Rudolf Klein-Rogge

Born in Cologne in 1888 (though some sources say 1885), he studied art history in Berlin and Bonn, but his real interest was in the theater.

During the heyday of German silent cinema, Rudolf Klein-Rogge was the prototype for the master criminal, the irredeemable arch villain or mad scientist. Born in Cologne, he served as a cadet in a Prussian military academy before finishing his matriculation. He then began to attend acting classes and studying art history in Berlin and Bonn, making his debut on the stage in 1909.

He was married with script writer and author Thea von Harbou (1914 - 1921). He earned around 12'000 Deutsch Mark a year as a star of the Nuremberg Stadttheater, his wife earned as many as 100'000 Deutsch Mark but it could had been still more if she would had lived in Berlin. Thus, the married couple went to Berlin. Klein-Rogge was employed by the Lessing-Theater and Thea von Harbou could press ahead with her successful career. Berlin turned out to be a harder place in comparison with Nuremberg and his career stagnated. Finally his marriage broke but they remained friends.

In 1918 he went to Nuremberg where he soon became one of the most important stage actors.

After playing in theatres in towns and cities along the Rhine and northern Germany for nearly ten years, he started making films in 1919. His villainous roots first came to the fore in The Cabinet of Dr.

Caligari Full Sound (1920), but he really established his reputation in a series of classic expressionist films written by his then-wife Thea von Harbou and directed by Fritz Lang. Of these, the most memorable were his forceful Moriarty-inspired portrayals of the titular character in Dr.

Mabuse, der Spieler (1922), and its later sequel, The Testament of Dr.

Klein-Rogge's other noteworthy appearances include King Etzel in Die Nibelungen: Siegfried (1924) and Die Nibelungen: Kriemhild's Revenge (1924); and his insane scientist C. A.

Rothwang, creator of the robot creature in Fritz Lang's masterpiece Metropolis (1927).

From 1928 Klein-Rogge was also engaged in France where he appeared in one of the first great French sound movies - "Le Requin" (1929),directed by Henri Chomette.

A powerful personality possessed of an almost hypnotic stare and a strong, resonant voice, Klein-Rogge continued on through the 1930's in supporting roles.

When Thea von Harbou created with Fritz Lang one of the most fruitful connections in the history of the German film, Rudolf Klein-Rogge appeared in most of Fritz Lang's future movies (till 1932), from which many went down into film history.

Mabuse (1933). The latter, which has an evil mastermind directing his empire from a madhouse, was so obviously aimed at the Hitler regime, that it was banned by Joseph Goebbels.

As the Nazi era progressed, Klein-Rogge fell out of favor with Josef Goebbels, the propaganda minister and culture czar for the government, and, after working in 80 movies, his career had come to a standstill by 1942.

After the death of her son in 1943 his fourth wife Mary Johnson went slowly mad, and her situation changed for the worse. Rudolf Klein-Rogge's care was applied to her on the verge of his death. It seems that Mary Johnson - at this time she already lived again in Sweden for many years - appeared bewildered in her former domicile in Wetzelsdorf where she summoned for her husband and her son.

He made one last, uncredited screen appearance in 1949's Hexen.

Rudolf Klein-Rogge was married with the actress Gerda Melchior, then with Thea von Harbou, afterwards with the actresses Margarete Neff and Mary Johnson. When he died in 1955 in Graz he was nearly forgotten by the public.