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LO SPIRITO DI ERICH VON STROHEIM: FRAMMENTI
INEDITI DAI SUOI ARCHIVI PRIVATI Nella storia di Hollywood è normale cambiare il proprio passato.
Per un motivo o per laltro, forse per riverniciare di glamour un
retroterra non proprio esaltante, oppure per celare certi dati mutando
identità. Nella Hollywood delle origini il passato probabilmente
più misterioso era quello di Erich von Stroheim. Un uomo che amava
reinventarsi cambiando non soltanto la propria religione ma addirittura
creandosi un lignaggio nobiliare. Ciò ha causato enormi problemi
ai suoi biografi, rendendo necessario immaginare oppure ignorare molti
fatti tenuti segreti da Erich von Stroheim. In mostra troviamo anche il suo primo soggetto originale che sia stato conservato, "Dov'è Betty". Scritto a New York nel 1917 circa per il regista John Emerson, è stato ritrovato solo pochi mesi fa. Attraverso foto di famiglia, bozzetti originali, documenti
di viaggio, lettere private, telegrammi scambiati con Ejzenstein
in tutto un centinaio di reperti lo studioso può seguire
direttamente i pensieri , il processo creativo di Stroheim. Mi auguro che questi nuovi materiali contribuiscano a far luce su quel vero e complicato genio che era Erich von Stroheim. La nostra riconoscenza va a Mary Alice von Stroheim e a Joseph e Harriet von Stroheim per il loro straordinario e generoso sostegno. Rick Schmidlin * Per gentile concessione di Mary Alice von Stroheim
ERICH VON STROHEIM: A LIFE REVEALED Thanks to Erich von Stroheims surviving family members, for
the first time you will be able explore the real documentation, with original,
authentic records from their personal collections, left by Stroheim himself.
Original family portraits of him and his parents, which have never been
seen before. Personal documents about his life, in his own handwriting.
A collection of postcards he wrote during his first months in New York.
These include his first documented card to May Jones, six years before
she was to become his wife, completely explaining his state of mind at
the time: In this exhibition we will also see the earliest-known original short story by Stroheim "Where is Betty" - written while he was in New York City in 1917 working with director John Emerson. This story has never been published, and was only discovered for the first time several months ago: Through personal photos, original costume designs, travel records,
personal letters, and personal telegram correspondence with Eisenstein,
the film historian can now see firsthand how Stroheim created and thought,
through almost one hundred personal examples. "I was thinking last night of the past x masses when you & I had a little money how generous we used to be and one other xmas when we didnt have a pot to piss in when Father OD. & Ferro Maureen and a few other came to make us feel better, or one xmas when we were in N.Y. when we were both young + the sky was full of holiness & the celestial philarmonic played the "symphony of expectations"_ _ and so many holy nights when we came home loaded up with toys when I brought some real xmas for you + the "baby" oh what the hell is the use is the use of think back _ _ of what could have been it just didnt come out right except that our son is grown up to a fine young man married happily I hope 4 that he loves you & that he thinks I hope not to bad of me because for me Im sure those were the most beautiful times when I had to "rub" his knees & "scratch" his back & when I played "fireman" with him & when we went "snake hunting" in the hills I am thinking back of so many beautiful things & so many heartbreaking ones Last xmas in Rome I was so sick I went I went to bed no tree no present I just wanted rest & quiet this year the same.** I hope that these recent discoveries will help enlighten us to the true complicated genius that was Erich von Stroheim. We should all be deeply indebted to the wonderful and generous support of Mary Alice von Stroheim and Joseph and Harriet von Stroheim. Rick Schmidlin * Courtesy Mary Alice von Stroheim |