The Mandarin

In Vienna the director of a sanatorium is telling writer Kristinus the story of a strange case The very rich and dandyesque Baron von Stroom had fallen in love with an actress but could not conquer her One day he acquired a Chinese clay figure of a Mandarin a talisman whose possessor is said to be able to seduce any woman he desires As promised all womens hearts fall to Baron von Stroom The first is the actress followed by the wife of the railway king and then a Princess Every time the Baron calls out Mandariiiin the statue becomes alive ready to make another woman fall in love with his master But von Stroom soon begins to feel nostalgic for the times when he would conquer the women he desired However his attempts to seduce women without the help of his ghostly servant become utterly unsuccessful Unable to get rid of his devilish servant Produced one year before The Cabinet of Dr Caligari The Mandarin is a predecessor of German expressionism