Max Schreck Biography
Actor
Max Schreck is famous for his portrayal of Count Graf Orlock in the 1922 vampire film Nosferatu: Eine Symphonie des Grauens (Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror). Schreck (his name in German means "terror" or "fright") was a German actor on stage and in the movies throughout the '20s and '30s, but his fame rests solely on his super-creepy turn as Nosferatu. The film, directed by F. W. Murnau, was based on Bram Stoker's novel Dracula, but the filmmakers failed to get permission from Stoker's widow, a problem that kept the movie from audiences for decades. Now considered a classic of horror, it was re-released in 1972 and has been restored many times. The movie Shadow of a Vampire (2000) took advantage of Schreck's mysterious past to portray him as a real vampire (played by Willem Dafoe).Schreck joins Christopher Lee and Lauren Hutton in our loop They Played Vampires.
Four Good Links
Nosferatu
Synopsis of the film
Max Schreck Filmography
The Internet Movie Database shows a list of German films of the 1920s and '30s
The Story Behind The Movie
Illustrated story of Shadow of the Vampire
Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror
Tribute to the film that includes many screen shots
Vital Stats
Birth
Birthplace
Death
Best Known As
Star of F. W. Murnau's Nosferatu
