ERICH VON STROHEIM
The Great Gabbo 1929
After his sacking from Queen Kelly his career as a director in Hollywood was damaged, almost beyond repair. His name and reputation meant that producers would stay away from acquiring his services.
This led to von Stroheim seeking work as an actor in order to support his family. His first role was as a ventriloquist in this eerie early talkie. It was one of the early talkies to exploit the new sound movement with the use of ventiloquism, but despite it's intentions as a film it still holds up pretty well when compared to other films made just after the advent of sound.
It's interesting to note that despite von Stroheim's new role purely as an actor, there is evidence that he was responsible for some of the sequences in the picture and exercised a small degree of directorial control.
The Lost Squadron 1932
In this movie von Stroheim satirises his own autocractic reputation as a director, but with a more sinister undertone. This film was made just before he was given his final project as a director for Fox (in 1933's Walking Down Broadway), but it was roles like these that would signal where his career was heading. In fact this 'B' picture was more of a presitge film than his later Hollywood efforts from the 30s (which were mainly made by the Poverty Row studios). It was also one of the first RKO productions to be produced by the legendary David O. Selznick. It also carried a capable and famous cast in Mary Astor, Richard Dix and a young Joel McCrea.
It holds up pretty well still today; and presents a socially conscious message about aviators returning to peacetime civilisation. Though it's at times a bit hokey, it remains a lot of fun and is helped by the fact that it stars a lot of capable actors.
The Heart of Humanity 1919
Von Stroheim had arrived in Hollywood by 1914 and had slowly built a career as both a technical advisor on Germanic culture and an actor in small parts mainly for D. W. Griffith. It was through Griffith that he would learn directorial craft and technique, even becoming an assistant director on his 1916 epic Intolerance.
At this time, America had entered the War and propaganda movies were beginning to be made. It was through these films in which Von Stroheim cultivated his image as 'The Man You Love To Hate', playing over the top German villains, capable of the most dastardly acts and violence. His onscreen charisma was palpable and stirred a multitude of emotions amongst the cinema audience.
In 1918 he made 'Hearts of the World'; another D. W. Griffith epic, this time partly filmed on the western front. In it he played a vicious German officer hell bent on raping the film's heroine and killing her American love interest. The film below was made a year later by rival studio Universal, in attempt to capitalise on the continued anti-German sentiment just after the end of the war. Von Stroheim is given a far bigger role than Hearts of the World and performs more explicit acts of violence.
It is an important role for Stroheim as it marked his first collaboration with Universal Pictures and Carl Laemmle, who was the first to give him a chance as a director with Blind Husbands. It also helped enhance Von Stroheim's status to the wider public, which would help make him a more marketable star when trying to canvass support for his first film. The film itself is pure propaganda, but the scenes with Von Stroheim still shock today for the graphic violence and poor taste; but Eric still manages to elicit a certain level of charm throughout.