After seeing F.W. Murnau’s The Last Laugh in New York in December 1924, William Fox was so impressed that he offered the German director carte blanche – creative control and an unlimited budget – to direct for the Fox Film Corporation in the US. Murnau signed his first contract with Fox in January 1925, while still working at UFA in Berlin. Although expected to arrive in Holly-wood in February 1926, he delayed his transatlantic crossing to complete Faust, his last German film, and reportedly brought a finished print with him. These Fox News outtakes document Murnau’s departure from the German port of Bremen aboard the SS Columbus on 23 June 1926, bound for New York, where he arrived on 1 July. Tall and spirited, he shows genuine excitement for the new adventure: receiving flowers, shaking hands, smiling at the camera, leaning out of a porthole, and waving from the upper deck. Reflecting the enthusiasm conveyed by these images, upon his arrival in New York Murnau described America as “thoroly [sic] exciting. My second visit, you know, but I am like a child about it. […] Tremendous energy […] Everything is novel. Sensational.”

Daniela Currò