film was made. I played with Hansi, Feher's son, attended many a rehearsal and knew the music by heart long before the film was finished.

Irene Tokayer Sent from my iPad