Erich von Stroheim (1885-1957)
Erich von Stroheim directed few films (Some sources say that he directed only nine, but his filmography shows twelve), he eventually gave up directing and dedicated himself to his acting career. He began his career as an extra and as German culture consultant. He worked for D. W. Griffith for some time. He was an extra in Birth of a Nation (1915), Griffith's controversial film. As a director Stroheim was dedicated to film as an art form. He got his first job as a director by giving away his script, working for no salary, and taking a ridiculously low pay for acting in his own film. He went far over budget, and would continue to predictably overspend for his entire directing career.
Stroheim's biggest contributions to film are present in his work as a director, where he pushed forward the concept of film as art (despite the fact that few of his artistic masterpieces ever made it to the screen as he made them). Stroheim went overbudget, acted wildly and madly on set, flouted the authority of executives, generally obsessed about the intergrity of his art, and made comparatively little money at the box office. In an era of cheap laughs and and low-budget films designed solely to attain the greatest possible profit Stroheim's directoral style was not appreciated, but it did work to move the industry to the era of film as an art form. Stroheim and his contemporaries, most notably Griffith, pushed film from short nickelodeon flicks
Stronheim, after having his directing career finally ended after Queen Kelly* was taken from him mid-production. He went on to a respectable acting career, playing villains mostly, and has been credited with some excellent performances. Most recognizable of these roles was that of Max von Mayerling in Sunset Boulevard (1950).
Filmography - Director:
1. Fugitive Road (1934) (uncredited) (unconfirmed)
2. Hello, Sister (1933)
... aka Clipped Wings (1933) (UK)
... aka Walking Down Broadway (1933) (USA)
3. Queen Kelly (1929) (as Erich Von Stroheim)
4. Great Gabbo, The (1929) (uncredited)
5. Honeymoon, The (1928/I)
6. Wedding March, The (1928)
7. Merry Widow, The (1925)
8. Greed (1924)
9. Merry-Go-Round (1923) (uncredited)
10. Foolish Wives (1922)
11. Devil's Passkey, The (1920)
12. Blind Husbands (1919)
Filmography - Actor:
Madone des sleepings, La (1955)
Napoléon (1955) .... Ludwig van Beethoven
... aka Napoleone (1956) (Italy)
... aka Napoleone Bonaparte (1956) (Italy)
Série noire (1955) .... Sacha Zavaroff
... aka Black Edition (1955) (International: English title)
... aka Infiltrator, The (1955) (USA)
Alerte au sud (1953) .... Conrad Nagel
... aka Alert in the South (1953) (USA: literal English title)
... aka Allarme a sud (1954) (Italy)
Envers du paradis, L' (1953) .... William O'Hara
... aka Other Side of Paradise, The (1953) (International: English title)
Minuit... Quai de Bercy (1953) .... Professeur Kieffer
... aka Midnight... Quai de Bercy (1953) (International: English title)
Alraune (1952) .... Jacob ten Brinken
... aka Mandrake (1952)
... aka Unnatural (1952)
Sunset Blvd (1950) .... Max von Mayerling
... aka Sunset Boulevard (1950) (UK) (USA: alternative spelling)
Portrait d'un assassin (1949) .... Eric
... aka Portrait of a Murderer (1949) (France)
... aka Portrait of an Assassin (1949)
Signal rouge, Le (1948)
Danse de mort (1948) .... Edgar
... aka Prigioniera dell'isola, La (1949) (Italy)
On ne meurt pas comme ça (1946)
... aka One Does Not Die That Way (1946) (International: English title)
Foire aux chimères, La (1946) .... Frank Davis
... aka Devil and the Angel (1949) (USA)
The Mask of Diijon|Mask of Diijon, The (1946) .... Diijon
... aka The Mask of Dijon|Mask of Dijon, The (1946) (USA)
Scotland Yard Investigator (1945) .... Carl Hoffmeyer
Great Flamarion, The (1945) .... The Great Flamarion
Storm Over Lisbon (1944) .... Deresco
... aka Inside the Underworld (1950) (USA: reissue title)
Lady and the Monster, The] (1944) .... Prof. Franz Mueller
... aka Lady and the Doctor, The] (1944) (UK)
... aka Monster & Tiger Man (1949) (USA: reissue title)
... aka Tiger Man (1949) (USA: reissue title)
The North Star|North Star, The (1943) .... Dr. von Harden
... aka Armored Attack (1943) (USA: recut version)
Five Graves to Cairo (1943) .... Field Marshal Erwin Rommel
Macao, l'enfer du jeu (1942) .... Werner von Krall
... aka Enfer du jeu, L' (1942) (France: first screenings title)
... aka Gambling Hell (1950) (USA)
... aka Mask of Korea (1950) (USA)
So Ends Our Night (1941) .... Brenner
I Was an Adventuress (1940) .... Andre Desormeaux
Tempête (1940) .... Korlick
... aka Tempête sur Paris (1940) (France)
... aka Thunder Over Paris (1940) (International: English title)
Menaces (1940) .... Le professeur Hoffman
... aka Threats (1940) (International: English title)
Monde tremblera, Le (1939) .... Monsieur Lassere/Monsieur Frank
... aka Révolte des vivants, La (1939) (France: reissue title)
... aka World Will Shake, The (1939) (USA)
Pièges (1939) .... Pears
... aka Personal Column (1939) (USA)
... aka Snares (1939)
Rappel immédiat (1939) .... Captain Stanley Wells
... aka Immediate Call (1939) (International: English title)
... aka Tango d'adieu (1939) (France)
Derrière la façade (1939) .... Eric
... aka 32 Rue de Montmartre (1939) (France: reissue title)
Gibraltar (1938) .... Marson
... aka It Happened in Gibraltar (1943) (USA)
Ultimatum (1938) .... General Simovic
.
Disparus de Saint-Agil, Les (1938) .... Walter, prof d'anglais
... aka Boys' School (1938)
Affaire Lafarge, L' (1937) .... Denis
... aka Lafarge Case, The (1937) (USA)
Marthe Richard (1937) .... Von Luedow
Pirates du rail, Les (1937) .... Tchou King
Under Secret Orders (1937) .... Col. W. Mathesius/Simonis
Alibi, L' (1937) .... Winckler
Grande illusion, La (1937) (as Eric von Stroheim) .... Capt. von Rauffenstein
... aka Grand Illusion, The (1938) (USA)
Crime of Dr. Crespi, The (1935) .... Dr. Andre Crespi
Crimson Romance (1934) .... Wolters
Fugitive Road (1934) .... Hauptmann Oswald Von Traunsee
As You Desire Me (1932) .... Salter
Lost Squadron, The (1932) (as Erich Von Stroheim) .... Arthur von Furst
Friends and Lovers (1931) .... Col. Victor Sangrito
Three Faces East (1930) .... Valdar/Schiller Blecher
Great Gabbo, The (1929) .... Gabbo
Honeymoon, The (1928/I) .... Nikki
Wedding March, The (1928) .... Prince Nicki von Wildeliebe-Rauffenburg
Greed (1924) (uncredited) .... Balloon vendor
Souls for Sale (1923) .... Celebrity
Foolish Wives (1922) .... Their Cousin, Count Sergius Karamzin (Capt. 3rd Hussars Imper. Russian Army)
Blind Husbands (1919) .... Lieutenant von Steuben
Heart of Humanity, The (1918) .... Eric von Eberhard
... aka Hearts of Humanity (1919) (USA: review title)
Hun Within, The (1918) .... Von Bickel
Hearts of the World (1918) (uncredited) .... Von Strohm's Adjutant
Unbeliever, The (1918) .... Lieutenant Kurt von Schnieditz
Who Goes There? (1917)
Sylvia of the Secret Service (1917) .... Undetermined Role
Reaching for the Moon (1917) .... Prince Badinoff's Aide
Draft 258 (1917)
For France (1917) .... Undetermined Role
In Again, Out Again (1917/II) (uncredited) .... Officer
Panthea (1917) .... Lieutenant
Social Secretary, The (1916) .... The Buzzard
Macbeth (1916) (uncredited)
Flying Torpedo, The (1916) .... Accomplice
His Picture in the Papers (1916) (uncredited) .... Gangster
Old Heidelberg (1915) .... Lutz
Ghosts (1915/I) (uncredited) .... Bit Part
... aka Curse, The (1919) (reissue title)
Captain Macklin (1915) (uncredited) .... Officer on Horseback
Country Boy, The (1915) (uncredited) .... Diner in Restaurant
* the filmography lists two other films after queen Kelly which have questionable crediting, but the movie business was always confusing