You would probably think from that smug look on Rudolf's face that this is another page about his magnificent self. Well, I would not like to ruin his plans, but out of all the pages that are devoted to him on this one-of-a-kind site, I thought it would be only fair to at least have ONE page of it dedicated to me! And I don't think this little detour should bother him very much, do you? Good.
So, after seeing so much of the happy-faced Rogge, here's what I look like. My name is Rachel, I am currently a member of the German dance troupe The Bavarian and Austrian Dance Company, and I have too many interests to list here, one of which concerns the man you see above. I'm pictured at the left with, I'm sure, some very recognizable items that you have seen in the Collection pages of this site. I own one of the largest collections of Rudolf Klein-Rogge memorabilia on the planet! Germany included! I collect his films, magazines articles on him, film programs, photographs and autographs....I will not draw the line at anything.
I wanted to be shown with my favorite selection of signed items as you see here, my 'Great Wall of Rudy'. But there are many other things yet in that book in my lap that you can't see. Don't worry, though, everything else that is hidden from your view right now will soon be on the other websites I have planned for the future.
To explain my curious subject matter, I'll say that it's seemingly befitting to me to have an interest in these old films because I am half-German myself. I am currently learning the language, and let me say that it is EASY compared to the languages I am usually accustomed to.
How I actually became interested in Rudolf is a very strange story. I grew up knowing his name, but not by heart as I do now. I first saw him when I was about 7, in Giorgio Moroder's release of Metropolis. I absolutely loved this movie, being that I hated growing up in the '80s, and this film helped me to get through that decade with my sanity intact! With that said, we made a copy of the film and watched it for years afterward, until finally it was put away on the video shelf. Out of sight, but not for long.
My sister brought out that old tape after so many years and I was re-introduced to this actor, and it was like coming home. After a while, I began trying to find his other Lang films such as Die Nibelungen and Dr. Mabuse. Need I say I was hooked? When I first got interested in seeking out information on him, there were the most unbelievable tall tales and urban myths spread about him everywhere I looked: Online, in books, even in DVD biographies. Most people made him out to be no better than the monsters he played in his films, and they even pointed a finger at him for Thea von Harbou's Nazi leanings. I did not buy any of this as truth and knew there must have been another side of the story - HIS side of the story. It's taken years but nearly all the theories I had turned out to be right, and maybe I've been able to re-introduce the man and the actor to his admirers with the clean slate he deserves. This work is by no means complete but I will continue to research deeper and deeper until this remarkable history is brought to full light again.
I am still on the lookout for anything that has been written, recorded, filmed, or photographed on this great actor, and I would be grateful to anyone willing to help me with this task.
