Full Storyline

The legend says that a certain Persian love song can put a spell on any woman who hears it, tear her from the man she loves and make her powerless to resist the singer. But, the person who sings the song is doomed to die.  A rich and educated hunchback who has missed out on happiness all his life, falls in love with a woman he meets in a cabaret. He decides to use the song – he enchants her to leave the man she loves, who is a performer at the cabaret. When she realizes what has happened, she turns her back on the unfortunate man. The hunchback then burns the song in despair and eventually loses his mind and dies.

Some press reviews

  • “…Friedel Köhne sparked (the story) with a sentimental song that is performed frequently during the show. It is supposed to be a Persian love song… (but it) is anything but Persian… Some scenes are rather ridiculous (for instance, the effect of the song in the cabaret) and they could have been improved by the director’s more subtle treatment of the subject. The film as a whole impressed more than its individual parts. Emil Lind rendered a rather superficial portrayal of the learned hunchback. Gertrud Welcker was much more impressive portraying the not very striking personality of the widow; Hans Albers was excellent in his presentation of the typical cabaret artist… The camera work was satisfactory but lacked close-up shots, which typify good films”.  Der Film (27), 1921-07-03
  • “The text written by Fridel Köhne is characterized by rich fantasy and an action that is tense and bizarre… The musical interlude “The song of Nisames” serves as the central theme…it creates a pleasing unity in the film… The acting in this film is top class… All in all, one can safely say that with “Fluch des Nuri” something special was created.” Kinematograph 1919 (635), 1919

Full Cast

Emil Lind – Nena, the hunchback
Gertrud Welcker – Julia, the young widow
Hans Albers – Robert Ley, cabaret performer
Grete Weixler – Mimi, Robert’s girlfriend, who falls for the song
Hella Thornegg – Karma
Ludwig Rex – Nuri
Sadjah Gezza – Sobeide

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