Erich Von Stroheim's "Greed"
Greed's Missing Hours
My article on "Greed's" missing pieces.
Greed Reconstructed
The six hour reconstructed version.
Background
On various aspects of the story and film.
Greed Picture Book
Stills and photos from "Greed" and Von Stroheim's career.
Links
Silents, Von Stroheim, Pitts, Norris, San Francisco, et al.
 | Erich von Stroheim's 1924 epic motion picture "GREED" |
Greed's Six Missing Hours
by Michael Mills
The Filming of Greed
In 1923 Von Stroheim left Thalberg and Universal and moved into Metro-Goldwyn, where a director had creative control and production was loosely supervised. Metro gave Von Stroheim the go-ahead to start work on Greed, and it was an eagerly awaited production.
Erich von Stroheim, co-wrote the scenario, the script for Greed with Metro's head scenarist June Mathis, and it was June who actually changed the title from McTeague to Greed. Von Stroheim was also the film's director and editor.
Von Stroheim cast Jean Hersholt in the role of Marcus Schouler, and McTeague, himself, was played by the gruff and shaggy Gibson Gowland. The last charcater cast was the new comedic actress ZaSu Pitts, who Von Stroheim cast to play the pivotal character of Trina. Later each acknowledged that they gave the performance of their career in Greed.
The movie was shot on location in San Francisco and in Death Valley, a bold move in 1923, technically, artistically and financially. Von Stroheim obsessed over the details of his cast and locations and ruled with firm authority to achieve the realism he sought.
Away from the studio, Stroheim did things his way, and the saga of the making of Greed soon became a legend in Silent Hollywood. For a time Stroheim had the cast live in the rented houses that they used as sets so the actors would know and feel their characters. When the budget department complained about costs, Von Stroheim explained that he need to create the proper atmosphere for the cast and the costs were necessary to accomplish his vision.
Greed's climax is played out under a blistering desert sun, as Marcus pursues McTeague and the money into the broiling wasteland. Death Valley was Stroheim's location of choice, and the Death Valley footage cost everyone dearly.
In 1923 Death Valley had one poor road and nothing but alkali, sun and heat. As Von Stroheim said, "It was 120 degrees in the shade, and there was no shade." When Von Stroheim couldn't get insurance for his cast and crew, he went anyway.
Everything was trucked in from the nearest town 100 miles away, and every day the truck brought out fallen cast and crew. Jean Hersholt said it was the most grueling location shooting in his long career and he was later hospitalized with internal bleeding due to heat and dehydration.
|
|
|
