3. Max Schreck did such a good job in Nosferatu, some people thought he must be a vampire
Legal action from Stoker’s family delayed the release of Nosferatu and forced the destruction of most copies. However, Nosferatu survived, and is still hailed as a classic horror film. The cadaverous Count Orlok is a world away from handsome Bela Lugosi, and so convincing that sinister rumors spread. Some people feared the actor playing Count Orlok, Max Schreck, was a real vampire, paid in the cast members’ blood! His eccentric personality didn’t help. Schreck was a method actor, keeping character between takes. Preferring his own company, Schreck also had a dark sense of humor. He died in 1936.
