Dreams That Money Can Buy
1947 film by Hans Richter
Dreams That Money Can Buy is a 1947 American drama film written, produced, and directed by Hans Richter, a German with a background in the dadaist and constructivist art movements. The color film consists of a frame story and a series of dream sequences that were created by different modernist artists. Collaborators included Max Ernst, Marcel Duchamp, Man Ray, Alexander Calder, Darius Milhaud and Fernand Léger. The film was produced by Kenneth Macpherson and Peggy Guggenheim. It received the award for the Best Original Contribution to the Progress of Cinematography at the 1947 Venice Film Festival.
Plot
Joe/Narcissus (Jack Bittner) is an ordinary man who has recently signed a complicated lease on a room. As he wonders how to pay the rent, he discovers that he can see the contents of his mind unfolding whilst looking into his eyes in the mirror. He realises that he can apply his gift to others ("If you can look inside yourself, you can look inside anyone!"), and sets up a business in his room, selling tailor-made dreams to a variety of frustrated and neurotic clients. Each of the seven surreal dream sequences in the diegesis is in fact the creation of a contemporary modernist artist, as follows:
Desire Max Ernst (Director/Writer)
The Girl with the Prefabricated Heart Fernand Léger (Director/Writer)
Song Lyrics John Latouche Sung by Libby Holman and Josh White, accompanied by Norma Cazanjian and Doris Okerson
Ruth, Roses and Revolvers Man Ray (Director/Writer)
Music By Darius Milhaud
Discs Marcel Duchamp (Writer)
Music By John Cage
Circus Alexander Calder (Writer)
Music By David Diamond
Ballet Alexander Calder (Director/Writer)
Music By Paul Bowles
Narcissus Hans Richter (Director/Writer)
Music By Louis Applebaum
Dialogue by Richard Holback and Hans Richter
Joe's waiting room is full within minutes of his first day of operation, "the first installment on the 2 billion clients" according to the male narrator in voiceover.
Case number one is Mr and Mrs A. Mr A is a "methodical, exact" bank clerk.
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