New Year's Eve (1924)

A silent Weimar-era drama by Lupu Pick, in which one man's divided loyalties unravel over a single fateful night.

New Year's Eve - Movie Information

  • Original Title: Sylvester
  • Release Year: 1924
  • Directed by: Lupu Pick
  • Type: Movie
  • Genres: Drama
  • Runtime: 1h 6m
  • Original Language: German
  • Spoken Languages: No Language
  • Release Date (Theatrical): January 3, 1924 (Germany)
  • Alternative Titles: A Noite de São Silvestre (PT), Noc sylwestrowa (PL), Nytaarsnatten (DK), La nuit de la Saint-Sylvestre (FR), Sylvester Tragödie einer Nacht (DE)
  • Production Companies: Rex-Film GmbH
  • Production Countries: Germany

New Year's Eve - Plot

A man must choose between his mother and his wife as the rivalry ratchets up throughout New Year's Eve. Like Pick's previous films, New Year's Eve does not use intertitles.

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New Year's Eve - Cast & Crew

Director(s)

  • Lupu Pick

Main Cast

  • Eugen Klöpfer
  • Edith Posca
  • Frida Richard
  • Karl Harbacher
  • Julius E. Herrmann
  • Rudolf Blümner
  • Etelka Maquita

Writers

  • Carl Mayer

Producers

  • Lupu Pick

New Year's Eve - FAQs

Where can you watch New Year's Eve (1924)?

New Year's Eve (1924) is available to stream on select platforms that carry classic and silent cinema. You can compare all current viewing options available in your region by visiting JustWatch, which aggregates streaming, rental, and purchase availability in one place.

Why does New Year's Eve have no intertitles?

Director Lupu Pick and screenwriter Carl Mayer deliberately omitted intertitles as an artistic statement, letting visuals, performance, and atmosphere carry the entire narrative. This technique, part of the Kammerspielfilm tradition, pushed silent cinema toward pure visual storytelling and was considered radical for its time.

What is New Year's Eve (1924) about?

The film follows a man caught between the competing demands of his mother and his wife over the course of a single New Year's Eve. The escalating domestic tension unfolds entirely without intertitles, making it a landmark of Weimar-era Kammerspielfilm — intimate, psychologically intense silent drama.

Who directed New Year's Eve (1924)?

New Year's Eve was directed by Lupu Pick, a Romanian-born filmmaker who became one of the key figures of Weimar cinema. He also produced the film and is closely associated with the Kammerspielfilm movement alongside screenwriter Carl Mayer.

Who are the main actors in New Year's Eve?

The principal cast includes Eugen Klöpfer as The Man, Edith Posca as The Woman, and Frida Richard as The Mother. Supporting roles are played by Karl Harbacher, Julius E. Herrmann, Rudolf Blümner, and Etelka Maquita.

Is New Year's Eve (1924) based on a true story?

No, New Year's Eve is not based on a true story. The screenplay was written by Carl Mayer as an original work. Mayer was one of the most celebrated screenwriters of Weimar cinema, known for crafting psychologically rich, character-driven stories rooted in everyday domestic life.

When was New Year's Eve (1924) released?

New Year's Eve had its release in Germany on January 3, 1924. The film is also known by its original German title Sylvester and by alternative titles in several other languages, including La nuit de la Saint-Sylvestre in French and Noc sylwestrowa in Polish.

What genre is New Year's Eve (1924)?

New Year's Eve is a Drama and a prime example of the Kammerspielfilm genre — a style of intimate, chamber-drama silent filmmaking that emerged in Weimar Germany. It focuses on confined domestic spaces, psychological tension, and a small cast of characters rather than grand spectacle.

More About New Year's Eve

Explore further details about this landmark silent film through these authoritative sources.

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