ACTOR · BORN 1885 · DIED 1957
Erich von Stroheim
- Born
- 22 September 1885, Vienna, Austria-Hungary [now Austria]
- Died
- 12 May 1957
- Known for
- Sunset Boulevard (1950)
15 archived facts 4 topics 1 source Last reviewed Nov 2026
Erich von Stroheim (22 September 1885 – 12 May 1957) was an actor best known for Sunset Boulevard.
15 Interesting Facts About Erich von Stroheim
Interesting Facts (8)
- #001
In 1936 von Stroheim moved to France, leaving behind his third wife, the actress Valerie Germonprez, and their sons Erich Jr. and Josef. After that date his career took a different direction: he wrote two novels, toured with the play Arsenic and Old Lace, and took small roles in Europe and America. This period is known as the time when he moved away from big-budget productions toward more independent work, yet his influence on film history continued through the work of these years.
- #002
On 25 November 1909 he emigrated to the United States, arriving in New York harbor aboard the S.S. Prinz Friedrich Wilhelm. The move was an important step that laid the foundation for his film career. Like many immigrants from Europe at the time, von Stroheim came with hope of starting a new life; after settling in New York he worked various jobs and soon began to take an interest in cinema.
- #003
MGM president Louis B. Mayer offered von Stroheim a $10,000 bonus if he completed The Merry Widow (1925) in less than six weeks. The offer was made despite his well-known perfectionist working style. Von Stroheim's films were generally known for long and expensive shoots, so Mayer's incentive can be seen as an effort to speed up the production. It is not known, however, whether von Stroheim accepted the offer or what the film's running time was.
- #004
He began his film career alongside D.W. Griffith as an extra, assistant director and art director. His extraordinary sensitivity to details of decor, costume and human behavior set him apart from other filmmakers of the period, but this perfectionism led to unusually long running times and budget overruns. He was fired twice as a result: first he clashed with MGM production chief Irving Thalberg over the editing of Foolish Wives (1922) and the delay of Merry-Go-Round (1923), and the second time over similar problems at another studio.
- #005
As a director, he sometimes had the crew work twenty hours straight when the studios were locked down for shooting. During these long and exhausting shoots von Stroheim served his team quail and caviar and, despite Prohibition, real champagne.
- #006
While acting in French films he met the actress Denise Vernac, who would be his secretary and companion for the rest of his life. Von Stroheim never divorced his third wife, Valerie Germonprez, from whom he lived apart, so his relationship with Denise was never officially recognized. Over the years Denise appeared with him in several films and was an important support in both his personal and professional life, and the relationship gave him stability in his final years.
- #007
Although he had a strong professional relationship with D.W. Griffith, von Stroheim was not Griffith's close confidant, as he often claimed, and never entered his 'inner circle.' This can be seen as an example of von Stroheim's tendency to exaggerate his own importance; Joseph Henabery, one of Griffith's assistants, confirmed this as well. Still, working alongside Griffith gave von Stroheim the chance to learn the art of cinema.
- #008
He claimed that he broke two ribs falling from a roof while working on The Birth of a Nation (1915), but whether he actually worked on the film is disputed. Joseph Henabery, one of the film's assistant directors, said that von Stroheim did not work for D.W. Griffith until more than a year after the film was shot. The claim casts doubt on the reliability of the stories von Stroheim told about his career, though such exaggerations can be seen as part of his legendary persona.
Characters & Cast (2)
- #009
In the classic film Sunset Boulevard (1950), Erich von Stroheim appears as the butler in the projection room where Norma Desmond and Joe Gillis watch an old film. The film they watch is Queen Kelly (1929), which von Stroheim directed and in which Gloria Swanson starred. The scene is a masterful example of the film-within-a-film technique and underscores von Stroheim's place in cinema as both actor and director, while also serving as a strong reference to the past of Swanson's character, Norma Desmond.
- #010
He earned his title as 'the man you love to hate' with his disturbing German role in the 1918 propaganda film The Heart of Humanity. In the film he not only tries to rape the leading actress but also indifferently throws a baby out of a window, showing how harsh wartime propaganda of the period could be. The role is a typical example of the villainous characters he portrayed on screen and left an indelible mark on audiences' memories.
Career & Awards (2)
- #011
For many years the person who managed his affairs was Elmer Cox, the father of actor Dick Sargent. Cox played an important role in organizing von Stroheim's finances and career, and the relationship shows how wide von Stroheim's professional network in Hollywood was. Sargent is best known for the role of Darren Stevens in the 1960s television series Bewitched.
- #012
Five films featuring Erich von Stroheim were selected by the Library of Congress for the National Film Registry as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically" significant: Intolerance (1916), Foolish Wives (1922), Greed (1924), The Wedding March (1928) and Sunset Boulevard (1950). He also directed three of the films on that list: Foolish Wives, Greed and The Wedding March. This achievement attests to his lasting impact on cinema history as both an actor and a director.
Life & Family (3)
- #013
While working in a tavern he met his first wife, Margaret Knox, and by as early as 1912 he had begun living with her, a bold move by the social norms of the time. Knox acted as a mentor, teaching him language and literature and encouraging him to write. Under her guidance he wrote a novella titled In the Morning that dealt with themes of corrupt aristocracy and the fall of innocence, themes that would later form the backbone of his films. The couple married on 19 February 1913, but financial difficulties drove von Stroheim into depression and led to fits of rage; the marriage was an important turning point in both his personal and artistic development.
- #014
He invented for himself an elaborate background as an Austrian aristocrat and imperial officer, when in reality he came from a Jewish family and his father was a lower-middle-class hatter; he had also never held any military post. This fabricated identity was part of his effort to establish a place for himself in Hollywood. Von Stroheim's imaginary past appears frequently both in his personal life and in the characters in his films.
- #015
Erich von Stroheim was the great-great-grandfather of the actress Alena von Stroheim, who went on to build her own career in film and television. His influence endures not only through his own films but also by inspiring later generations.
Related pages
- The Dark Crystal — Erich von Stroheim comes up in the facts on that page
Sources & editorial notes
Reference databases
- Wikipedia
- IMDb
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