or maybe it was a bit of a joke at the expense of film historians who like to point these anachronisms out (as I did too) At 21:27 09/05/01 -0400, you wrote: >Dear All: I have no special knowledge about Max Schreck's vampiric >tendencies but I did want to mention a very obvious ERROR of anachronism >in the film's dialogue, one that no film scholars have pointed out yet (to >my knowledge at least): > >At one point in SHADOW OF THE VAMPIRE, one of the producers compares >Murnau to the best of the world's filmmakers--D. W. Grifith and Sergei >Eisenstein. Of course, in 1922, when NOSFERATU was released, Eisenstein >had not even directed his first major STAGE production for the Proletkult >Theater group, let alone a feature film. His first feature, STRIKE, wasn't >released until 1924. Perhaps the mythology of Eisenstein's reputation >mattered more for the makers of SHADOW OF THE VAMPIRE than any semblance >of historical accuracy! > >Best, > >Frank > >Frank P. Tomasulo >Editor >CINEMA JOURNAL > > > > >>> <[log in to unmask]> 05/09/01 11:40 AM >>> > > >Prefatory note: > >Please help out this journalist with an interesting >film history question posed to Film & History. The >quicker the response the better given deadlines... > >Bill Didio is not on our discussion groups, so please >respond to his query at his address, below. > >Peter Rollins >[log in to unmask] >www.filmandhistory.org >________________________________________ > >CALL FOR INFORMATION: VAMPIRES AND > NOSFERATU > >We are thinking about possibly doing something on >the urban legend portrayed in the recent Hollywood release "shadow of >the vampire", that way back when the silent film "nosferatu" was >shooting in germany -- and perhaps during its release here too -- rumors >were circulating that max schreck was, in fact, a vampre. > >have you run across this myth/possible publicity stunt? if not, any >ideas who might know about such things, or where i might look? internet >research has been pretty dry on the subject, at the most simply saying >that: >- scheck was wonderfully creepy in makeup >- he was a prolific actor >- "nosferatu" was probably the stage actor's first film >- "max schreck" means something like "maximum terror" or "ultimate >shreak" in german >- the movie ran into problem's with bram stoker's estate and a judge >ordered all prints burned >- he might have studied with stanislavski, etc. > >...but no real firm tales of the story circulating or funny/creepy >behind-the-scenes production anecdotes related by schreck's co-stars, or >even myths that came to life in hollywood long after the film was out of >circulation. > >Bill Didio > >[log in to unmask] > >---- >Screen-L is sponsored by the Telecommunication & Film Dept., the >University of Alabama: http://www.tcf.ua.edu ---- Online resources for film/TV studies may be found at ScreenSite http://www.tcf.ua.edu/ScreenSite