Nosferatu

Director F.W. Murnau's silent film Nosferatu stars Max Schrek underneath some of the most distinctive horror movie makeup ever. He plays the hideous vampire Count Orlok, who wreaks Dracula-style havoc on his Transylvanian neighbors.

Fast Facts

1. German release date: March 4, 1922
2. American release date: June 3, 1929
3. Director: F.W. Murnau
4. Starring: Max Schreck, Alexander Granach, Gustav von Wangenheim, Greta Schroder
5. Original German title: Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens, which means "Nosferatu, a Symphony of Horror"
6. Werner Herzog's 1979 remake starred Klaus Kinski as the Count

More Than Just a Nod

The filmmakers of Nosferatu weren't able to secure the rights to Bram Stoker's Dracula, but forged ahead by filming nearly the same storyline and simply changing the names of the characters. This did not go unnoticed by Stoker's widow, who unsuccessfully took legal action to suppress the film's production.

The Real Deal?

2000's Shadow of the Vampire starred Willem Dafoe as Max Schreck and John Malkovich as F.W. Murnau, and imagined that Schreck was actually a vampire that Murnau cast as Count Orlok for the sake of realism. Dafoe was rewarded for his efforts with Oscar and Golden Globe nods and an Independent Spirit Award win.

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