# "Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" nitpick: Since when is "somnambulist" an act?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cabinet-of-dr-caligari-nitpick-since-when-is-somnambulist-an-act/602805>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [November 13, 2011, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cabinet-of-dr-caligari-nitpick-since-when-is-somnambulist-an-act/602805 "2011-11-13T17:31:29Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\
**Post date:** [November 14, 2011, 8:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cabinet-of-dr-caligari-nitpick-since-when-is-somnambulist-an-act/602805/21 "2011-11-14T08:03:43Z")

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Additionally, do not mistake either for the severed nose of Dr. Verlucci, lest it return on the anniversary of the night you betrayed him.

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**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\
**Post date:** [November 14, 2011, 9:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cabinet-of-dr-caligari-nitpick-since-when-is-somnambulist-an-act/602805/22 "2011-11-14T09:46:20Z")

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> [@DocCathode](#):
>
> I disagree. Caligari is shown spending years searching for a somnabulist. It seems to be a pre-existing state, rather than something Caligari induces.

I’ve read conflicting statements - some say it’s the deepest level of hypnotic trance, others that it’s the lightest, and the Wiki disambiguation page on somnambulist includes “term used in hypnosis to indicate someone of high enough suggestibility to follow suggestions without the need for a formal trance” (without citation) - Maybe Caligari was looking for the last?

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**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\
**Post date:** [November 14, 2011, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cabinet-of-dr-caligari-nitpick-since-when-is-somnambulist-an-act/602805/23 "2011-11-14T11:23:50Z")

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> [@DocCathode](#):
>
> Huh, Wikipedia makes no mention of the film Dr Caligari in the article, nor does it seem to have its own page.
> 
> Dr Caligari is a talkie and in color. It is made in the German Expressionist style. The grand daughter of the original Caligari is running an asylum. Her methods are rather unconventional.
> 
> It’s one of my favorite films. I believe it can best be described as “psychotronic”.
> 
> [Dr. Caligari (1989) - IMDb](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0097228/)

> [@installLSC](#):
>
> Which in turn should not be confused with [The Cabinet of Caligari](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0055819/), a 1962 movie which has little to do with the original movie besides the title.

Are we or are we not discussing the _original_ 20s [Cabinet of Dr Caligari](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Cabinet_of_Dr._Caligari)? It was not a talkie, was in black and white - though I will grant that it had a great impressionistic set. [I happen to really enjoy the old 20s and early 30 European films. Very interesting contrasted and compared to the output of Hollywood. I just never made a career out of it like our very own [Eve Golden](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eve_Golden) has. I can highly recommend Vamp :D]

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