The Bio
A [Terrible!] Short Biography of Joseph Schildkraut
By Shelly Greenhalgh
Joseph Schildkraut was born March 22, 1895 in Vienna, Austria into an acting family (his father was the famed stage actor Rudolph Schildkraut). He first visited America in 1910 with Rudolph, and came back to make his home there ten years later, after making a few films in his native Austria and in Germany. He quickly picked up where his father left off, becoming a very effective and charismatic leading man on the Great White Way. 5’10”, lean, with dark, handsome looks, he quickly gained the eye of none other than D. W. Griffith, who cast him as de Vaudrey in “Orphans of the Storm”. One of his finest roles (in my opinion), Schildkraut was able to put his passion and talent into the character of the French aristocrat who first protects, then falls in love with, Lillian Gish’s Henriette Girard.
Apparently, he also caught the eye of many ladies in Hollywood. He was married three times and allegedly carried on behind the scenes with his lovely co-stars, sometimes with comic results. According to British actress Chili Bouchier, Schildkraut tried to seduce her on the set of “Carnival” when he injured a very delicate part of his anatomy, and the entire studio finding out when he howled in pain. Other actresses have told stories of Schildkraut following them, begging for a kiss!
The pinnacle of his silent career was in Cecil B. DeMille’s “King of Kings”. Schildkraut portrayed Judas. Rudolph, his equally famous father, also appeared in the film. After the fall of the silents, he made the transition to talkies. After years of stage work, his Austrian accent had lessened and he had honed his diction. He established himself as a first-rate character actor. Alternating between suave villain to sympathetic, tragic figures, Schildkraut continued acting in various film roles until his death in 1964.
Today, Schildkraut is best known for two outstanding roles: Otto Frank, the father of doomed diarist Anne Frank in 1959’s “The Diary of Anne Frank” (he pioneered the role on Broadway); and Alfred Dreyfus, the wronged victim of Anti-Semitism in “The Life of Emile Zola”, for which he won the 1937 Best Supporting Actor Academy Award.
Joseph Schildkraut was a classic character actor, conveying the gamut of emotions through his piercing, introspective eyes. He also had a rich, buttery voice that could be molded into whatever role he played. He was a fine actor who has been sorely neglected over the years, but is still in the hearts and minds of those who have been touched by his incredible talent.
