Gold (1934) Reviews

The German Gold predicts the postwar harnessing of atomic energy for the purposes of scientific progress (funny how the Germans couldn't put together a working A-bomb in World War II). Hans Albers plays the assistant of Friedrich Kayssler, a modern-day alchemist devoted to finding a method of changing lead into gold. Kayssler constructs a gigantic atomic reactor for that purpose, but when crass commercialism rears its ugly head, the two idealists destroy their invention. Gold was filmed simultaneously in a French-language version, with the two leads intact but with many of the supporting actors shifting their roles around. Generous portions of Gold stock footage were utilized in the 1953 American sci-fier The Magnetic Monster. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi